AAA Helps Travelers with New Mobile Trip Planning Tools

"On-the-go" tools make it easy to compare gas prices, locate discounts and select hotels, restaurants and fun stops along the way

ORLANDO, Fla., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AAA estimates 34.9 million Americans will kick off the summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway and, from digital travel guides to mobile applications,  provides the tools needed to plan and navigate a fun trip. Travelers can enjoy the advantages of packing light since these trip-planning resources have been developed for the popular portable devices they are already using daily.

AAA eTourBook Guides

Free and exclusively for members, the new eTourBook guides sync with top ereaders and tablets, and smartphones equipped with an ereader app. Each of the new guides highlights a top North American travel destination complete with listings for AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants; AAA Editor's Picks for attractions, events and nightlife; and other proprietary information available only through AAA. Members can download eTourBook guides for 40 destinations at AAA.com/ebooks.

AAA Apps

AAA's GPS-based mobile apps are available for both iPhone and Android-compatible devices. Membership is not required to download and use AAA apps, but is needed to take full advantage of the associated member benefits, such as discounts and roadside assistance. For more information on AAA apps, visit AAA.com/Mobile.

AAA TripTik Mobile shows nearby gas station locations along with updated fuel prices. It also provides maps and turn-by-turn directions and displays additional points of interest including AAA Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants, AAA Approved attractions, local events, AAA offices and Approved Auto Repair facilities. The app can recalculate routes and provide voice guidance for the next maneuver.

The app can also integrate trips already created and saved with AAA.com's TripTik Travel Planner. A saved route generates a unique AAA TripTik ID that a user enters into the app to download the map and directions. The ID can be shared with multiple users and the entire downloaded route can be modified as needed. (Saving routes requires registration on AAA.com and may require AAA membership.)

AAA Discounts, downloaded more than one million times, finds nearby places that offer AAA members a Show Your Card & Save discount. The app displays key information including business name, address, phone number, distance from current location and discount details. Users can sort listings by category and have one-click access to a route map and narrative directions. While anyone can use these key app features, only members may take advantage of the available discounts.

AAA Roadside allows AAA members to request roadside assistance without even placing a call. The app uses the phone's GPS technology to transmit the user's location and details about the vehicle breakdown directly to AAA Roadside Assistance. The app also provides replacement battery price quotes and allows members to request a AAA Mobile Battery technician service delivery and install a new car battery. Additionally, the app shows nearby Approved Auto Repair locations so members can easily choose where to have their vehicle towed, if needed.

About AAA

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 52 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

AAA news releases, high-resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at AAA.com/news.

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SOURCE AAA