June 10, 2004 -- Record high gas prices aren't stopping Americans from hitting the road, according to the American Automobile Association. But they are worrying hotels, resorts and car rental companies enough that free gas has become the de rigeur gimmick for summer travel within the US.
According to the AAA, more than 30 million Americans took to the roads on Memorial Day weekend, up 3.4 percent from last year. Pent-up demand is fighting off the high gas prices, AAA spokespeople said, as Americans who put off traveling during the confusing early months of the Iraq war last summer now take to the roads.
Gas prices at the moment hover around $2/gallon, according to GasPriceWatch (www.gaspricewatch.com/usgas_index.asp). So Americans need all the price relief they can get. There are literally hundreds of deals out there -- here are some that appealed to us.
Car + Gas = Cheaper Car
Right now the only car rental firm handing out free gas is Budget (www.budget.com/freegas), which is offering a free tank with rentals of five days or more through June 27. There are catches, of course. You can't get this deal in the New York area, while renting a car inside an airport terminal or downtown in a city, or on large SUVs, luxury cars or 12-passenger vans. You also can't combine it with any other discounts out there. It's still a good deal, though -- print out the page linked above, reserve your car on the Budget Web site, and present the page at the rental counter.
How 'Bout a Room With Gas?
Keep an eye on the terms of hotel free gas packages. They might do any of the following:
- Knock money off your bill if you show them a gas receipt
- Knock money off your bill no matter what, and say it's for free gas
- Give you a coupon for a local gas station
Here are just a few items that have cleared our inboxes this week. Be sure to ask about a free gas promotion this summer before you book a room at any lodging. You never know...
Mega-hotel site hotels.com (www.hotels.com/promotion.jsp?id=1706) is offering $30 off gas if you book a three-night or longer stay on their Web site, for stays anytime through Oct. 15. The only bummer: it's a mail-in rebate where you have to send your gas receipt into hotels.com with a coupon, and we all know how often people actually get those coupons into the mail.
More than 100 inns on BedAndBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com/ppf/cts/S/Specials.aspx?cts=S?cts=S) are offering some kind of free gas arrangement, with bonuses of anywhere from $20 to $35. Some require receipts, some hand out coupons, some just lower their room rates.
If you're cooling down by heading north, Travelodge Canada is offering a C$25 Petro-Canada gift card to anyone who stays six nights at Canadian Travelodges or Thriftlodges between now and September 10. You must first sign up for Travelodge Guest Rewards to get this promo, so head on over to www.travelodge.ca to do it.
Twenty-five lodges at Big Bear Lake, in southern California, have banded together to offer a joint free gas promo. You only have to stay at Big Bear one night, and you'll get a $25 Arco gas card. That's a huge savings, considering hotel prices there start at $69 a night. Unfortunately, this gas gig is only good through June 30. Book online at www.bigbear.com.
We found two deals from hotels in Park City, UT. The first is from vacation apartment rental firm ResortQuest (), and it's good through mid-November. Stay two nights, and you get a $20 gas card usable at local stations; stay three nights, and you get a $40 card.
The Washington School Inn (www.washingtonschoolinn.com), also in Park City, is also giving away gas. They'll give you $10 per night you book, from now through Thanksgiving. Your money will come as a gas card usable at Park City and Salt Lake City gas stations.
"Spend big, save big" seems to be the motto at Lake Powell. Travelers who book an Adventurer, Adventurer XL, Discovery or Discovery XL houseboat for five days or more get a $500-$700 fuel credit. Book by June 30 and sail by August 15 for this deal. Even better, residents of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and California who rent Discovery or Discovery XL boats will get $200 more in fuel credits, as long as they book by June 30 and sail by September 30. To book, go to www.lakepowell.com.