AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Record Prices as Memorial Day Draws Near

HOUSTON--May 28, 2004--For the fourth straight week, all Texas cities surveyed have set new weekly records, according to AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline is $2.05 a gallon, four cents higher than last week's average, and 55 cents higher than last year's average. The Texas average for a gallon of regular self-serve increased 4.5 cents to $1.927 a gallon.

The most affordable gasoline on the list can be found in Beaumont at $1.897 a gallon, up 4.2 cents. San Antonio posted the biggest gain of 9.1 cents a gallon to $1.951 -- the highest on the list.

"San Antonio which usually has the most affordable gas in the state has the most expensive this week," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "It's also among the top five most popular destinations for Texans this Memorial Day. We expect slightly more than 3.2 million Texans will travel this holiday, with the majority of those, 87%, traveling by motor vehicle."

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for automobile trips.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 AM, May 2, 20048, 2004:

                              Weekly           New            Year
Area               Current    Change       Record Price     Ago Price
----               -------    ------       ------------     ---------
National           $2.052   + 4.2 cents  $2.054 (5/26/04)    $1.484

State              $1.927   + 4.5 cents  $1.927 (5/26/04)    $1.380

Austin-San Marcos  $1.929   + 6.3 cents  $1.929 (5/27/04)    $1.335

Beaumont           $1.897   + 4.2 cents  $1.897 (5/26/04)    $1.364

Corpus Christi     $1.925   + 8.3 cents  $1.925 (5/26/04)    $1.286

Dallas             $1.932   + 4.1 cents  $1.932 (5/27/04)    $1.408

Fort Worth         $1.923   + 4.7 cents  $1.923 (5/27/04)    $1.387

Galveston -        $1.913   + 4.9 cents  $1.913 (5/27/04)    $1.380
Texas City

Houston            $1.909   + 3.7 cents  $1.909 (5/27/04)    $1.376

San Antonio        $1.951   + 9.1 cents  $1.952 (5/26/04)    $1.329

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.