more maps Two of the nation's biggest road trip-planning organizations are offering new Internet capabilities for consumers. Mobil Travel Guide (www.mobiltravelguide.com) has a new planning site that lets users define an itinerary and search for Mobil-rated lodging and restaurants along the way. It also permits users to book rooms at thousands of hotels and motels, and provides detailed information on Mobil-rated properties. Meanwhile, AAA has a new trip-planning site at www.AAAmaps.com. "While Internet TripTik, which is available only to AAA members, is a much more comprehensive mapping and trip-planning tool, AAAmaps.com includes many of the same features and capabilities," a spokesman said, including AAA Diamond ratings for lodging and restaurants, and a hotel booking capability.
parking options If you always leave your car in an on-site airport lot because you never have time to check out nearby parking options, you can do so now at your leisure through LongTermParking.com (www.LongTermParking.com). The Web site provides information on private parking lots close to 47 U.S. airports, where prices can be up to 70 percent lower than on-site airport parking. It includes driving directions, maps and details of the services offered by each lot, and allows users to make reservations at the facility they select.
rooms and cars Popular online travel giant Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) has a new option for shoppers: The ability to compare both hotel and rental car options on a single screen, with a quick quote of a total price for both. Users can tailor their search to restrict it to specific car categories and hotel locations, and can see up to 60 hotel/car combination packages on a single screen. By combining the two in a single search, Orbitz said, users can save 23 to 39 percent over separate bookings. Meanwhile, Orbitz has added another 2,000 hotels to its roster of specially-discounted OrbitzSaver properties, giving it a total of 15,000.
search enhancements The Web site for members of Starwood Hotels' (Westin, Sheraton, Luxury Collection, etc.) Preferred Guest program (www.SPG.com) has added some new functionality. Members can now search for currently available special offers by specifying their destination, preferred dates, hotel brand or activity. In addition, the site has a new, customizable "My Favorites" section that lets users store their favorite Starwood hotels, so they can skip several steps in the booking process for those properties.
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