More people are traveling by car this summer

Car travel is on the rise according to a recent report from AAA Southern New England, with a 17.1 percent increase in auto travel this past Fourth of July weekend.

AAA cites an improved economy for the increase.

“The landscape of the U.S. economy is in a much different place than it was one year ago,” Lloyd P. Albert, AAA Southern New England senior vice president of public and government affairs, says in a news release. “It’s encouraging to see such growth this summer as Americans take to the road to visit family, friends and great vacation destinations.”

Here are a few tips to help you save before taking a summer road trip:

Get your motor running
Before you take your trip, make sure to plan accordingly. The last thing you want is to take the wrong route, waste gas, time and money on tolls. Here are a few tips before you take the trip:

• Get a customized traveling map with low gas prices along the route. This will be very handy and can be found here.
• Make sure the car is your best bet. Check out bus lines along your chosen route and trains. There may be last minute deals on other methods of transportation.
• Inflate your tires! This can save you 3 percent on your gas mileage.
• Investigate your vehicle's oil. Choosing the right oil for your vehicle can save you money. Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil improves gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent.

Head out on the highway

• Don't run the AC on Max. We know driving in the heat can be uncomfortable. By turning down the AC however, you can improve your mpg by 5 to 25 percent.
• Keep items off your roof, and fill the trunk instead. A roof covered in items increases weight and aerodynamic drag, and will hurt mileage by up to 5 percent.
• Drive sensibly and keep your speed in check. Gas mileage can be lowered by 33 percent by increasing speed and braking heavily.
• Buy a GPS for your trip. The price of a GPS is very low, and is guaranteed to keep you on track. This will save you time, miles, and peace! Check out OnSale.com for low prices on a new GPS.

Weekly Deals: Summer savings continues

Deal Of The Week:
Apple TV: Now there's always something good on TV. With Apple TV, you can enjoy movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts in your iTunes library, plus photos and movie trailers, on your widescreen TV. Click here for an Apple TV with 160GB hard drive for $228.89.

Other Weekly Deals:
TiVo: Get three months of free TiVo service here all summer long with the purchase of any TiVo Premiere or TiVO Premiere XL box.

Restaurant.com: Take 50% off $25 gift certificates from Restaurant.com with Consumer United's special code FREEDOM though Tuesday, July 6 here.

Travel: Take up to 50 percent off or more on last-minute travel deals--including flights, hotels and car rentals--at Priceline.com.

Fandango: Get 10% off when you buy $25 in Fandango Bucks movie gift certificates during the month of June. Good for any movie on Fandango here.

Scams to avoid during summer travel season

Still haven't booked the family summer vacation? Buyer beware.

If you're looking for vacation bargains during the warmer months, make sure you don't become a victim of a "travel scam," which could be as severe as fraud where the vendor has no intention to deliver services to the consumer to semi-frauds, where operators make exaggerated claims but are able to deliver enough to avoid law enforcement.

The crew over at SmarterTravel.com serve up some valuable tips on how to avoid travel scams and what consumers can do to avoid them. Here's the list:

Avoid phony airline tickets
A rogue Web site or travel agency offers a deal that seems too good to be true. They won't accept credit cards and ask consumers to send cash via a transfer of funds. When the tickets arrive, they're worthless.

The remedy: Only deal with an agency or online discount group with a solid reputation. Not sure who to trust? Check with the Better Business Bureau and online complaint sites to get the lowdown. If they don't accept credit cards, avoid the company completely.

Pay now, travel later
A so-called club approaches potential travelers with amazing deals with future travel. The caveat? They want an upfront fee. After signing up, the unsuspecting vacationer tries to book the trip but is told that the time period or locations is unavailable.

The remedy: Unless you know for a fact that the travel club is a viable business, avoid this "pay now, travel later" scenario.

Event packages without tickets
A tour vendor serves up an exciting vacation package for a big event, like the World Series or the Olympics, but has no tickets to the main event.

The remedy: Ask the operator if they actually have tickets to the event they're promoting. If not, avoid them completely.

Bogus insurance
An operator pushes a so-called "protection plan" which allegedly reimburses funds if one cancels their trip. However, when the consumer tries to cancel the tickets, it turns out the insurance is bogus.

The remedy: Check if you're actually purchasing an insurance policy from a licensed agency. Still not sure? The U.S. Travel Insurance Association serves up a list of reputable vendors here.

Click here for additional tips.

Fewer travelers expected on July 4th weekend

With the ongoing uncertainty about the strength of the economy and the return of higher gas prices, the folks over at the American Automobile Association predict that people will stay home during the Fourth of July weekend.

Armed by research conducted by IHS Global Insight, the AAA's Leisure Travel Index suggests a two percent decline in travel, dropping from 37.8 to 37.1 million compared to the number of Americans who traveled 50 miles or more from home during the summer holiday season in 2008.

While fewer people are expected to leave home this weekend, the airline industry is preparing for a 4.9 increase in bookings compared to air traffic this time last year.

The AAA cites the recent spike in gas prices and plummeting airfare as a motivating factor inspiring travelers to ditch their car and travel by plane.

“Many Americans remain cautious about the outlook for their personal finances and these attitudes are reflected in the slight decline in travel we are forecasting for the upcoming holiday weekend," says Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA President & CEO.

Click here for more information.

Also, looking for a last-minute hotel this weekend? Click here to get an extra $20 off with a three-night booking through Hotels.com (offer expires July 31, 2009).

Holiday travel plans stall amid financial slump

With the average price of airfare higher than it has been in years, many people who would otherwise go home for the holidays are opting to skip the plane ticket or avoid traveling altogether.

This means that some families will be missing relatives, and others, especially in college towns like Boston, will host new guests at Thanksgiving dinner. New England-area parents are not the only ones who may have to do a little extra cooking this year.

Restaurants may be getting more diners who otherwise would have traveled over Thanksgiving. The Boston Globe reports that at Temple Bar in Cambridge, for example, Chef Tom Berry plans to order up to 20 turkeys in anticipation of the additional business.

Airline traffic into Boston is expected to be down as much as 10 percent over last year. "With absolute certainty, there will be alesser number of flyers," David Castelveter, vice president of communications for the Air Transport Association, tells the Boston Globe.

Gas prices, however, have been steadily declining since the summer,so that could impact holiday travel. Some families that typically fly may decide to drive rather than opt out of making a trip altogether.The downside, of course is that driving requires much more time and the roads are often busy on the day before and day of Thanksgiving.

With all of the stress that can accompany planning a big meal andhosting lots of relatives, avoiding the hassle of flying on thebusiest travel time of the year may be a welcome relief to some.

--Bridget O'Sullivan

TRAVEL SAVINGS: Free one car class upgrade coupon here from Dollar Rent A Car.

Fuel-saving jet engines set for trial

While making their holiday travel plans for the upcoming season, many consumers have felt the impact of the airline industry’s ever-growing list of hidden fees and their push to scale back the number of flights offered.

The good news is that NASA has teamed up with commercial developers to advance the design of a more fuel-efficient engine known as an open rotor.

The technology for this type of engine first appeared in the 1980s, but the cost of development and testing caused the project to be abandoned. As fuel prices threatened to cross the $150 per barrel mark this summer, however, researchers looked for ways to improve on the original design.

Unlike the layout of a traditional jet engine, an open rotor engine has propeller blades that spin outside of the engine’s exterior casing. While this multiple blade design allows for much more fuel efficiency -- possibly up to 30 percent more -- it also makes a lot more noise.

The noise is a major drawback of the design because many cities already have strict regulations regarding the noise that aircraft can make. The benefits of increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions by these engines, however, may outweigh the noise.

In what is perhaps a testament to the bright future of the open rotor engine, NASA has plans to begin wind tunnel testing at their lab in Cleveland early in 2009.

Click here for the lowdown.

--Bridget O'Sullivan