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Pilot
Flying J Declares First-Ever National Road Trip Day
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Knoxville,
TN – May 2019 / Newsmaker Alert / Memorial
Day – a time to honor our fallen veterans – is also considered the unofficial
kickoff of the summer travel season, with more than 36.6 million* Americans
on the road last year over the long weekend visiting friends and family
while paying tribute to our American heroes. Pilot
Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America,
is marking the start of the summer road trip season by declaring the Friday
before Memorial Day weekend (May 24, 2019) as National Road Trip Day and
celebrating with a discount for guests. Consistently one of the busiest
days of the year at Pilot and Flying J travel centers, locations see an
increase in gas and food sales by nearly 15 percent, as well as an average
of almost five million gallons of gas sold** on this day.
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To
find out why so many people are road tripping, Pilot Flying J commissioned
a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who take at least one road trip per year.
The study revealed that people opt for a road trip over other forms of
transportation for flexibility and cost savings. Specifically, the study
found:
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The top
reasons people take road trips are that it’s cheaper (57 percent), they
have more control over the trip and plans (51 percent) and they like being
able to stop whenever they want along the way (50 percent).
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Almost
one-third (31 percent) of road trippers say they’d hit the road more often
if they had a rewards program that made it cheaper to travel by car.
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Further,
two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents say that they would be more likely
to stop at a rest stop that has mobile rewards and fuel discount programs.
Fortunately
for road trippers, the new Pilot
Flying J app can save drivers time and money with a more personalized
experience tailored to their type of travel, location, preferences and
needs. There are several ways guests can save money with the app, including
a 3-cent gas or auto diesel discount and exclusive offers on favorite food
items and drinks when the app is used at the time of purchase.
To
celebrate National Road Trip Day, drivers can enter the promo code “ROADTRIP”
in the Pilot Flying J app starting May 21 to save an offer for $5 off their
next purchase of $10 or more. The offer can be redeemed May 21-27***.
“We
are excited to celebrate the kick-off to the busy summer travel season
with National Road Trip Day and to reward our guests with something to
make their road trips even more enjoyable,” said Whitney Haslam Johnson,
chief experience officer for Pilot Flying J. “We strive to be the perfect
road trip stop, providing guests with everything they need to have a successful
trip, including clean bathrooms, a large selection of snacks, food and
beverage offerings, and even those easily forgotten items like phone chargers.”
The
study also revealed road trippers’ must-haves for a successful trip. The
majority of respondents say the essentials for a trip are food, entertainment
and clean restrooms. Specifically:
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Three
in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks
for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean
bathrooms to use while traveling are the most important parts of a successful
road trip.
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The top
“road trip essential” snacks are chips and salty foods (52 percent), freshly
made, grab-and-go foods (50 percent) and fast food options (49 percent).
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For millennials
and Gen Z, it’s all about what happens in the car. They place more value
on having music, audio books and/or podcasts to listen to (67 percent),
good snacks and drinks (63 percent) and good conversations (52 percent).
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Meanwhile,
Gen X and boomers care about taking stops along the way, placing more value
on finding clean bathrooms (67 percent), great places to eat (63 percent)
and pleasant places to stop, rest and stretch their legs (56 percent).
Additionally,
when making a stop for their road trip necessities, the study found that
travelers primarily (58 percent) want to stop at all-in-one rest stops
(offers gas, food, drinks, coffee, bathrooms, etc.) to save time and money.
With 750 travel center locations in North America, Pilot Flying J is a
convenient, one-stop shop for travelers, offering clean bathrooms, a large
assortment of snacks, beverages and food, and necessities travelers may
have forgotten to pack. For instance, road trippers can pick up a delicious
Pilot Coffee, one of the many made-in-house on-the-go offerings from PJ
Fresh such as breakfast burritos, salads, fresh fruit cups, pizza and sandwiches,
and road trip necessities like a phone charger or sunglasses.
Two
in five (42 percent) road trippers find travel apps very helpful when planning
their trip, and the new Pilot Flying J app makes it easier than ever with
its enhanced trip planner feature. The trip planner helps users create
their route and find Pilot and Flying J locations along the way, showcasing
specific amenities, fuel prices and more.
Road
trippers can download the Pilot
Flying J app to start planning their summer road trips now****. To
learn more about National Road Trip Day, visit pilotflyingj.com/nationalroadtripday.
*According
to an INRIX research study; May 14, 2018
**According
to Pilot Flying J sales data from January 6, 2017 to March 1, 2019
***
Excludes fuel, alcohol, lottery and cigarettes.
****Data
rates may apply.
Methodology
Zeno
Group Research & Insights conducted an online survey among n = 1,000
U.S. adults aged 18+ (nationally representative sample) who take at least
one road trip per year, defined as driving two or more hours on highways/interstates
not including commuting to work. The survey was conducted on April 11-13,
2019 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage at a 95 percent confidence
level.
About
Pilot Flying J
Pilot
Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America,
is committed to connecting people and places with comfort, care and a smile
at every stop. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Flying J has
more than 750 retail locations in 44 states, Roadside assistance available
at over 135 locations nationwide and growing as part of its Truck Care
program, 44 Goodyear Commercial Tire and Service Centers, and 34 Boss Shops.
The Pilot Flying J network provides drivers with access to more than 72,000
parking spaces for trucks with Prime Parking at more than 400 locations,
5,200 deluxe showers and more than 6,200 diesel lanes with 5,200 offering
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) at the pump. Pilot Flying J is currently ranked
No. 14 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies. Visit www.pilotflyingj.com
for more information.
Media
Contact:
Stephanie
Myers
External
Communications Supervisor
Pilot
Flying J
865-474-4096 |