Sunday, June 12, 2011

BeFrugal.com introduces Fly or Drive Calculator to compare costs and time for any trip

http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/6/prweb8542662.htm
Given the rising cost of gas, it has become increasingly important for consumers to choose carefully whether to fly or drive for their next summer vacation or a cross country trip.

Using trip dates, number of travelers and a starting and destination address, BeFrugal.com’s patent-pending calculator determines door-to-door time and cost for flying and driving the same trip. The Fly or Drive Calculator uses a combination of databases, maps, cost-schedules and routing algorithms for its calculations.

To estimate the cost and time needed to fly, the calculator automatically determines the nearest major airports, travel times to the airports, transit time at the airports, flying times, and costs associated with each part of the trip including air tickets, transit to the airports, and parking at the airports.

To estimate the cost and time needed to drive, the calculator’s trip routing algorithm uses databases of highway maps, driving speeds, automotive operating costs and estimated overnight hotel costs.

Consumers interested in comparing the time and cost of flying versus driving for any trip can use BeFrugal.com’s web-based Fly or Drive Calculator to get their personalized calculations. The calculator is available at http://www.befrugal.com/tools/fly-or-drive-calculator/

Joanna Foster writing in The New York Times Green Blog at http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/cost-vs-time-vs-conscience-a-travel-calculator/ points out that the calculator combines data from the Environmental Protection Agency, Google Maps and AAA, among other sources, to calculate the costs in time, money and carbon dioxide emissions. Included in the calculations are variables like the number of travelers, mode of transportation to and from the airport, type of vehicle driven and costs of overnight stays during a road trip. ... Unfortunately, the calculator does not allow you to compare the costs of flying or driving versus using public transportation like trains or buses, which is often more economical or relaxing and nearly always gentler on the environment in terms of emissions per passenger.... You’ll still have to come up with your own algorithm to compare the emotional costs of sitting next to your significant other for a 10-hour drive versus taking your chances with multiple companions in Row 12.... It’s also important to remember that napping on a plane is more socially acceptable than napping at the wheel, and that the plane is generally less likely to get lost.

BeFrugal.com Fly or Drive Calculator

PRWeb www.PRWeb.com
June 7, 2011

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