This July 4, Sprint recommends customers try travel-related -- and budget-friendly -- functions to help enhance their vacations

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--Packing a wireless phone for vacation is a no-brainer for most summer travelers, but a recent survey from Sprint (NYSE:S) shows that the majority of those vacationers are not using helpful travel applications because of budget concerns.

From GPS to video/photo sharing to weather and flight information, travelers can untap the power of their phones via Sprint's powerful 3G network - the nation's most dependable1 - while on the beach, at an amusement park or while camping. And they can do all of this for one flat monthly rate, thanks to the Sprint Simply EverythingSM plan, which allows customers to save $1,200 over two years vs. comparable plans for the iPhone.2

With Everything Data plans and the Simply Everything plan, many travel-related applications and tools are available at no additional charge. Sprint Navigation, an award-winning GPS-enabled navigation service that provides audible turn-by-turn directions, 3D moving maps, and real-time traffic alerts with one-click rerouting capabilities, is available at no additional cost on more than 50 Sprint phones. In contrast, AT&T customers pay an additional $9.99 per month for AT&T Navigator on top of AT&T data plan prices.

Also offered on Web-enabled Sprint phones at no additional charge: flight alerts and flight status information, weather information, social networking and personal email. And, on smartphones such as the Palmr PreT and Blackberryr Curve, customers can enjoy access to corporate email (also available on more than 20 consumer-friendly phones such as Samsung InstinctT, Sanyo Katana Eclipse and LG Rumor)-at no additional cost on Sprint Everything Data plans, including the Simply Everything plan.

"It's clear that the wireless phone is a must-have device for travelers for calling, but what we've also realized is customers aren't using the device for all it can do in terms of their data experience; there is a wealth of untapped information right at their fingertips," said David Owens, director of product marketing, Sprint. "Thanks to our dependable and fast network, wireless customers can easily access audible turn-by-turn GPS for directions, get location-based weather information, receive flight alerts and use hotel booking services. We encourage people to enhance their travel experience and take advantage of the value-rich applications and features that are available at no additional cost with Sprint's Everything Data and Simply Everything plans. We specifically built our pricing plans to match the incredible capabilities on these devices. It is just one of the ways Sprint is differentiating itself in the market."

Key findings from the Sprint travel/value survey include:

What vacationers pack
Aside from laptops (50 percent), MP3 players (38 percent) and portable DVD players (17 percent), wireless phones (79 percent) are the most popular item for travelers.

Use of travel-related applications among vacationing adults
Eighty-nine percent of young adults (ages 18-34) would ideally like to have access to travel-related applications on their wireless phones, including social media Web sites (34 percent), online/wireless games (19 percent) and restaurant guides (51 percent) while away.

Thirty-five percent of males (ages 18-34) and 24 percent of females (ages 18-34) already use at least some travel applications on their wireless phones.

More than half of vacationers (56 percent) do not use available travel-related features on their wireless phones because of cost concerns. Sixty-one percent of these women and 65 percent of these young adults (ages 18-34) believe that the fee to run travel-related applications on their wireless phones is a deterrent to using them.

Accessibility of vacationers
More than one-third (37 percent) of men misrepresent their accessibility to e-mail and their wireless phone while on vacation. Young adults lead the charge in staying connected: Three-quarters (77 percent) of young adults (ages 18-34) are more likely to check their e-mail while away than their older counterparts (61 percent of those ages 55+).

How vacationers stay in touch
Sixty-seven percent of adults prefer to use their mobile phones to keep in touch with their family members who are not with them. In terms of checking e-mail, one in three adults (31 percent) describe their e-mail checking personality as "compulsive or frequent" while on vacation.

Social media use of vacationing adults
Thirty-eight percent of young adults (ages 18-34) who capture images/videos of their vacation prefer to share the images/videos by uploading them to social network sites.

This survey was conducted online May 20-22, 2009, within the United States by Harris Interactiver on behalf of Sprint among 2,212 adults ages 18 and older, of whom 2,070 go away on vacation. This online survey is not based on a probability sample. Therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Emmy Anderson.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.