yesimaprncss - You are on the right track! You might be able to drop a casual hint that your pals "owe" you for your benevolent use of your AP. As it seems, if you are going with a decent sized group who all like to shop then the Premium could do miracles and may pay itself off faster than you expect! And it will make you look like a princess in your friend's eyes, which may not be much of a change judging by your tag...
And count me in for the road trip!