AAA Membership Travel Advantages
 

I'm wondering if anyone here has comments on becoming an AAA member? I already have towing and roadside service through my insurance company, but could cancel it and save some $$. The TripTik guides look like they'd be helpful. Wondering about hotel discounts too. Your thoughts?

The AAA has wonderful Tour Books, Maps and Camp Books are also available if you are a camper. I don't like the trip Tic they offer, to restrictive for me as to how they do the routing. This is just me, some folks love them. As far as hotel discounts, some will knock a few bucks off the price, however a good number state they give the AAA discount to everyone (?). We have seldom stopped at a hotel/motel that was AAA listed and found it to be a bad choice. As to their road service, in the 25 years we have been a member when have had no problems with it. Only used it two or three times.

We use it for hotel discounts, particularly in Las Vegas (discount of 10% applies only if it is NOT a promotional rate at the hotel tho).

The travel/guide books give some pretty good descriptions of various hotels if you do not have time to look up each hotel individually on the web. I particularly like when they note interior or exterior corridors because websites do not always tell you that.

Discounts for various things (for instance San Diego Zoo) apply and can save a few dollars. Likewise car rentals.

They frequently have good prices on cruises should that be your thing.

We've been members for ages and figure we save enough on hotels to make it worthwhile.

..been a member for over 10 years and while rarely used for auto problems, I just ordered and got some free maps in the mail yesterday and last week, showed my card at LensCrafters and got 30% OFF my prescription sunglasses...so it can be used for all kinds of stuff...used for shows and tickets too..

I've been a AAA member since 1972 and I figure my membership fee has more than paid for itself every single year.

The various services they offer are icing on the cake for me. The real value is in the discounts they offer for all manner of things, not the least of which is buying a new car.

Thanks everyone. It doesn't sound like anyone's had a bad experience so I will go ahead and sign up.

For us, the Lenscrafter's discount is terrific.

I don't like the Trip-Tiks much either (lately, they just slap them together), but all the maps are excellent and indicate nearly AAA restaurants and hotels.

The travel guide books are excellent to have along on a road trip, in case you unexpectedly need a room due to bad weather or some other contingency.

I book rooms mostly with Priceline, and sometimes there is an AARP discount when no AAA discount is offered "for those dates". But, we've saved plenty when booking "conventionally" with the AAA discount.

I keep my AAA primarily for the auto services rather than the discounts! My husband has a habit of locking himself out of his car, (at least 3x a year) - so that pays for our membership! We have used the towing without any problems and I have contacted them on the highway to change a flat tire!

They are always responsive and helpful when you call in a panic!

I mostly use our AAA memberships for breakdowns, but they are great. We drive old cars, and we would be in a lot of trouble without AAA. Use them all the time; love them.

The towing / repair / lockout services are great. As pointed out, there are often other discounts that are not travel or car-related.

During the years I had AAA membership, not one hotel asked for proof of membership. Now when I'm quoted a price I merely ask "is that the triple-a rate", and they always assume I'm a member and give me the discount. Who am I to disagree!!?

I usually find much better prices tho by reserving in advance and using the coupons in those booklets commonly available in rest areas and businesses near the exits of interstates.

Lately, I have been asked to show the AAA card at check-in (Marriot). Also, even better than AAA if you lock keys is to use OnStar-a minute after you call them they unlock your car by satellite-it is like a miracle. My wife used it 3 times in the last year alone. OnStar is on all GM cars and certain Toyotas and Hondas..

Whenever I decide to go somewhere, I pick up a Tourbook for the area. It's free ("free") and always helpful.

We've always picked up AAA Tour books for trips, both in the US and overseas. I've used their trip tiks in the past, but have used mapquest for more recent trips.

I've used their towing to cover whatever my insurance didn't cover.
AAA discounts apply to car rentals, admissions to theme parks like Disney & Universal, Barnes & Noble, insurance rates, auto parts, driving training for students, Amtrak, Office Max. If you use their visa card, you'll get a gasoline rebate each month.
Go to www.aaa.com and log in with your membership number, and see what else is available in your area.

Thanks everyone!

Another use I have found for AAA, been a member since the early 70's, is for bail/bond. Not sure which states require this, but in Illinois communities, if you get a speeding or other traffic violation, they write you a ticket & take your drivers license. When you send in payment for the ticket they send your license back to you. During that time you have to use a copy of the ticket as a drivers license, if needed. But if you have a AAA card, most jurisdictions will accept taking that member card, instead of drivers license. Between the 2, I would rather have my drivers license in my possession.
With Rand McNally & Mapquest, I don't use AAA Trip-Tiks, but I do get my money's worth in maps, books, discounts, & with towing & roadside service - use that about once or so per year. We get the plus version of the membership, specifically for the longer distance they will tow the car - have needed that a few times. Without that, a few times, my car would have been at a shop about 50 miles or so from the house, instead of the shop that is only 3 miles from the house. Also bought a membership for my 18 yr old son, & taught him how to use it. Parents feel better knowing he has that at his disposal if he needs it for the car.