AAA membership worth it?

[lalasmama]

We're doing a lot of traveling this year, and seeing a lot of places that offer a AAA discount. We have free/low-cost towing through our cell phone company, so I doubt we would use that aspect of it.

Do you have AAA? Do you make good use of it? If so, how/when do you use it (ie, just towing, certain travel destinations)?

[egoldber]

We use it a lot for discounts at hotels when traveling.

We also have used the towing, flat fixing and battery charging/replacement many times.

[redhookmom]

One busted tire about 500 miles from home and I was so happy to be a member. I have also use them to change a flat close to home and have my battery jumped.

[lizzywednesday]

My mother gave all of us an AAA membership when we first started driving, but that was 14+ years ago now and things have changed.

When DH and I moved in together, we had AAA for a year or two and I liked their magazine (really; made good reading even outside the bathroom!) & we've used their discounts a number of times while traveling.

However, for our family, AAA no longer makes sense. Our car insurance offers roadside assistance, DH is a master at discount travel arrangements & I shop Amazon more often than other places, so I don't end up using "show your card & save" discounts.

[AnnieW625]

I have had it since 1995 when I started driving. I have never changed a tire. We have the classic membership so we pay $80 a year. We get 25% off at a local paint shop (Dunn Edwards) that makes paints specially formulated for the climate of the west coast, plus I have used it for % off at Target, and use it for hotels. I have never changed a tire. I just call AAA and have them come and do it for me. In Nor Cal the Auto Club benefit also included house lockout. It doesn't here, but that was a nice benefit. We can also use the branches for DMV services (except drivers licenses) so that saves us a ton of time as well.

[Melaine]

I think it is worth it for the towing and locked keys in cars scenario...but I haven't really explored the other options.

[Gena]

We've used out AAA membership several times for towing.

We also use it a lot for discounts at museums, the zoo, some on-line shopping sites, rental cars, hotels, train tickets, etc.

It's definitely worth it to us.

[georgiegirl]

AAA has saved my life on a few occasions, so we always have it. Once DH's car died right on the border between VA and WVA (middle of nowhere) at 1pm on Saturday on Labor Day weekend. Fortunately, I had AAAplus and it towed us 100 miles to an auto shop that was open in a town where a friends parents lived (we stayed with them over night.). If I didn't have AAA plus, we would have had to shell out TONS of money to find an auto repair shop open Saturday afternoon on Labor Day weekend. This was way before smart phones, so we would have been really screwed.

[Tinkerbell313]

We use it for discounts (online and sometimes B&M stores) at various stores including Kohls, Bath and Body Works, Jos A Banks, Shoes.com, Sears.com, 1-800-flowers, etc. when there is not a better discount around.

When we switched to DirectTV we received a $10 per month credit for our AAA affiliation for about a year.

[hollybloom24]

One flat tire on a major highway and it pays for itself!

[TwinFoxes]

Before I relied on the roadside assistance through my cell company I'd research how reliable they are, their response time, how far they tow etc. I'm a proponent of AAA. DH had a flat last Sunday when it was pretty cold, I called AAA, got a 45 minute response time quoted, they were there in 30. (DH knows how to change a flat, but there was a game on and his truck was in the driveway, and heck, we pay for the service!)

They give online discounts for shops. Target used to be 10%, now it's next to nothing I think. But there are other stores. You also can get discounts at WDW, and special seating for fireworks.

[lcarlson90]

I don't use it for discounts very often because I always forget about it but I would never give it up. Last year I used them to change a flat and this year to jump start my battery. Both times it was in the morning as I was getting ready to take the kids to school and DH was out of town.

[Tondi G]

We have used our AAA membership a ton. Flat tires, keys locked in the car, towing, battery jumps, discounts on hotels and entertainment, DMV services at the local branch. Totally worth it if you ask me!

[MMMommy]

We have AAA for our home insurance, life insurance, and automobile insurance, so AAA membership is a requirement to have the insurance. AAA has come in handy for car batteries that need replacement - car battery died and they came to my house to replace the battery for a fee. Haven't had to use the towing yet, but you never know.

[Tinochka]

Our IL are bought us a membership and renew it as our wedding anniversary gift for several years now. They were concern about me and grandkids, if smth will happen when we are on our own. We already used it 2 times and it was very helpfull.We don’t use disounts, because my DH has miles and points for hotels and airlines.

[s7714]

We have our auto, life and homeowners insurance through them and save enough money there alone to make membership worthwhile.

We've used many of the roadside services over the years and definitely feel it's worth keeping, but we also make long roadtrips frequently and keep cars until they are past their prime. We actually pay for one of the premium memberships to get expanded towing coverage right now, because DHs car is reaching questionable status and his daily commute is far outside the standard towing range. Once he gets a new car we'll probably go back to the normal membership.

About the only thing I use the discounts on are hotels or theme parks. I never remember to use it for anything else!

The other advantages I love about being a AAA member is that we can take care of many DMV services at their offices forgoing long lines at the DMV, and that we can get things notarized there easily/cheaply.

[wellyes]

If you have roadside emergency protection elsewhere, I'd say no.
There are lots of places to get similar travelling discounts. I don't think AAA is very different from having an Entertainment book, plus, that comes with lots of other coupons.

[Globetrotter]

The discounts are nice, but we mainly use it for towing/battery charging/road service.

[mikeys_mom]

Last year, on January 1st, we had finally finished packing up the car for a 5 day ski trip with the kids. Got the kids belted in and all set for the 2hr drive north and the car wouldn't start. Called CAA (cdn name for AAA) and they were here within 15 minutes. Guy diagnosed it as a dead battery needing replacement. He had a battery on him and within the hour he was done and we were on our way up to the ski hill. I think that incident will make us life members of CAA. The speed and ease of what could have been a bad situation was very impressive.

We use them every so often for a boost during the winter and have used them for flats as well.

We use the AAA discounted rates on hotels pretty often. I also like their free maps and city guides for when we travel. Even though we have a GPS, hard copies of maps are always handy in unfamiliar cities.

[AJP]

We just joined a few months ago. Both of our "free" from dealer roadside service plans had expired and I thought it was a must. We haven't had to use it yet, but I feel a sense of relief knowing I have it, especially since I do a lot of long distance driving alone with the DC in the summer. We haven't looked into the discounts yet, but will check into it when we travel.

[maestramommy]

I have it. partly for emergency road service, but I love their trip tiks and travel books. When we took a road trip to MI last summer the maps were really helpful, more helpful than the GPS!

[s7714]

I remembered two other things. We used their travel agent services for a couple trips and they saved us a lot, plus got us several perks that were for members only.

The other thing is that we've used the services numerous times for relatives and friends who don't have AAA. As long as you are there in person to show your card, they'll unlock or tow other cars that aren't on your policy. I'm sure it's something you can't abuse, but we used them for our BIL I think four times last year and they never said a thing.

[zag95]

Absolutely!

I was driving my 93 Accord on the Sunset HWY eastbound before the cemetary around 3pm, when it died. Managed to get it over to the side of the shoulder..... without getting creamed by fast moving vehicles. Called my parents, then AAA for a tow. AAA got there in about 10 min. ON THE SUNSET!!!

Being pregnant- I had to shimmy across the center console to get to the passenger side to get out and get DD out (who was in her carseat on the driver's side- there was no way either of us were getting out of the driver's side/hwy side. Got her out and had her crawl across the seat to the "safe" side of the car.

Got my car on the truck and on the way!

I've had them for years:
Triptiks, vacation plans (including honeymoon to Hawaii- this was prior to all the big vacation websites;)), car jumps and tows; 2 different cars purchased using their car broker services; Oregon travel books and other travel books; life insurance.

Also recently got a special deal thru them for taking DD to see Pinkalicious!