Are you a AAA Member? If yes, may I have your input?

Question

I am thinking of getting a membership to AAA and getting an Associate membership for my college student child who goes to school out of state (she has the car we bought when she was 4 months old). I primarily want the membership for road side assistance though I like the travel guides and maps feature too! We do not do a lot of travel that requires staying in hotels though we buy at least 5 airline tickets a year...

So for those of you who have had experience with AAA... should I get the standard AAA membership or should I get AAA plus?

Answer 1

The different regional local AAA clubs are run semi-independently, each with their own quirks. For that reason, no one can give you (good) advice about which membership level to choose from, since no one knows exactly what Basic vs Plus entails for your particular club. Some clubs don't even have more than one level of membership.



For my local club (AAA Hudson Valley, in New York), the differences are:



Basic

Plus

Towing Mileage 3 miles 100 miles Fuel Provision Pay Pump Price No Charge Lock Out Service up to $50 covered up to $100 covered Trip Interruption N/A up to $350 Passport Photos "discounted rate" free



Going through those one at a time:

* Towing mileage - this is the number of miles AAA will tow your car if it breaks down, free of charge. After this limit, you'll get a bill in the mail. I don't know offhand what the rate per mile past this limit is, unfortunately. I've never needed it. Everywhere I've broken down, there's always been a repair shop within 3 miles.

* Fuel Provision - people who need this are just silly. If you manage to run out of gas, they'll come to your car and give you a couple gallons to get you going again. A basic membership charges the average price at your local pumps. A plus membership doesn't charge for this service. Seriously, though, running out of gas? How often does that happen? And if it does happen to you on a regular basis, AAA is the least of your particular problems... ;-)

* Lock Out Service - if you lock yourself out of your car, they'll call a lock smith and pay for up to $50 or $100 parts and labor for the lock smith's services. After that, you pay the remainder.

* Trip Interruption - if you book a trip through them, and your trip is delayed for more than a day due to automobile problems, a Plus membership will reimburse up to $350 of your lodging, meals, or alternate transportation.

* Passport photos - Plus members don't pay, basic members do.



I personally don't think any of this is worth the additional cost of a Plus membership. Annoyingly, my local aaa site doesn't give the price for a Plus membership online, so I can't give you an example of the price difference. A basic membership is $46/year plus a $10 one-time enrollment fee.



I will say that AAA is one of the best investments I've ever made, and I can't imagine not having it. In addition to the road side assistance (which I've used for everything from a dead battery to a flat tire (with no spare)), they provide maps, trip-ticks, and guidebooks for pretty much anywhere in the country, free of charge. Showing my AAA card at random businesses has gotten me everything from 10% off oil changes, to 15% of eye glasses, to a free dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. They also have discount tickets to places like Six Flags and Walt Disney World, not to mention local movie theatres. You should definitely get AAA, for both yourself and your son. I'm just not convinced there's sufficient need to upgrade to Plus.

Answer 2

We don't do a lot of traveling or use a lot of the other services with AAA, however, we go with the plus and the reason is for the extra towing benefit. Look at how far they will tow without charge on the regular membership and then compare it to the coverage of the plus. I don't know how far away your child is going to school, but it can make a big difference, if they are within 100 miles of where they are traveling. You see, our plus membership allows us to be towed up to 100 miles without being charged, so that enables us to be towed to the mechanic/dealership we want, even if we are quite a ways away from where we want the car taken. Our experience is that the membership pays for itself. Also, AAA has a lot of discounts for shopping and memberships, that most people aren't aware of. Ask your local AAA office for a list of participating retailers and see if you shop and/or do business with any of them. That's my opinion, others may say it's not worth it, but it has been for us :0)

Answer 3

because with Plus there was no 100 mile limit on the free tow. If your student has an older car, and lives or drives more than 100 miles from home, this is a good deal. Once I had to get a tow from Portland (114 miles) and once from the top of Mt St Helens (130 miles on a holiday weekend) so I totally got my money's worth. After I got a new and more dependable car, I switched to the regular membership.



AAA also has some very nice Disney travel package deals that we have used. And very little can beat their TripTickets...they don't just map the route, they tell you where along the way their may be construction to avoid, sights to stop and see, and dependably reviewed repairs, restaurants, and hotels/motels. We've used their camping books a lot also.



We just took a trip to Mexico and I got great deals in their Travel Shop on a waterproof holder for my mp3 player so I could swim and listen to music or books. I loved it since I spent a lot of time in the pool...for just 14 bucks it was a terrific bargain. I also got a hidden holder for passports and cash; very good quality very low price.



And I always ask about the AAA discount at hotels and repair places...there is almost always one!

Answer 4

I have the standard membership. I was just thinking this morning that I also don't use it for anything more than registration issues (avoiding the dmv) and an occasional tow for my hot rod. The only perk of the premium I like are the 100 tow miles. I'm never that far away that I would need it and if I do my friends have it so I'll borrow theirs. So all in all, the road side assistance, registration, and travel perks included in the standard membership are perfect for me. If you think she will need a tow further than 7 miles the I recommend the premium.

Answer 5

I have a lot of customers that have both and the only problem that I see it that if takes the tow trucks a very long time to get the vehicle, sometimes it can take 2 to 3 hours...