Starwood Lurkers,
While still not exactly what jbcarioca is suggesting, might something like this be possible in a fashion similar to the way that rate calendars are displayed on the Starpicks webpage? I think that would go a long way toward alleviating the frustration that AAA members have faced. (Though I really preferred the earlier Starpicks calendars which displayed all the nightly rates without having to actually click onto each calendar with both a start and end date.)

Also, there are sometimes different types of AAA rates. It seems that some are based on a SET code, and I think that I would consider these to be the normal AAA rates. Some others are based on a rate type code such as AUTOHOT, though, for AAA rates which may have other terms or offers such as free breakfast or a hotel credit. Currently, some AAA rates are found under the Automobile Club option and others are sometimes under the Promotions & Packages option. Sometimes (but not always) they might be found under both options. Can you explain this? Is this the same rate entered twice in two different places? Or is this maybe due to the hotel's rate manager setting up the rate in a non-standard way? Does each hotel's rate manager specify under which option(s) the rate will appear?

If AAA is going to continue to be a separate option in the menu, is there a way that the reservation system could always find all AAA rates under the AAA option? As I poked around randomly for an example, I found that most of my selections have things separated as one would expect with AAA rates strictly under the AAA option. So maybe some effort has already been working to address this issue. If so, is there a driver that automatically enforces this such as a AAA flag/indicator on each rate, a naming convention on the rate plan type (such as all names starting with AUTO), or a specific SET code?

I did find one example (sort of) of an exception to the standard: The Westin Cancun for the night of 6/1/10 has all AAA rates show up under both of these menu options:
1. Automobile menu option rates
2. Promotions & Packages menu option rates

Honestly, those of us who are AAA members (and probably even many of us who aren't) would probably be perfectly happy to have all properties have their rates like the Westin Cancun where we can apparently see Promotion, Package, and AAA rates all in one place. Unfortunately, we can't trust that that will always be the way that they show up. (And seniors visiting this property still have to check under the Seniors option for AARP/Senior/RetiredPerson/Primetime rates.)

If Starwood is simply against the idea of mixing public rates in the same screen as membership rates (Auto Club, Senior), I think that many of us would at least be happier if all membership rates were accessible under a single menu selection. Even better, IMO, would be if a member could have an option on their profile to indicate that they are a member of AAA or other qualifying option so that those rates could always show up for them on their first search along with the regular public rates. (The lousy concept used for SET codes stored in a profile doesn't cut it, IMO. SET code users still often want to see the public rates.)

I don't think that any of us really understand why Starwood seems to be so determined to make it so time consuming to search the rates for which they are eligible. Certainly, some people don't bother looking beyond the first page of rates and book the lowest public rate (BAR, DAILY, LTO, etc.) that they see. But some people who only see those public rates will instead end up booking at a competitor who disclosed their lower AAA rates up front without lots of effort. And still others may have even been willing to spend additional money for one of the package rates hidden under the Promotions & Packages list.