Originally Posted by
umustbjokim
Trying to decide whether AAA is worth the money, given the Roadside Assistance benefit with AMEX platinum card. Anyone utilized? Any reason to keep AAA?
AAA is probably better than Amex for discounts. Points are great, cash is better. The AAA car insurance discount through Commerce can pay for a good chunk or all of the AAA membership. I've heard a AAA membership with a trip to Disney can be profitable because of discounts available, but have no personal experience. AAA hotel rates can be the lowest for a given room.
I keep an AAA membership along with CC's that have roadside benefits, because roadside assistance seems to be AAA's main focus, not an add-on.
Actual AAA benefits vary by membership level and your local AAA club. Because of this it is hard to compare AAA with Amex without knowing which AAA club is involved.
If your roadside needs are expected to be simple such as out of gas or a battery boost, you may not need the extra services that AAA offers.
As noted, the quality of the roadside service isn't really with AAA or Amex but is with the companies they contract with, so the real question is the cost of services provided that you would otherwise have to pay for out of pocket.
Going the other way, AAA w/o Plat, AAA has some benefits that aren't as good as Amex Plat or other CC's, but are similar. This doesn't apply to your situation, but I mention it for anyone else reading. They can include status with Starwood and free Hertz #1 gold w/some extra points, A concierge (on paper, more like Visa's Signature than Amex's), travel/trip insurance, and other items that you need to read the fine print about. They may vary depending on your AAA membership level. The Amex Plat is better here, but a AAA membership is a lot less than a Plat annual fee, if you don't need all the Plat benefits.
Originally Posted by
sirikit
AAA won't pay for a tow if you drive yourself into some deep snow and need to get pulled out
The local club here offers "Extrication or Winching Service – if car is stuck in a ditch, mud, or snow, it will be freed if it can be reached from the highway with the service provider's ordinary winch or tow cable." with basic membership and offers "Extended Extrication Service - extends coverage to include 2 service vehicles and 2 technicians for up to 1 hour of service" with premier level. A friend had his snow plow equipped 4x4 pulled out of a ditch with AAA Basic or Plus. I don't think they are supposed to do that, but the tow truck driver did.
US-Centric post disclaimer: the above refers to AAA and US Amex benefits used in the US. benefits in other countries may vary, and perhaps the US Amex plat gives better roadside coverage outside the US than an AAA card would. YMMV, and read the fine print
Late 2012 edit: AAA Premier level members have access to a limited concierge service now. One AAA Club page states "Services are provided by World Access when traveling
at least 100 miles from member’s primary residence. "; World Access is a subsidiary of Mondial Assistance. The 100 mile distance is what defines a "Covered Trip" unlike the American Express Platinum Concierge Service; instead of "Don't leave home without it" AAA is "You stay home without it" Even with these limits, the service still may be of some use. The quality of the concierge service is unknown at this time.