AAA worth it?
 

The rate to join our local AAA (myself + wife) is $100. This is kind of expensive just to have roadside assistance (which we hopefully won't use).

I've heard many hotels offer AAA discounts. Is this worth it? Also, if you use your AAA discount, does this interfere with earning points for hotel rewards programs?

Thanks much.

Also, I'm a first time poster--so let me know if I posted this in the wrong place.

The hotel and car rental discounts, to me, make it worth it. It's probably been five years since we have had to use their road service (which even there, one tow and you have more than paid for the membership), but join year after year because of the discounts, the free passport pictures, etc

You get full points and credit with the hotels.

To see if it's worth it for you, look at your hotel bookings, your rental bookings, and price them out with and without the discount. If the savings are more than the cost of the membership it's worth it. If not, it's not worth it for you.

Depends.

If you travel enough
and
Don't have access to some other discount, such as Government or AARP

Just might be worth it.
Run some phantom reservations and check out the difference.

Right place :)

Welcome to FlyerTalk

While the couple of times I used the gov't rate I wasn't asked for my gov't ID, it is supposed to be used for official travel only (mine was).

You indeed get full points, just fewer of them, because the rate is lower (unlike airlines points are based on $$$ and not miles).

EmailKid

But if you ever have to use it once, it will more than pay for itself. The few times I've needed to use it over the past 30-some years have paid for itself. In fact, I just upgraded to Premier, as they will do a 200 mile tow along with several 100 mile ones per year. Since I have to make runs to my parents house that are about 300 miles, it was a no brainer in case something happens.

Now, the discounts and such to me are a bonus.

Thankfully, I have never needed to use AAA for its primary role (roadside assitance) but it has paid for itself every year through hotel's dicounts.

I like it because I get free maps and tourbooks...

I like it for the hotel discounts, but also was very glad last year when I was too tired a couple of times and locked my keys in the car.

The hotel programs I use still give points for AAA rates - a few less because of the discount, of course.

I have RARELY found the AAA discount to be the lowest available rate - it is usually higher than the AARP rate.

It does save you a couple of dollars at some of the attractions.

Having said that, I cannot count the number of times that I have been stranded out in remote areas late at night to have a AAA tow truck assisting me in changing a tire, towing my vehicle, or the like. Generally, that service has been in an hour or less.

In fairness, I have not used the emergency road service since I have taken the GM and Ford vehicles out of my fleet, but that is another discussion.

Not all of us are members of AARP ;)

Back when traveling was part of my work some of my coworkers found that Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn would give AAA discounts. Most of us didn't qualify for AARP.

I have roadside emergency as part of insurance, so no AAA discounts for me. OTOH, I collected more points for my hotel stays :D

EmailKid, missing life on the road

We'll just wait till you change your handle to EmailGrouchyOldMan...

:D

I'm working on it :eek:

EmailKid

Frankly my AAA memberships is one of the few bills I don't complain about paying each year. One changed tire, one tow, one absentminded key incident, and it's already paid for. I definitely love the maps, tourguides, free travel agent perks as well. The discounts sometimes don't save you too much.

Honestly, if you don't want to spend the $100 for both you and your spouse, try it for a year, just one of you. My membership dues are a little under $50, yearly. Give it a try and if you feel like you're not benefiting from it and getting your money's worth, don't renew when your membership comes up.

I personally don't think it's worth it. The discounts hotels and car rental companies will give you are available through other means (sometimes just by asking), and the maps and trip guides are not very useful now that most people have internet access. I guess if you drive an old clunker that's constantly breaking down then it may be worth it, but if you need one roadside assistance call every few years or so then it's probably better to just pay for the service yourself than get an AAA membership.

I would definitely have AAA or some other roadside assistance program if taking a cross-country road trip or something like that. But if you just drive mostly in your area, then towing is cheap and help is nearby, so there's no point.

I like to drive my car in the snow when it shouldn't be. I live way outside of town with a very long driveway, and drive a genesis coupe in NW Ohio winters. AAA will yank me out my driveway about once every second or third year. Couple that with hotel discounts of a few bucks, discount movie tickets, and the occasional, I've run over yet another nail, screw, glass, etc and have a flat tire that I am unwilling to change and you can see that I have no issues paying the bill.