Not at all. I renewed my membership last year - but before that, my coverage with National (corp. contract) was better than anything AAA could offer. So I had let my membership lapse for 2 years - but AAA Mid-Atlantic sends out cards with an expiration date of up to 4 years in advance, even though the membership has offically expired. Hilton's site readily accepted my card during the lapse. I actually tried entering random numbers into the site one day when I was bored waiting the Admiarls' Club, and noticed you can deviate from your own member number and it still works, lol.

Actually, I do believe the policy to check the AAA card at Hilton is to avoid such fraudulent behavior, but unfortunately for Hilton, front desk incompetence is a far greater problem. :(

The system can be gamed, certainly, like any system -- but most website users probably enter their own AAA number rather than a made-up or expired one or their friend/relative/neighbor's, etc.

Anyhow, I said that it reduces the need to check the card -- not that it eliminates it. (These things, like most in life, are probabilistic rather than deterministic.)

As for desk clerk "incompetence," I haven't seen that as a problem at Hiltons in general. :confused:

I would say my personal experience is that I get checked about 15% of the time at Hampton Inns and about 2% everywhere else. And that is after the number is already in the reservation from the website. This seems to support the free breakfast = ask theory....

Isn't it free breakfast for anyone anyway at Hampton Inns?

IN the past few years the ONLY place that asked for my Triple A card is the Four Point at EWR. When I could not find it they wanted to charge me a different rate! (I did find it buried under lots of other shiny cards.)

Many times I just show the card to save the question of asking for it.

AAA is also good for discounts at Lenscrafters and Payless Shoes and other places (I believe the Circle Line NYC takes it too.) The hotel savings and the discount at Lenscrafters pays for the annual membership.

I have AAA Plus for the free towing as a passenger in a car. WHY?


I never learned to drive ;)

I was asked 3 weeks ago at the Residence Inn in Joplin, MO. It was the first time in years that I have been asked. Great hotel, by the way.

stayed at the westin dfw last thurs on the aaa rate, didnt ask and it included breakfast

I frequently use AAA discounts at Hyatt and Starwood, I am a memeber but have never been asked to show card upon check-in.

From what I can remember....

20 % of the time at Holiday Inn chain members
20 % of the time at Hilton chain hotels ( primarily Hampton Inns )
(I know, strange, since I do always type the code in at reservation time )

During the past 8 years (time since AAA member) I haven't been asked at Holiday Inn family of hotels and only once at a Hilton family of hotels.

I've been asked a few times at assorted Hyatts.

I was asked at Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver recently and at various other small hotels across Western Canada.

Was asked for my AAA card for the first time EVER (in many years and hundreds of nights' worth of stays at Hilton & Marriott) at the ANC Homewood Suites... Turns out I didn't have the card with me. I hate carrying all those cards and usually scan a copy of them and keep the scan files on my PDA so I have all the information on them but don't have to lug the cards around - they asked me to FAX a copy to them before they would honor the rate. It was a pretty good rate (quite a bit more than the usual AAA discount) and was an eight night stay for TWO of their few largest sized suites so perhaps they were hoping to filter me out??

I was asked at BOS Long Wharf last week; like previous poster I had multiple rooms at a much lower than normal rate...

I was asked to show the card for the first time in quite a while at the Doubletree Club LAS Airport a few weeks ago, and the discount was only 5%.