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If you drive a car, you’ve likely heard of AAA, or “Triple-A” as many people call it. The American Automobile Association (AAA) provides travel and safety benefits for car owners, along with a host of other services.

There’s a membership fee to join, but is it worth it and how much is AAA? We’ll explore the benefits of AAA and talk about whether or not the organization could benefit you.

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What is AAA?

The American Automobile Association is an organization that provides repair, travel, and safety services, as well as other benefits for individual drivers.

The AAA was founded in 1902. AAA began when nine motor clubs, with a total of 1500 members, joined together to create a force for safer and more enjoyable travel.

The initial purpose of AAA was to lobby for driver and passenger rights, fair laws, and safer vehicles. As well, a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles helped prompt the creation of the company.

By 1905, AAA was publishing road maps to help travelers get where they needed to go. In 1917, AAA began printing and offering hotel guides for members.

Three years after printing hotel guides, in 1920, the company began America’s School Safety Patrol Program. Do you remember being a kid and being responsible for helping other students get across the street? The orange flags? The green or orange vests? The School Safety Patrol Program focuses on helping students cross streets safely

In 1947, AAA also began the Foundation for Traffic Safety, which helps motorists learn how to be safer on the road.

Today, AAA boasts over 50 million members. They provide a wide array of services, such as roadside assistance benefits, travel assistance, and more.

Triple-A continues to be a “driving” force in helping people be safer on and around the road. Here’s some additional information about the foundation of AAA.

How Much Does An AAA Membership Cost?

The AAA Premier Membership is AAA’s top of the line membership level. It costs $77-$164 per year and includes benefits such as:

• Up to four tows per year (up to 200 miles for one, up to 100 miles for the other three)
• Reimbursement of up to $150 for vehicle lockout, including necessary parts and services
• Fuel delivery (fuel is free)
• Flat tire service
• Battery service

This comprehensive membership offers other benefits too. If you drive a lot or just want to be sure you’re covered for every type of emergency (and more), this is the membership for you.

Here’s a chart summarizing membership benefits for each level of membership.

Is AAA Worth It?

In the 100+ years since AAA began, they’ve developed a large array of benefits for members. Keep reading to learn about some of the benefits you can expect to enjoy if you become a member of the AAA.

Automobile Roadside Assistance

Probably the most well-known benefit of AAA is their roadside assistance program. When you become a member of the AAA, you can call their roadside assistance customer service line and get help with auto services such as:

• Changing flat tires
• Unlocking your car if you’ve accidentally locked your keys inside
• Jumping your battery
• Bringing gasoline if you’ve run out
• Towing your car in case of mechanical failures or other issues

The details and AAA roadside assistance cost vary depending on which membership level you choose, but all of the incidents listed above are covered with each type of membership.

However, details do vary based on your membership level. Still, it’s great knowing you’ll have someone who can help you if you’re ever stranded with car issues.

Travel Assistance

Another popular benefit of being an AAA member is their travel assistance program. With AAA, you’ll get access to great deals on travel destinations.

Along with other vacation options, AAA specializes in Disney vacations and cruise vacations. Members get tips on vacation deals, as well as travel agent services.

AAA has other benefits too, such as TripTik maps that help you route your destinations and TourBook guides.

You can also buy theme park tickets for a variety of theme parks through the AAA website. They also share ratings on hotels and share information on restaurants and other attractions and events near your travel destination.

AAA even has a campground guide to help you find information about campgrounds you’re traveling near.

As a member, you’ll get access to foreign currency purchases too. AAA also has Visa TravelMoney cards and travel insurance.

AAA Insurance

AAA offers multiple insurance policies. You can get home, auto, and life insurance coverage through AAA. The AAA website says members who switch to AAA auto insurance save an average of $405 annually on their auto insurance premium.

They provide auto insurance for cars, trucks, and SUVs, as well as for motorcycles, off-road vehicles, and RVs. There is also renter’s insurance and boat insurance.

AAA auto insurance ranks as one of the top insurance companies annually.

Want a quote? You can get fast insurance coverage quotes just by visiting AAA’s website. To compare rates from many different companies be sure to use our free quote tool.

AAA Membership Discounts

Another great benefit you get when you join AAA is access to their member discounts. AAA offers a variety of discounts and rewards on a plethora of purchases:

• 10% off AAA partner auto shops, body shops, and auto part shops
• Cents-per-gallon discounts on gasoline purchases at AAA partner stores
• Freebies and discounts at select restaurants
• Shopping discounts at thousands of stores and retailers
• Discounts on prescription meds and other medical services (such as vision)
• Discounts on moving services, such as moving truck rentals
• Rewards points you can earn when you make purchases through AAA.com

The number of stores, restaurants, and retailers you can get a AAA membership discount is nearly limitless. There are too many discounts to list here, but if you check out the AAA website you can get details on individual store and restaurant discounts.

Just make sure to ask about AAA discounts when you’re checking out at a store or restaurant.

AAA Automotive Benefits

Along with offering auto insurance and roadside assistance, AAA has other benefits for car owners. You can get a discount at participating car dealerships when you mention your AAA membership.

Also, you can get discounts on CARFAX reports with your AAA membership. AAA will help you find crash ratings on cars too, courtesy of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Identity Theft Monitoring

Your AAA membership also comes with Identity Theft Monitoring. The highest level of membership includes $10,000 in identity theft insurance.

With identity theft being so prevalent, it’s never a bad idea to monitor your credit for signs of potential identity theft. This includes credit report monitoring, email changes, and suspicious activity to that credit report.

Comprehensive Coverage

One cool thing about AAA is that its comprehensive auto insurance coverage will cover you even if you’re not driving your own car. For instance, you’re eligible for assistance even if:

• You’re driving someone else’s car
• You are driving a rental car
• You’re a passenger in someone else’s car

Since AAA membership covers people and not vehicles, you’re entitled to membership benefits no matter car what you’re driving or whose car you’re in.

What Does AAA Membership Cost?

We’ve outlined the benefits, but what is the AAA membership cost?

AAA offers three different levels of membership. We’ll outline them for you here. Note that annual membership costs vary by club and/or state.

We’ve included a range of costs that cover most of the U.S. AAA auto clubs.

AAA Classic Membership

The AAA Classic Membership is the organization’s basic membership. It costs $38-$74 per year and comes with benefits such as:

• Up to four tows per year (for a distance of up to five miles each)
• Reimbursement of up to $50 for vehicle lockout
• Fuel delivery (you pay for the fuel)
• Flat tire service
• Battery service

Additionally, AAA’s introductory membership tier includes 24/7 roadside service, rental cars for towed members, vehicle lockout services, extrication, basic travel insurance coverage, bicycle service, travel store discounts. The basic travel insurance coverage comes with two basic coverages: trip interruption coverage and travel accident insurance coverage.

This is a great basic service choice if you live, work, and play in a condensed area and don’t travel often with your vehicle. Don’t forget that there are also store discounts at any level of membership.

AAA Plus Membership

The AAA Plus Membership is your next option. It costs $60-$124 per year and comes with benefits such as:

• Up to four tows per year (for a distance of up to 100 miles each)
• Reimbursement of up to $100 for vehicle lockout, including necessary parts and services
• Fuel delivery (fuel is free)
• Flat tire service
• Battery service

Other benefits are included as well. This is a great membership choice if you travel further for work or take trips regularly. Higher membership levels provide coverage for stolen luggage and hotel expenses if your car is repaired on a road trip.

Adding Your Spouse or Other Family Members To Your AAA Membership

Another great benefit of AAA membership is that you’re allowed to add “associate” members to your membership at a discounted rate. Any associate member on your AAA account is entitled to all of the benefits of your membership level.

An associate can be anyone in your immediate family, including:

• Your spouse
• Another adult living in the household (i.e. partners or other relatives)
• Children living at home
• Children away at college

This is a great benefit that will ensure all of your immediate family members are safe while on the road. In addition, they get the other benefits of AAA membership, such as shopping and auto insurance discounts.

Is An AAA Membership Worth It?

So, you’ve learned about the basics of AAA membership. How do you know if an AAA membership is worth it?

Peace And Convenience

An AAA membership is worth the cost if you like the idea of having peace and convenience when you drive your car, drive another person’s car, or ride in someone else’s car.

They’ll cover you for almost every type of vehicle emergency. If you desire extra protection and peace of mind for when you travel, an AAA membership could be worth the cost.

You’ll pay a maximum of $14 a month for your AAA membership — and you’ll get discounts on memberships for family members. For the cost of a couple of coffees a month, you get the peace of knowing you’re covered on the road.

Discounted Insurance Rates

Roadside assistance is available through a number of organizations. However, one benefit AAA offers in addition to roadside assistance is a great auto, home, and life insurance rates.

You might want to check out AAA to see if they can save you money on insurance. If they can, joining your local AAA club might be a good idea.

Other Member Benefits

When considering an AAA membership, you can’t overlook the added benefits. Discounts on shopping and services, travel assistance, and other benefits (such as identity theft monitoring) are all included when you join.

When you use those benefits as an AAA member, you’ll more than cover the cost of your annual membership.

An AAA membership is like a gym membership. If you use it, you’ll get your money back and more in the form of the benefits membership offers. However, if you don’t take advantage of the services and benefits the membership offers, it probably won’t be worth it for you.

If you drive a car on any kind of regular basis, you’ll be entitled to many great benefits as an AAA member — provided you research and use those benefits.

From shopping, eating out, saving on gas, auto repairs, and more, a Triple-A membership offers peace of mind and more.

How Do You Become a Member of AAA?

Becoming an AAA member is easy. Just go to the AAA website locator page and enter your location to find an AAA club that covers your area.

When you type in your zip code, you’ll be directed to an AAA club near you. On your club’s landing page, you’ll get directions on how to easily get the advantages of AAA membership for yourself.

These clubs sell maps, travel literature, merchandise, plus travel products such as passports and international driving permits. AAA’s roadside assistance calls are provided by a network of AAA-approved contractors (auto repair shops and towing companies).

Membership tiers are subject to change over time. Sometimes, clubs impose a one-time-sign-up fee that’s usually lower than the annual membership cost.

Summary

AAA membership offers great benefits for car drivers. They go beyond basic roadside assistance services and offer numerous other benefits. Check out the AAA website and see if you might enjoy an AAA membership.

Have you ever been an AAA member or benefited from their services? Feel free to share your story in the comments section on our Facebook page.

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25.10.2019 /