AAA Discounts

[bobkim2340]

I was thinking of joining AAA and was wondering what level of membership I need. There is Classic - AAA Plus - AAA Premier. So will the Classic level get the discounts I need for Universal Onsite hotels, tickets etc

Thanks in advance for any input

 

[macraven]

I was thinking of joining AAA and was wondering what level of membership I need. There is Classic - AAA Plus - AAA Premier. So will the Classic level get the discounts I need for Universal Onsite hotels, tickets etc

Thanks in advance for any input

if you have the basic AAA membership, you get the discounts.

 

[bobkim2340]

Are the discounts worth the cost of the AAA membership?

 

[nkereina]

PP is correct. For discount purposes, all levels of AAA membership get you the same discount. The difference in membership levels is solely related to the auto services. For example, the highest level of membership will tow you further than the lowest membership will.

Are the discounts worth the cost of the AAA membership?

That's subjective and depends on what you will use it for. I believe a basic membership for one person is around $70 for a year to join, give or take a few bucks depending on what region you live in. If you'd think you could benefit from the auto services (towing, lock outs, jump starts, etc) then it's certainly worth the cost. People purchase AAA every year just for peace of mind - kind of like insurance. If you have no intention of using the auto services and will only use the discount, you'd likely have to use the discount a few times within a year to break even on the cost. Generally, their discounts are minimal - 10% off or so. But you still get the auto services as well as the retail store discounts they offer to use for the year.

Also keep in mind that the membership is connected to the person who signs up. If you're driving with a relative and their car breaks down, you can call AAA and use your membership since you're present.

 

[bobkim2340]

Any idea what the discount is for onsite hotels?

 

[kjgy]

Any idea what the discount is for onsite hotels?

I am wondering the same thing. I am planning
on splitting a trip in May for universal and disney.

 

[nkereina]

Discounts for onsite hotels can vary, depending on time of year. Generally, its about 10%.

 

[bobkim2340]

Yeah we were looking at April 12-17 so hoping a good time to go.

 

[Ksquared]

To get the AAA discount, do you have to book your room through a special site, like AAA, or can you book direct with Universal and still get the discount?

 

[DPCummerbund]

Anyone can go to aaa.com to check out the rates, but you do need an aaa number to complete the reservation there. I'm not sure if anyone else offers the aaa discount. I did read on the Loews site that Loews will price match from any site or company except aaa or other sites (Costco, Sam's Club, etc.) that require a membership.

Also, I've seen some great rates on aaa.com - the best ones are far better than any other site I've seen.

 

[bobkim2340]

I went on aaa.com and put in my dates and the rates are the same as going direct through Universal

 

[DPCummerbund]

I went on aaa.com and put in my dates and the rates are the same as going direct through Universal

Like everything with hotel reservations, it does depend on when you're going, how long you're staying, and when you book your trip. The website that has the best rates this week may not be the one that has the best rates next week.

I don't know which hotel you were considering (since you were talking about going through Universal, I assume you mean you're staying onsite), but I found these prices (per night, for the cheapest available room) on popular travel sites for April 12-17, using Royal Pacific as an example:

Royal Pacific:
Cheaptickets (w/ code): $163
Universal / Loews: $202
AAA: $202
Last Minute Travel: $206


For your dates, it's clearly cheaper to book through Cheaptickets with their current promo code, or to call Loews directly and see if they'll price match (which they should).


I'm interested in early June (Sunday-Friday, like your trip):
AAA: $166
Cheaptickets (w/ code): $204
Universal / Loews: $258
Last Minute Travel: $N/A

So, for my trip, I'm better off with AAA.

Note that Last Minute Travel didn't have the Royal Pacific available during my week, but they did have it during yours - and it wasn't as good as the regular UO/Loews rate.

There might be a better APH rate as well, but I couldn't pull one up for either rate. APH rates are apparently added in 3-6 months out, so those rates could eventually be better than any of these.

Note that you're never getting the best deal via the UO or Loew's website, at least not without calling them and asking for a price match.

 

[bobkim2340]

I appreciate all the info very much. Can you share the promo code for Cheaptickets?

 

[bobkim2340]

Yes onsite Hard Rock

 

[Plutofan]

I appreciate all the info very much. Can you share the promo code for Cheaptickets?

For us booking directly with universal was cheaper for June than using the promo code

 

[DPCummerbund]

I appreciate all the info very much. Can you share the promo code for Cheaptickets?

Cheaptickets is very open about their codes/specials - they usually list them right on the home page. This week it's "FESTIVE". Just plug that into the "I have a promo code" box when you do a search, and Bob's your uncle!

For reference, as of right now, for April 12-17 at Hard Rock (garden view, double occupancy), I found the following:

Loew's: $228
Cheaptickets: $182 (with the promo code, $228 without)
AAA: $228
Last Minute Travel: $232

It looks like you have to pay in full at the time of booking with Cheaptickets, but you do get free (full-refund) cancellation until 04/07/15.

So, it looks like you're currently better off booking with Cheaptickets directly, or calling Loew's directly (1-888-464-3617) and seeing if they will price match Cheaptickets (which they should).

I keep mentioning Loew's (instead of Universal) because I found the price-match guarantee on their website; I have not found it on Universal's site, so I'm not sure if they price match if you book through that site or the Universal phone number. Booking through Loew's may or may not require the pre-payment requirement on Cheaptickets stipulates.

 

[bobkim2340]

In your opinion will the Cheaptickets pricing be the best I will or maybe Universal will be releasing some promotions? I have a little bit of time since our trip isn't till April

 

[Plutofan]

I called cheap tickets and Loews this morning to find out why Cheaptickets was pricing our hotel room with discount higher than the Lowes rack rates. The problem was that we were having 5 in a room. Loews does not charge extra for the three kids in our room while Cheaptickets under the discount upcharges based upon the number of people in the room so be sure to check prices based upon the actual number in the room. I was told if you book a room that holds 5 on cheaptickets but only do the reservation for 2 you will get an additional charge at check in for the difference.

 

[bobkim2340]

Did Loews say they would match the Cheaptickets price?

 

[Plutofan]

Did Loews say they would match the Cheaptickets price?

They told me they do not match third party websites. You need to play around with cheaptickets website. We have 8 people going with 5 in one room and 3 in another. By changing it to 4 in each room we were able to save about 10% using the cheaptickets discount code. If we stuck with 5 in a room the room with 5 would have been a few dollars more than the Loews website.