AAA membership worth it?

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The price is worth the peace of mind. We have the AAA Premier acct and the added 200 mile towing offer along with the One Day Complimentary Rental Car – If your vehicle requires towing, AAA will reimburse the Premier member for a one day car rental (up to a full size vehicle) per household, once per membership year, inclusive of service fees and taxes. Coverage applies when the member's car is inoperable in conjunction with a non-collision covered towing event. Is worth it to us. Plus all the other features of the Premier account offers that the other AAA plans don't.

 

[TaraPA]

We also have 3 drivers on the Premier - not cheap but has totally paid for itself. With DS19 in college 3 hours away driving an unpredictable '98 truck, its worth every cent. His truck died 195 miles away from home on a camping trip - we had to drive 15 miles on a dirt road (had another vehicle along thank goodness) to get cell service to call AAA - they took care of EVERYTHING - understanding we were in an extremely remote are - they had a flatbed there, in the middle of a mountain, within 2 hours & they towed it the 195 miles home to our local garage. Wasn't charged a cent. The flatbed driver, who had to make an 8-hour plus round trip that day, on a holiday no less, called to thank us for the business, a real class act. Same truck had to be winched out of a lake (don't ask) and again, no charge with Premier. AAA jumped a dead battery across our 4 vehicles at least a dozen times in the last few years, and changed a few flats as well. Totally worth it in our case!

 

[MomToOne]

I've had my standard membership for years, wouldn't be without it.

In the last few years, I've used it:
- for a tow after I was rear-ended in an accident
- to have a flat changed on a VERY busy freeway. That one convinced me to never be without it again.
- to get a rental car unlocked after my sister locked the keys in it, on Christmas Eve. This one convinced my sister she needed to get a membership.
All of these services were free of charge (well, other than the membership fee).

I also use it regularly to book rental cars cheaper than I can get elsewhere, esp. if I book really early. At least for the rentals I get, I can often get a better deal with AAA than I can get anywhere else. Not always - so I always check multiple sources - but often. And the AAA reservations can be cancelled if something happens, unlike Hotwire or Priceline rentals. I also occasionally book hotel rooms at a slight discount through them.

That's all worth it to me for the $50-something fee each year.

 

[Docsknotinn]

For us the hotel discounts we receive cover the cost of our membership. The road side assistance is just a really nice perk. Hard to beat a free jump start or tow when it's needed.

 

[manning]

Used it twice.

1 when car got rear ended had it towed to dealership
2 jump start..dead battery from not driving the vehicle. Not only jump starting the check the electrical system.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The last time I tried to use them I was stuck on the side of the major interstate at close to midnight with two flat tires. After waiting an hour as a "high priority, dangerous location " call, they could not find my car, the tow truck Driver claim the interstate I was on did not have an exit number agreeing to the exit sign directly in front of me. Luckily our city has HERO units who came and helped me. I did not renew my membership