Is AAA worth it?

[hydrotony]

I've had AAA for over 30 years and used their towing, roadside assistance, gal of gasoline, battery jumping, maps, trip advice and motel discounts. And another BIG discount I recently discovered are on prescription medications at Sam's Club. The towing can be from anywhere, even your home to your repair shop. You just need to be with the car, either yours or someone else's, doesn't matter.

 

[usnuzuloose]

So worth it. I use it for the towing, and discounts

 

[tasha99]

A couple months ago I took a shortcut that turned out to only look plowed. My car sunk in the powder snow and was very stuck. AAA got me out with no worries. I loved not having to even try find my own tow company--they took care of everything. Totally worth it.

 

[pigletto]

I just renewed and upgraded our CAA membership. I use it for local attraction tickets (half off a great local waterpark), booked a hotel near the airport with it for our next Disney trip, travel planning services etc.
The single biggest reason we have it is that dh commutes in an older car 3-3.5 hours every single day.
The upgraded membership covers towing not just to the closest service station.. but back home, which is way better for us should we ever need it. Plus there's a lot of bad weather winter driving around here, so it just makes sense for us to have it.

ETA) Oh and it's good for a 10% discount at most Universal stores and restaurants (there's a list somewhere). Since we will be visiting Universal twice this year that is great for us!

You can usually find a deeper hotel discount, but it's always nice for when there's nothing else available for Disney or Universal hotels.

 

[phred52]

The peace of mind it provides is priceless. With my dd's, over ummmm a combined 8 years away at college it was needed once by each kid. Having a quick SAFE fix available is worth the price, just knowing that safety net is there.

 

[ccgirl]

We received a AAA application in the mail. I've always wondered about joining but trying to decide if the $69.50 is worth it for myself and my dh.


what do you use AAA for besides the roadside assitance? TIA

IMHO, yes, absolutely! I have been a member since 1997 and am now a Plus member. I more than make up the fee with my savings.

Some savings include:

Discounted movie tickets (save $13.50 on a 5 pack of tickets)
Discounted hotels
Trip tix and map planning for driving vacations
Theme Park Tickets
Dining Discounts
Zoo/Museum/Show Discounts
Discounted car insurance, homeowners, cellphone


And those are just a few.

ETA: I have never had to wait more than 30 minutes for a tow truck. I am friends with my AAA agent. They said that if a tow truck consistently took 2 hours to respond, they would drop them from their program.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I have the Plus membership so that's 100 miles of towing. I honestly forget about AAA discounts at stores all the time. All it takes is one tow and its worth the price. Actually I haven't used it to tow my car in years but I have used it twice in the past year as a passenger in someone's car.
I did use it over the winter when my car battery died.

I haven't found the wait times unreasonable. Usually if they say 30 minutes, they are there in 30 or less.

 

[Zim]

With a car with 260,000 miles on it, I have it mostly for the peace of mind that I can call if it breaks down.

But I also have gotten very good about bringing it out anywhere we go in Universal after having it the first trip there and not realizing the value until the last day - DOH.

And once in Three Broomsticks I brought it out and the service lady said "I'm glad you remember to present that, we're not allowed to ask if you have a AAA discount"

 

[aclov]

I had been undecided and just renewed mine a few days ago. It's more peace of mind for me as I usually forget about the store discounts. We were at the HardRock Cafe Store at Citywalk last year and my boyfriend brought a jacket, the clerk asked if we had a AAA membership and gave us a discount.

 

[eyor44]

We have had it for a few years and it is money well spent. Been towed, jumped and keys gotten out of vehicles. Used the various discounts also. But mainly, as others have said, it is the peace of mind knowing you can get help at a moments notice.

 

[gator75]

I love aaa they are the best. I have used them twice for towing theyr are great at what they do. always professional when you need them.

I like the discounts to , but be forewarned at some hotels they try to get out of taking the discount by telling you that they are giving you the best rate that its' better then the aaa rate. Now mind you this is the hotel chain doing this not aaa Holiday inns are the worst in my experience for this.

 

[mjmartin01]

thanks for the heads up gator

 

[gillenkl]

This year we've used it for towing twice and our room discount, so for us its worth it.

 

[leedavidt]

My Son And I Just Purchased Parkhopper Passes At AAA...10 Day Parkhopper Adult $350.00 So,For That Reason Alone I Would Say Yes Def. Worth Getting AAA... www.youtube.com/user/leedavidt ​

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

This past week we applied a AAA discount to our room-only reservation for Sept. (no PIN this year, no other discounts yet and free dining is not a good option for us) and the next thing I knew the price dropped $300!

 

[englishteacha]

I like it for the peace of mind. I drive to work 25 miles each way, and if the car were to break down, or I got a flat (especially now I'm pregnant...I don't want to be messing with tire changes!), or I got locked out, it's worth the peace of mind for me. Last year on our Orlando vacation we more than saved the membership fee with the discounts we got on tickets to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens and the 10% off food at Universal.

 

[nolanboys]

I also have to chime in - AAA saved us a ton on our auto and homeowners insurance. You may want to look into that aspect of membership.

 

[cornflake]

The discounts may make it worth it to you but if you don't think you'll be using it so much for that, for roadside assistance I'd check into your insurance carrier as well.

Mine offers it for FAR cheaper than AAA, and the service has always been quick and awesome.

 

[luvthemouse71]

In RI we can renew our drivers license and registration at AAA. Not having to go to the DMV alone make the membership worth it.

I have also used the travel agency. A few months ago my battery died, AAA was there within minutes to get me going.

You're right, not having to sit in the DMV for hours is more than worth it.

I also use it for cheaper movie tickets, travel stuff etc.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

In RI we can renew our drivers license and registration at AAA. Not having to go to the DMV alone make the membership worth it.

I have also used the travel agency. A few months ago my battery died, AAA was there within minutes to get me going.

Same with MA- in Jan I had to renew my license in person, walked into AAA and there was one person in front of me. Otherwise I would have had to of gone to Downtown Worcester- parking is a nightmare at that office and the lines are worse. Totally worth it! We also went to Hawaii and wanted travelers checks- there were no fees at AAA for dual signature checks but our credit union had fees.