AAA Membership: Everything You Need to Know

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Founded in 1902, AAA is a not-for-profit federation of auto clubs serving more than 56 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA is North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization and provides its members with a full range of travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Its national office is in Heathrow, Florida. With a AAA membership, drivers navigate the roads near and far free from worry. If something unexpected should happen, they can call Triple AAA roadside assistance, a service included in their AAA membership. With Triple AAA roadside help, certified technicians answer the call day or night and in any weather condition. These technicians help with battery service, jumpstarts, lockouts, tire changes and when tows are needed to nearby auto repair shops. Nine out of 10 AAA members are totally satisfied with Triple AAA Roadside Assistance.

Triple A Roadside Service

Triple A Roadside Service has more than 63,000 service vehicles serving members nationwide. With your AAA membership, you get up to four roadside assistance calls per year. And your AAA membership covers you whether you're driving a car or a passenger in a vehicle having trouble. Your Triple AAA roadside assistance number is located on your membership card. This phone number varies and is based on the part of the country where you live.

AAA Membership Benefits

Here are some benefits to having a AAA Membership. You get a free additional driver with a Hertz Car Rentals, free severe weather alerts, free downloadable eTourBook guides with AAA-approved lodging and hotel ratings, a free household coverage review, 10 percent off labor, up to $50, at AAA Approved Auto Repair Facilities, roadside assistance on your bicycle and discounts at hotels, attractions and restaurants and shops. AAA discounts include Hertz, Six Flags, 1-800 flowers.com, Shell, Hard Rock Cafe, Dell, Good Rx, Penske, Rental Leasing Logistics and LensCrafters.

Triple AAA Roadside Assistance Cost and Memberships

There are three tiers of membership at AAA. There is a AAA Classic membership, AAA Plus membership and AAA Premier membership. Membership prices vary by your region of the country. Wherever you live the Classic membership will be the least expensive, the AAA Plus cost will be in the middle and AAA Premier cost will be the most expensive.

In the AAA AutoClub South region, a Classic membership costs $68 per year. AAA Plus membership costs $104 per year and AAA Premier membership costs $131. Let's look at the benefit levels for each tier of membership.

AAA Classic Membership

Let's start by looking at AAA Roadside Service plans. With a AAA Classic membership, you get towing up to five miles, a battery jumpstart or a boost, mobile battery replacement service, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, vehicle lockout service up to $50, extrication and winching with one service vehicle and bicycle roadside assistance.

Other benefits to a AAA Classic membership includes free identity theft monitoring, free career advice, free severe weather alerts, car travel interruption up to $600, passport photos for a nominal fee, travel guides and expert help planning a vacation, hotel discounts and a free Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership.

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AAA Plus Membership

The AAA Plus membership has all the benefits of a AAA Classic membership plus these additions. Let's begin with Triple AAA Roadside Service for AAA Plus members. These roadside benefits include getting towing up to 100 miles, free fuel delivery, a vehicle locksmith service up to $100 and extrication and winching with two service vehicles.

Additional benefits for AAA Plus members include car travel Interruption up to $1,000 and two free passport photos.

AAA Premier Membership

With AAA Premier, you get all the benefits of AAA Plus membership plus these additional benefits. Let's begin with Triple AAA Roadside Service benefits.

With a AAA Premier membership, you get one tow for up to 200 miles, up to three tows up to 100 miles each, a vehicle lockout service for to $150, a home lockout service for up to $100, a free one-day car rental with qualifying non-collision tow and car travel interruption up to $1,500.

Other benefits include unlimited free sets of passport photos, reimbursement up to $500 for transporting your vehicle back to your home due to an unexpected illness or injury and concierge services.

AAA Towing Rates

The cost of towing is included in your AAA membership unless you request a tow that is beyond your membership level. For example, AAA Classic members get towing up to five miles. If they wish to make a tow of a greater distance, they would have to pay for the additional miles. If you travel a great distance with your car, you may wish to upgrade to the AAA Plus membership, which gives you towing up to 100 miles. And if you are on the road all the time with your car, you may want to consider the AAA Premier membership. This membership tier gives you one tow for up to 200 miles and up to three tows for up to 100 miles.

AAA Membership Renewals

With AAA, memberships last for just one year. So you'll get to decide each year whether you are satisfied with your membership at AAA or if you would like to change your membership to a different tier of membership. For example, a AAA Classic member may wish to upgrade to a AAA Plus membership. And a AAA Plus member may wish to upgrade to a AAA Premier membership. Of course, you might decide you need less coverage rather than more, and a AAA Classic membership is all you need.

AAA Approved Repair Facilities

If your car becomes disabled on the side of the road, why not have it towed to a AAA Approved Repair Facility? There are more than 7,000 AAA Approved Repair Facilities in the U.S. and Canada.

These repair shops have been certified to meet AAA's tough performance standards and they may be the place to get your car repaired. And if you are already a AAA member, you'll get some additional savings. AAA Approved Repair Shops are required to provide AAA members with ASE certified technicians, guaranteed estimates, a 24-month, 24,000 miles guarantee on parts and labor, a free multi-point inspection of your vehicle upon request, 10 percent off labor, up to $50, and a vehicle evaluation typically within 60 minutes of being towed to a AAA Approved Repair Facility.

With your AAA membership, you also get dispute resolution should a disagreement arise between you and the repair facility. So if things aren't working out with the repair shop you have some place to turn for assistance.

AAA members also save up to $25 off retail prices for AAA branded batteries. So if it is time to change your car's battery you might as well get a discount with AAA at an AAA Approved Repair Facility.

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