aaa.com: Bargains and Discounts at American Automobile Association- Makes Traveling Easy.
Written: Nov 01 '02 (Updated Nov 07 '02)
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We have been members of American Automobile Association for years and years. How nice it is to be able to do online what we used to have to do via car perhaps waiting in line. I am reviewing
the online site www.aaa.com and will talk about AAA in general.
About the site:
The first things you will notice is that you are asked for your zip code. When I put in mine I am taken to the page for Southern New England. This is the only site I have used but I was curious what other areas of the country looked like and they are slightly different looking but with the same basic information.
AAA is a service that costs money but is well worth it. You can access some information even if you are not a member. You can see the traffic in your area as well as read about – just as an example, automobile repairs and service.
The pages load instantly and the site is simple to navigate. You can use AAA to book a car, hotel, flight and to make travel plans without being a member of the service. (Just as a reference, I have used AAA too many times if my car wouldn’t start, for example. They will come and start it. You have to be a member to enjoy that kind of service.)
I have used it in more recent times when visiting children in various states. The most recent “Triptik” was recently when we took my daughter to New York City and before that in May when my daughter graduated college and we needed once again to get to Atlanta, Georgia.
Their “Triptiks” are invaluable. They will chart a driving course anywhere in the United States and Canada. The triptiks are very, very easy to read maps with detailed narrative on one side. For example you might read about the rolling hills you will encounter or that there is road work being done. You will get superb directions, lodging details and a new distance chart. Those triptiks are for members only.
The site is very simple to use. If you are not a member you will get a map with detailed directions similar to mapquest.com. (Which, unlike AAA, I have found to be very unreliable.) If you are a member take advantage of the online site for tour books and whatever else you need, it is such as pleasure.
Becoming a member:
You can easily become a member online and as I said it has been one of the best services we could have bought. The cost is $45.00 and for an associate membership it is $12.00 with no enrollment fee until December 10, 2002 – they are running a promotion. If you are a member, it makes a great gift. Both my daughters have AAA cards under our membership. They are called associate members but get all the goodies we get.
Not only has it given me peace of mind for my kids but you can also get discounts on insurance and services such as the following:
Aloha Airlines/Island Air
Amtrak
Belmon Springs Home Delivery
FTD.com
Gold's Gym
Hard Rock Cafe
Hertz/Penske Truck Rentals
Lenscrafters
Marriott Hotels Resorts & Suites
Sea World & Busch Gardens Theme Parks
Universal Orlando/City Walk
Universal Studios, Hollywood CA
There is a whole list you can see at the site www.aaa.com and we always ask where ever we go if AAA is accepted for a discount and the answer is more often than not, yes.
Other information:
AAA has always followed through within the 14 business days as promised.
We recently renewed our membership, which would have expired this past September, online, and the cards promptly came in the mail. You can easily search for savings.
In summary:
If you aren’t an AAA member, I like their maps and directions better than mapquest and when I have used them for local trips they have been accurate. I like the site. It is simple to use and navigate. If you are a member, then you will never have to go into an AAA office again. (Not that the offices were bad, but why bother – unless you feel a need for human contact.) Since we have been doing business with AAA online, we have not had to have contact with customer service. When we used to have to deal face to face with staff, there were a couple of times we were not satisfied but we don’t have to worry about that anymore! This is a 5 star site.
Recommended:
Yes
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