The Many Benefits of Auto Club Membership

Auto club memberships (such as AAA) can have many advantages, well beyond just road services and hotel discounts. Even if you don't own a car, consider joining an auto club. Membership in an auto club (also known as a road and travel club) may save you money and offer other attractive perks.

Some places, such as hotels and stores, may not advertise discounts, so always ask. In fact, the savings you experience may even pay for yearly membership fee ten times over.

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Emergency road services
One of the key benefits of auto club membership is free emergency roadside service. Even if you don't own a car, these services may come in handy if you're borrowing someone else's car or riding along as a passenger. Roadside services include:

• Towing up to a certain distance (e.g., 50 or 100 miles)
• Tire changing
• Jump starting
• Vehicle extrication (if stuck in a ditch, for example)
• Key retrieval (if you lock the key in the car)
• Gasoline (if you run out of gas)
• Minor mechanical repairs and adjustments

Discounts, discounts, and more discounts
Auto club members typically receive discounts (or cash back, in some cases) for a wide variety of products and services, such as:

• Lodging at hotels, motels, campgrounds, and RV resorts
• Restaurants
• Car rentals
• Airfare and train tickets
• Auto repairs and parts at certain facilities
• Admission to movie theaters, theme parks, and other types of entertainment
• Computers and Internet service
• Insurance
• Retail and outlet stores (we know one customer who saved 30% on her eyeglasses at a national eyeglasses chain, which more than paid for her auto club membership)

Insurance discounts and protection
You may already know that auto club members often receive discounts on their auto and homeowners policies. What you may not know is that other insurance products may be offered through your auto club at low cost, such as:

• Group term life insurance
• Short-term medical insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Personal umbrella liability insurance
• Flood insurance
• Insurance for your personal valuables
• Insurance for small-business owners

Yes, there's more
Here are just some of the other perks you might enjoy as an auto club member:

• Maps, foreign travel books, and other publications
• Trip routing services
• Travel agency services and vacation planning
• Mortgage services (including lower rates and closing costs)
• Auto loan financing
• Expert advice about car maintenance and the car-buying process
• Bail bond protection and reimbursement of legal costs
• Emergency check-cashing services
• No-fee traveler's checks
• Credit card membership and services

For more information, visit the American Automobile Association’s site at aaa.com. You can find other auto clubs online as well.

Please note that this description/explanation is intended only as a guideline.