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AAA is great for roadside help, but I personally rarely use it. So why pay for it? I use the AAA membership discounts to help get my yearly fee back (anywhere from $61 – 127 a year). It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind on the road, right?

Long story short, if you travel a lot, AAA is worth the fee, because roadside insurance makes for a less stressful trip and you can heavily use the discount on hotels, etc. But if you don’t travel, here’s information to decide for yourself if the AAA Membership fee is worth it. The AAA website claims to offer members up to $360 a year, including one roadside assistance call per year valued at $130.

Take note: AAA memberships vary widely based on region, meaning all AAA discounts and deals aren’t available in every state, and pricing for membership is different in all regions. So, use this list as a guide, check out the membership rates at the bottom, and then use the AAA office locator to find out which region you’re in,. Then you can nail down your specific AAA car rental discounts, hotel discounts, and more.

Check out all of KCL’s travel tips so you can save money while you’re on the road!

 

Best AAA Discounts and Deals

If you’re looking for ways to save on vacations or travel, your AAA membership will be your BFF. These are the categories where you’ll find the deepest savings — easily justifying the cost of your annual AAA membership. Hotel and theme park savings in particular, really shine.

Other categories offer a few savings, but it bears repeating: These offers may not be identical to what you see on your local AAA chapter’s website. They’re just examples of what’s offered across a few different regions.

 

1. Save up to 30% on movie tickets with your AAA discount.

AMC theater

Look for 30% savings on movie tickets.

  • Save up to 40% on AMC tickets
  • Score up to 35% on Regal tickets
  • Get a 20% discount on Cinemark tickets

RELATED: Check out these Tuesday movie deals at a theater near you.

 

2. AAA Membership gets you up to 35% off at select stores.

A beautiful bouquet of flowers being handed to someone

Use your AAA discount three different ways when you’re shopping. If you’re shopping in store, show your AAA member’s card. If you’re shopping online, you’ll either need to initiate your purchase from your local AAA website or enter your AAA number at checkout.

Here are examples of AAA retail discounts you may find:

 

3. Use AAA hotel discounts with AAA car rental discounts for 20% off travel.

Best Western hotel building.

If you love to stay in hotels, AAA hotel discounts are gonna be your jam.

Plus, on top of hotel savings through AAA, be sure to join your hotel’s free loyalty program if they have one. Some AAA hotel discounts offer initial savings on your booking but also extra loyalty points (like save 10% on your booking and get 50 extra rewards points through the hotel’s loyalty program).

  • Save 25% when you book a hotel online through AAA
  • 20% off on Omni Hotel bookings
  • Get a $25 Best Western gift card for each night you stay (up to four cards) on Best Western bookings
  • Up to 10% off on Hyatt Hotel bookings
  • 10% off on MGM Resort bookings
  • 5% off on Marriott bookings
  • Save 5% or more at the Hilton family of hotels (Hilton, DoubleTree, etc.). Discount varies — check with your hotel
  • Get 20% off on car rentals at Hertz
  • Save 20% on airport parking with the Parking Spot
  • Get 10% off on car rentals at Dollar
  • Save 8% at Thrifty on car rentals and 10% on GPS navigation systems
  • You’ll save 10% on RV rentals through Outdoorsy

 

 

4. Universal Studios AAA discounts are awesome (Disney AAA discounts are meh).

people laughing outside universal studios orlando entrance

Depending on your area, AAA offers serious savings on theme park tickets. In fact, anything over 40% savings is amazing.

If you see measly savings (looking at you, Disneyland tickets), don’t settle. Here are some AAA discounts on theme parks and attractions:

  • Knott’s Berry Farm tickets — save over 40%
  • Legoland Florida tickets — save over 35%
  • Six Flags tickets — save 60%
  • Nickelodeon Universe — save 25% when you get the All Day Unlimited Ride Wristband
  • Universal Studios Orlando tickets — save up to $65 (savings also available for Universal Studios Hollywood. Log in to see discount)
  • SeaWorld Florida tickets — save $70
  • SeaWorld San Antonio tickets — save up to 45%
  • Busch Garden Tampa tickets — save up to $70
  • Kennedy Space Center tickets — save up to 30%
  • Disneyland gate prices — save up to $35

RELATED: We found budget Disney hacks that will save you hundreds.

 

5. Use AAA discounts on moving services, like unlimited mileage with Penske.

A row of Penske trucks parked in a parking lot

Moving, shipping, and storage savings are decent if you’re a AAA member!

Check out these savings:

 

6. Save $0.05 per gallon with AAA and Shell Fuel Rewards.

Shell Gas station with a car parked at one of the gas pumps

Since AAA is an automotive club, it makes sense that we’d see hearty savings in this category. In addition to all of your roadside assistance benefits, you can also get access to discounts on car rentals and gas. Heck, you can even get a AAA discount at Napa Auto Parts.

Here are noteworthy savings:

 

7. AAA Discounts on restaurants are locally dependent.

If only AAA members could get more frequent savings at restaurants… but, maybe you’ll have better luck than I did at my local AAA Club? Even at national restaurant chains I don’t get the same AAA discounts that my friends in, say, California do.

Don’t worry — you can find a lot of other ways to save at restaurants, like choosing kids eat free days, taking advantage of free food on your birthday, and more. Here’s what I found near me, alcohol not included:

RELATED: Here’s your ultimate guide to kids eat free restaurants.

 

Some General FAQs about AAA Memberships

How does AAA Membership work?

A pile of AAA membership cards

When you sign up for an AAA membership, you’ll get a card with a phone number to call if your car breaks down or you lock yourself out.

Generally all three AAA tiers offer towing; fuel delivery; jump starts; flat tire service; vehicle registration renewal; help if you’re stuck in mud, snow, or water; discounted car rental rates; and minor mechanical “first aid.”

Plus and Premier offer a few more benefits or an expansion of Classic benefits. Take a look:

Classic (starts at $61 per year)

  • Free towing to service provider
  • Up to $50 toward locksmith parts and labor
  • One service vehicle to winch or extricate if you’re stuck

Plus (starts at $97 per year)

  • Up to 100 miles towing
  • Up to $100 toward locksmith parts and labor
  • Up to two service vehicles to winch or extricate if you’re stuck
  • Get extra coverage for RV (up to a 32ft RV $40 extra annually, over 33ft $80 annually), plus tows up to 100 miles
  • Two sets of free passport photos

Premier (starts at $127 per year)

  • One tow per cardholder up to 200 miles, remaining tows up to 100 miles
  • Up to $150 toward locksmith parts and labor
  • Up to two service vehicles to winch or extricate if you’re stuck
  • Get extra coverage for RV (up to a 32ft RV $40 extra annually, over 33ft $80 annually), plus tows up to 100 miles
  • Free passport photos

 

Where can I find AAA membership discounts on my yearly membership?

Some regions offer AAA military discounts for membership: 10% off any level of membership. This applies to just the active-duty or veteran in the first year and their family members in the following years.

T-Mobile customers get a one-year free AAA membership.

Or find out if your region offers AAA Dollars — a rewards program where you earn rewards points when you make qualified purchases. You can earn between 3 – 10% of what you spend at retailers like Cabela’s, Camelbak, Ace Hardware, Belkin, HomeGoods, Jane, JCPenney, Plow & Hearth, Ulta, and more. These earnings come to you in the form of “AAA Dollars” that will be automatically added to your account and applied toward your annual AAA membership renewal fees.

Unfortunately, AAA Dollars aren’t available in very many regions. Here are participating regions:

  • South, including Florida, Georgia, Middle and West Tennessee
  • Chicago
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota/Iowa
  • Nebraska
  • North Dakota
  • Wisconsin

Best AAA Membership Discounts to Help Get Your Yearly Fee Back