Do you want to know if AAA changes tires? The good news is that regardless of the type of membership you have they will assist you with your flat tire, but not by bringing you a new tire and putting it on your car. They will do one of the following: replace it with a spare tire already in your possession, inflate your tire or use the inflator kit that came with the vehicle, or tow you to a repair shop.
Although this is not as good as getting a brand-new tire delivered and put on the car for you, it will help you get your car safely to another location to get yourself a new tire.
5 Other Car Related Services That Come With Your AAA Membership
This article started by discussing whether AAA changes tires because this is one of the most popular questions people have about the AAA service, and it is one of the main reasons people pay for this service every year.
Most people view an AAA membership as the responsible thing to be, ensuring that you or a loved one will not be stuck somewhere with a flat tire. However, if they can help with flat tires, are there other car-related services also covered in your membership
The answer is yes – here are 5 other reasons to get an AAA membership!
Roadside Service Calls – Another major selling point of AAA is that they offer roadside assistance to their members. If you need assistance or if you need to get your car towed for some reason you can do so up to 4 times a year per membership. How far you get your car towed will depend upon the type of plan you have. A Basic AAA membership will cover 5 miles per tow while a plus or premier membership will cover 100 miles per tow. With the premier membership, they will cover 200 miles on 1 of your yearly tows.
For the next four items, it is important to note that even if your car is not being towed, this counts towards the 4 roadside service calls you are provided with every year.
Battery Service – All membership levels cover a jump start and battery replacement if needed.
Emergency Lock and Key – If you lock yourself out of your vehicle, AAA can help. If you have a basic membership AAA will provide services up to $50.00. If your membership is a Plus or Premier member status, they will pay for services up to $100.00.
Extraction / Winching – If your vehicle becomes stuck, and you can not get it unstuck on your own, or it is not safe to try AAA does have an extraction service. Regardless of your level of membership AAA will assist you if your car can be safely reached and freed from a normally traveled road. If you also have a plus or premier plan they will also provide you with a second truck and operator for up to one hour.
Fuel Delivery Service – If you run out of gas unexpectedly you can reach out to AAA for help. If you have a basic membership they will deliver the gas to you, but you have to pay for the price of the gas. If you have a plus or premier membership they will deliver enough fuel to you to get you to the nearest gas station at no additional cost.
The services we have mentioned so far are covered for basic cars, trucks, and SUV’s however, AAA also offers service for motorcycles and RV’s for an additional $35.00 per year.
Ride a bicycle? If you are ever riding your bike, and it becomes inoperable, AAA will pick you and your bike up and take you where requested (home, bike shop).
Other Services related to Cars – So those are the basics and the ones that most people often use, but there are also services on their website or through their local offices related to cars such as the following:
The website has a car repair estimate search engine.
They have a list of AAA approved Repair Shops
They offer driving classes from the 5-hour course which is required to get a new license to a defensive driving course which will allow you to save money on your insurance.
When most people think about AAA they think about all the services they can get for their car, mostly related to roadside service. Where this is certainly true, people who have never had an AAA membership or even those who have but not used the membership to its full potential do not realize the vast amount of services AAA offers its members.
Here are some great things you can do with an AAA card.
Financial Services
There are a few financial services offered by AAA – here is a quick breakdown:
CDs, IRAs, and Money Markets – AAA can give its members a preferred rate on select IRA and CDs. They also have competitive rates available for online savings accounts and money markets.
Visa Gift Cards – You can purchase Visa gift cards through local AAA branches. These are great for birthday cards and stocking stuffers.
Prepaid Visa Cards – You can also get reloadable prepaid visa cards. One of the most popular reasons for doing this is to plan and control how much you spend on vacation. You can set a budget and load the card before you go, ensuring you are not overspending or taking money directly from your bank account.
Visa AAA Credit Card – Finally you can apply for the visa AAA credit card. This credit card has no annual fee and allows you to earn points that can later be redeemed for cash back or for other AAA purchases (like travel, airfare, etc) which are worth more than the cashback amount.
General Discounts
Since AAA is such a large and well-respected company they have been able to pair with many brands and businesses on both the local and national level to provide discounts for their members. There are hundreds of different stores that offer some kind of discount to AAA members. Some of these deals you can find online, some in stores, and some in both locations.
So what type of places can you get discounts at? If you go to the discounts rewards page of your local AAA chapter you will see a large list of merchants broken down into several categories. Here are some example categories and what you can expect from your local market.
Automotive – If course AAA is going to give you more ways to save on things directly related to your car, after all, reliable transportation is what their business is built on. There will be a variety of services listed here including AAA-approved auto repair shops, places to buy tires, get car washes, moving van companies, car rental services, and even companies that offer rewards on fuel purchases.
Entertainment and Attractions – This will include a wide variety of places you can get discounts for your family and friends outings, or even if you enjoy going to events by yourself. Some types of places you can save money include movie theaters, museums, zoos, aquariums, theme parks, art galleries, golf courses, and more.
Home and Business – Save money on things like alarm systems, pools, and spas, vacuum cleaners, or purchases at merchants like the UPS store and Samsung.
Restaurants – If you are planning to go out to eat in your hometown or while on vacation you might want to see what restaurant deals and discounts you can find. Most of the deals are a percentage generally 10 – 15% of the meal excluding alcoholic beverages. However, if the restaurant is some kind of show as well, such as dinner theater, the discount could be in a set amount of individual entrance tickets.
Shopping – There is a general shopping tab that includes some local shops but a lot of highly popular national brands with a huge online and phone order market. For instance some of the more well-known brands you could save money on include 1-800-baskets, 1-800-Flowers, Cheryl’s Cookies, Chewy, Harry and David, Hello Fresh, and Shari’s Berries.
AAA Grocery Cash Back Program – AAA also has a cashback program for your grocery shopping. Virtually clip coupons and either earn cashback that can be applied to your AAA membership dues or sent directly to your bank account.
AAA Tickets
Another awesome service that AAA has that is underutilized by members is their ticket service. Whether you live in or near a big city and are looking for tickets for special events or everyday outings, or you are looking for tickets for events while on vacation you will be able to find good deals here.
You can search by city or type of event. You can search by the type of events such as theme parks and attractions, water parks, virtual events, movie tickets, and preferred access. Let’s go over a few of these, so you can get a better understanding of what is available to you.
Theme Parks, Water Parks, and Attractions – There are many major theme parks that you can get discounts at including Disney World, Disneyland, SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Legoland. They also have a list of local theme parks or popular theme parks like a variety of six flags theme parks.
You can also save money on tickets to major attractions and tourist locations like the Empire State Building, Medieval Times, and Kennedy Space Center. You can search this also by the state you live in or are visiting to find other attractions you might want to visit on vacation or nearby events you may have never been to before.
Virtual Events, Movies, Shows, and Sports – You can also save money on just about anything you want to do for entertainment.
Virtual Events – There are currently so many shows you can see in a virtual environment. It may not be the same as seeing something in person, but the upside is it can be cheaper, and you have more availability to see anything you want, regardless if it is in your city or not. Some examples of virtual shows and forms of entertainment include magic shows, circuses, murder mysteries, escape rooms, and scavenger hunts.
Shows – Some types of shows that you can get discounted tickets for include Broadway Shows, Disney on Broadway, Cirque du Soleli, and the Blue Man Group.
Sports – If you are a sports fan you will want to use your AAA membership to get discounted tickets. You can get discounted tickets for all the major sporting events, college sporting events, and other sports such as MMA, boxing, Horse Racing, Tennis, Golf, The Rodeo, and Wrestling. There is something for everyone in the sports fan!
AAA and Travel Benefits
Last but certainly not least, AAA offers a magnitude of travel benefits for its members. Whether you are taking a day trip, a long weekend, or going away for a week or two at a time, AAA can help.
Traditional Vacations – If you are planning a vacation you can find discounts on most things you need like flights, hotels, and car rentals. When you get to your destination do not forget that you can also save on select events, shows, restaurants, and local shopping.
Cruises – If you are planning on booking a cruise you can get discounts on the cruise tickets, onboard credits, upgrades, and reduced required deposits. They work with many cruise lines and have destinations all over the world. Regardless of how many people are going, the time of the year, or the destination, booking through your AAA membership will save you money.
Visiting Orlando – One of the most popular destinations for people of all ages in Orlando, Florida. AAA can help you save money on vacation to Disney or Universal with discounted rooms, tickets, and packages to choose from. If you are planning a Disney or Orlando vacation you should definitely check out how much money you can save through your AAA membership.
Road Trips – Every great vacation or travel experience does not have to involve airplanes or cruises. Some of the best travel plans are road trips, whether it is just a day trip or spending days on the road. If you want to just get on the road and drive, that is certainly fine. However, if you want to preplan your trip to get the most out of your time, AAA can help in multiple ways.
TripTik’s – Triptiks are old school AAA – it was an awesome benefit when it first came out, but it is not necessary anymore. Back in the day before everyone had access to GPS and online maps and directions on their smartphones people would contact their local AAA and tell them about an upcoming road trip. This would include the dates and where you are starting, where your destination is, and any places you want to visit. AAA would then give you a guided route in a series of maps to get you there safely and efficiently.
Although you do not need this service anymore, it is still available. Many people do prefer to still use these paper masks as you will have good directions and maps regardless of where you are driving through, cell service, and availability. It also adds some fun and even a level of nostalgia to a trip using paper maps.
Of course, AAA now gives you paper masks as well as access to the trip tik through their mobile app. This allows you to also see restaurants, hotels, and attractions along the way.
AAA Tour Books – AAA has also created tour books for specific locations. These books highlight different places and attractions, restaurants, hotels, and more that you may want to visit along the way. If you are a planner, this is a must for any road trip!
Road Trips – Technically this is something you could find on their website without being a member, but if you were not a member most people would not be searching the website. AAA has put together hundreds of road trip destinations and within each destination, they have attractions to stop at.
Even though these lists are free, if the attraction is someone they also have a discount with, you can book a reservation through the website and save money.
As you can see, not only will having AAA allow you to have assistance in getting a spare tire put on your car, but this membership gives you a plethora of benefits that range from directly related to your car and roadside assistance to travel, entertainment, and shopping!