I’ve been a Triple AAA Southern New England member for about four years, and I have to say, the benefits are well worth the nominal costs. In addition to providing convenient roadside service and travel assistance, AAA New England offers specials on phone services, discounts on national theme park and resort admissions, other travel discounts, and top local movie theaters and shopping outlets. For a fairly low rate, Southern New England families can become AAA members and have the security of knowing who to call if their car breaks down and access to discounts.
Basics
AAA membership is a great deal. A person can join for a year for $48 plus the $11 start-up fee. Additional families (above sixteen) can be added for $24 per person. (There is also a program for kids 15 years, 9 months and older. Not sure what to do with kid when a AAA is stuck, but it’s there.)
AAA Southern New England serves Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It has branches in twenty Massachusetts towns including Boston, Plymouth, Pittsfield, Saugus, Somerset, and Worcester. There are offices in nine Rhode Island towns between Greenville and Warwick, and the AAA Southern New England Headquarters in Providence. .
Road Service
AAA’s most famous role is of course providing members in need of roadside assistance. If your car crashes, the battery dies, you’re on the road, you can call AAA for help. Other services include unlocking your car (coverage charges up to $50) and bringing you fuel if you run (you pay for fuel.).
AAA also tows your car to the nearest AAA garage or to the garage of the company you use to answer the call. If you want to go to another garage, first drive three miles for free, then the charge goes up.
AAA members receive free five-way service calls for three years standing. If your name isn’t on the membership card, you technically can’t use the services, so I think it’s good to get all the family drivers on board. A good plan for upping calls is available and the member is eligible for coverage.
Travel Assistance & Discounts
AAA Southern New England, like all AAAs, offers a lot of travel assistance by way of tour books and trip-tiks. The travel books include more detailed information about hotels, attractions and restaurants in a certain region (New England, Mid-Atlantic, etc.). The ranking system is to help you estimate the quality and price of the site. Iter-Tiks are detailed “mile-by-mile” route maps that help you get from your starting point to a specific destination.
AAA Southern New England also provides agency assistance, assistance in obtaining international permits if traveling overseas. Overseas tour bookings and maps are also available (for a nominal fee.).
AAA also offers discounts and special travel vacations through Member Choice. Common discounts are offered by hotel chains such as Days Inn, Best Western, Double Tree Inn and Coffee and plenty of others all over the world. Car rental companies like Hertz also offer discounts for AAA members. AAA membership also provides benefits to out-of-state destinations such as Disney Resorts, Six Flags and Great Narrows.
Shopping And Other Services
AAA offers discounts at a wide variety of national chain stores like Target, LensCrafter, Payless Shoes and OfficeMax.com, to name a few. plus restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe. Members should definitely check out the site for campaign shopping, because there are many discounts to be found in the 5-10% range.
Also, AAA offers discounts on phone from Cingular Wireless and internet discounts from Earthlink.
Local Offers
Locally, Southern New England members can register your AAA membership to get discounts from local travel companies like Boston Coach, which offers 5-10% off chauffeur and motor coach services for travelers. You can also get 10% off limo service in Worcestershire.
Other local businesses offering AAA discounts include related car dealers such as Cape & Island Tire (limited time offer: 5% off line; located in Falmouth, Orleans, East Wareham and Dennis, MA) and Hogan Tire & Auto Service in Lowell, Natick, Beverly, Westwood, Waltham, and Natick (5% off all parts and work up to $50).
Families can enjoy a $1 discount at the New England Zoos (Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo) or the Roger Williams Zoo outside Providence, RI ($5 off select members). Or even the Southwick Zoo (Mendon, MA, $2 admission). If you are more into another type of nature behind the glass, from Harvard Natural History. Museum for $1 admission. Or, continuing with the museum theme, check out The Samuel Whithorn Museum ($3 off the price of the Federal period house in Newport, RI), the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI for $2 admission or Salem Witch Museum in Salem, MA (.50 adult admission). More history and fun open seas can be found in Boston’s Maritime District on a Boston Spirit Cruise ($5 discount).
Other discounts include having winter fun: free and discounted tickets at Matt Wachusett and a special gift discount discount offer there. It also offers other activities, such as discounts on Boston Celtics games, Boston Cannons games (that’s lacrosse…) and tickets to the Trinity Rep Theater in Providence.
AAA Of Southern New England gives its members a VIP coupon for the popular Wrentham Premium outlet where they can shop at discount locations like the Gap and Timberland Outlet while getting discounts of up to 20% at other stores there like Reebok, Rockport, and Samsonite.
Restaurants in Southern New England offering AAA benefits include D’Angelo’s Sub Shops and Papa Gino’s Pizza.
See all AAA of Southern New England has to offer by visiting their website: www.aaa.com for all the details.
