Car rentals seem to have become the new norm now. Cars were an object of awe and luxury when they were launched. With changing times and the increasing need for mobility, cars became a necessity. The decision to buy a car is usually taken by families keeping in mind cost, comfort, and convenience. But an increasing number of people now feel that a car is not required for transport.
For those who travel for work, for those who are on a road trip, or for those who just are not keen on owning a car – the cost and the maintenance, the insurance and the resale value can sometimes not be as expected. For them, car rentals are the perfect answer.
With the growing demand for car rentals, many companies constantly keep their clients engaged with ingenious marketing, loyalty programs, packages, discounts, and offers.
AAA and its services
The American Automobile Association (AAA) was formed in 1902 as a group of motor club enthusiasts to get better roads and highways for the 23,000 motorists. It has been at the forefront in fighting and forming strategies for road safety and improvement of roads across the country. In 1915, the AAA introduced a service to help stranded motorists – today about 29 million calls are handled by this service. Members of the AAA are eligible for the following services at discounted rates:
• Emergency roadside assistance
• Automobile repair
• Car insurance
• Car accessories purchase
• Car rentals
• Overseas rental
• Discounts on hotels, travel, dining, and cruise trips
The cost of a membership depends on the area you are from and the package that you choose.
Car rental plans from the AAA
AAA and Hertz
Hertz is a company offering car rental services worldwide. It has a wide range of cars and services in all sizes and budgets. You can find cars for regular use, for long distance travel, vans, expensive cars, and limos.
The partnership of AAA and Hertz has made all the members eligible for discounts and options. The combinations, choices, and freebies are exclusive to AAA members. AAA members can log in to their website, fill in their membership code, and make use of the discounts that work best for them.
AAA members become automatically eligible for a 20% discount on Hertz’s daily, weekend, weekly, and monthly plans. Some of the benefits that AAA members derive from Hertz are
- Young renter fee waived for all members between the ages of 20 and 25
- Members can use a booster seat or an infant seat without any additional cost – they can save up to $13.99 daily
- Qualified AAA drivers, who normally charge $13.50 per hour, do not charge a penny for AAA members
- Unlimited mileage
- AAA members become eligible for a reduction on Hertz NeverLost GPS
- If an AAA members upgrades to Hertz Gold Plus rewards program, they become eligible for a day of rental free usage
Hertz also offers some interesting coupons for its regular customer. Some of the coupons that are available for the month of June-July 2019 are:
(*Users should check the eligibility conditions applicable for each of the coupons)
- 15% savings on weekend rental, resulting in a possible savings of $30
- 15% savings on the base rate of a weekend or weekly rental
- $20 savings on leisure weekly rentals for a booking of a minimum of 5 days.
- $25 savings on weekly rentals for a booking of a minimum of 5 days
- $50 savings on monthly rentals for a booking of a minimum of 28 days
Hertz also offers reward points for AAA members if they are regular customers. Loyalty is rewarded by points that can be redeemed at a later stage.
AAA and its partners
Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent A Car are subsidiaries of Hertz, a partner of AAA. They too have exclusive discounts for AAA members.
How does it work?
- AAA has discount codes for each of its partner clubs. Keep these codes handy during the reservation
- Fill in the codes when you book a car at the counter
- Show proof of your AAA membership while booking
These AAA discount codes are listed on the website of Thrifty as also on the AAA website. If a person is unable to find the discount code, they can also enter “AAA” in the relevant field. Once a customer enters the relevant information, they automatically become eligible for
• 8% discount on the base rate
• Free use of child seat
• No separate cost for an additional authorized operator who is an AAA member
• 10% discount on their navigation platform
Most of the discounts, offers, and coupons are subject to conditions. Users should spend time to go through the details of each offer to make sure that they can maximize their savings.
