Last Updated on February 18, 2024 by Kristin
Looking for a cheap car rental? Your AAA membership—the same one known for rescuing stranded motorists—can also give you access to car rental deals.
AAA Delivers Some Terrific Car Rental Deals
Once you join AAA, you can access a mobile app to unlock discounts at more than 130,000 locations. Membership rates vary depending on the plan and region. Generally, the cost is between $40 and $75 per year for the “classic plan.” Often, a second household member can be added to the plan for free during the first year.
Ask AutoSlash for a Quote on a Cheap Car Rental
Even if you have never needed AAA roadside assistance or a towing service, you should strongly consider joining the club, since the basic membership fee could easily pay for itself after just one car rental.
Hertz: The AAA and Hertz have a longstanding partnership for offering rental car discounts. AAA members can save up to 20 percent (sometimes more) on the base price with the AAA discount code. Sometimes Hertz and AAA Hertz and AAA offer coupons that can be stacked on top of the base discount for even greater savings. Other perks include waiving the young renter fee for drivers under 25, waiving the Loss of Use fee, and adding an additional driver for free. You can also combine your AAA membership code with the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program. That lets you skip the rental counter, choose your own vehicle, and earn points that can be redeemed toward free rental days.
Dollar: Budget-friendly Dollar Rent a Car provides a 10 percent discount on car rentals, plus a free additional driver and a free car seat.
Thrifty: Dollar’s sister company, Thrifty, has a partnership with AAA to provide an 8 percent discount on car rentals, plus a free additional driver and a free car seat.
Sometimes AAA’s Best Car Rental Deal Can Be Beaten
AAA has partnerships with Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar—so it always delivers multiple deals for you to compare. But AAA does not have partnerships with other major brands like Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and National. It also does not support reputable discount brands like Sixt or Fox.
In addition, AAA does not support prepaid rates, which may be significantly lower than the “Pay Later” rates offered. To know for sure if you’re getting the best price, you need to do a more comprehensive search—or better yet, ask AutoSlash to do it for you.
The bottom line is that AAA offers great deals but there’s a big caveat: If you rely exclusively on AAA discounts, you’re never going to be 100-percent sure you’re getting the best deal because there is a limited pool of rental car brands and types of bookings. In short, you might be able to do even better.
How to Always Get the Best Car Rental Deal
To get the best deal every time, you need to comparison shop—or let AutoSlash do it for you. When you ask AutoSlash for a quote, we will always search for the best rates and publicly available discounts and factor in memberships you have at organizations like AAA, AARP and Costco. We always recommend that you join clubs like AAA and then let us search for the very best rate, taking all of your profile information into consideration. That’s how you can be confident that you’re getting the best price possible.
Let AutoSlash Track Your Car Rental for Price Drops
Note: If you reserve a rental car with the AAA discount code, you may need to show your membership card when you pick up the car. If you can’t provide proof of membership, you can be denied the discount.
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