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Motor Club Membership Has Pets Wagging More, Paying Less

by Chris Owen (RSS feed) on Jul 18th 2012 at 5:00PM

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is a not-for-profit motor club that has been helping travelers since 1902. Formed mainly in response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles, AAA membership has evolved to serve the changing needs of more than 50 million members. Tackling everything from emergency roadside assistance to road maps, travel guides and travel services along the way, AAA is relevant today too. Advice and discounts cover everything from saving money buying a car to caring for and traveling with pets.

"Owning a pet, whether it's a dog, a cat, a hamster or a bird, can be pricey," says AAA in its monthly newsletter. "In this sluggish economy, everyone is on the lookout for ways to shed unnecessary expenses, and spoiling our pets may not make the budget."

AAA directs members looking to save on spay/neuter services, discount pet food and medication to partners such as Pets Warehouse, PetFoodDirect and large retailers like Costco, PETCO and PetSmart.

On the road, AAA's hotel search engine will help travelers locate a AAA Diamond-Rated hotel fit for them and their pet. A copy of AAA's "Traveling With Your Pet" ($9.99 digital edition available at the iTunes Store, Amazon.com and bn.com), details pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, attractions and more.

The AAA website has free information on traveling with pets too, including:

Preparing for Your Trip: A primer on what to do before you leave.
Car Travel: Most people traveling with pets drive, so learn how to make the most of it here.
Airline Travel: Before you take to the skies, know the risk factors and the necessary precautions to keep your pet safe.
Camping and Hiking: Heading into the Great Outdoors? Take some additional precautions.
Canadian and International Travel: Check out some key regulations governing pet travel to and from Canada and elsewhere.

AAA also offers discounts on vacation packages, cruise vacations and more. A lot has changed at AAA since 1902, including up-to-date mobile apps and a YouTube channel that can be a great help to the travelers of today.

AAA online guidebooks, launched last year, let members download free digital guides for their Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader or smartphones equipped with an e-reader application. Site visitors to AAA.com/ebooks can view the available eTourBook titles, but only AAA members can initiate a download. To complete the process, members login to download titles to their personal computer and then sync the files to their portable device.

This video about safe summer travel is typical of what AAA has for motorists.

[Flickr photo by TheGiantVermin]

Filed under: North America, Canada, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Transportation, Budget Travel, Internet Tools