Member Benefits
IF YOU'RE GOING...
Your key to a new car, hassle free | Savings | Milestones
Postcard | Travel Planner | News Flash | Your Car | Spotlight
Your key to a new car, hassle free
Buying a car can put you on a twisty road. How much time can you afford to spend shopping around and bargaining? How will you know you're getting the best price? Spend too many hours on the quest and you could lose your way. Spend too few and you could lose money. The AAA Auto Buying Service lights up the road for members: We arrange no-haggle prices, backed by the reviews of impartial experts, at reliable dealerships. Our assistants are on hand daily to answer questions and check prices and contracts. You'll save time and money and, best of all, you'll get the car you want.
To find out more about the AAA Auto Buying Service, call (800) 808- 7196 or visit AAA.com/vianewcar.
SAVINGS
Eye-opening deals worth a closer look
Save 30 percent on eye exams, new lenses, frames, sunglasses, and accessories, and 15 percent on lens and frame replacements at:
- LensCrafters, lenscrafters.com
- Pearle Vision, pearlevision.com
- Sears Optical, searsoptical.com
- Target Optical, target.com
For other exclusive member savings, visit AAA.com/discounts.
MILESTONES
Accidents will happen
1871
The Great Chicago Fire burns roughly 17,500 buildings, leaving 100,000 people homeless.
1912
The "unsinkable" RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg on her maiden voyage and goes down in 160 minutes.
1979
Mechanical and human failures cause a partial core meltdown at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
1989
The tanker Exxon Valdez strikes a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of oil.
2005
New Orleans floods after intense rain brought by Hurricane Katrina overwhelms the levees meant to protect the city.
AAA insurance protects you, your vehicle, and your home from an unpredictable world. For more details or to get a quote, stop by any branch office, call (800) 922-8228, or visit AAA.com/viainsure.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has noted 890 sites around the globe "considered to be of outstanding value to humanity." AAA Travel is a member of the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, and Postcard will highlight a different site in each issue..
Some amorous souls write poetry. A few compose love songs. Emperor Shah Jahan took romance to another level, building one of the world's most exquisite structures in tribute to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple's 14th child. Begun in 1631, the project took 17 years to complete and required more than 20,000 laborers—not to mention the 1,000 elephants that delivered marble, jade, and other precious materials from across Asia.
Every year some 2 million travelers journey to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, to admire the building's decorative calligraphy, graceful minarets, and imposing onion dome. Those in the know arrive at sunrise, when the mausoleum's translucent white marble glows rosy pink, or during a full moon, when semiprecious stones in the exterior shimmer in the moonlight. Even if the effect lasts only a moment, the emperor's message of eternal love stays with you for a lifetime.
The 14-day AAA Sojourns tour Highlights of Rajasthan includes a visit to the Taj Mahal. To learn more, call (888) 586-4222 or visit AAA.com/sojourns.
January
SAVE At Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Resort, and Walt Disney World Resort, you'll enjoy exclusive member benefits when you book through AAA Travel in January.
PLAN AHEAD Celebrate spring in Washington, D.C., with the seven-day AAA Sojourns Cherry Blossom Festival package (April 7–13).
DON'T FORGET Your U.S. auto insurance is not valid in Mexico. You can, however, purchase liability insurance underwritten by a reputable Mexican company through AAA and save $5. To learn more, visit AAA.com/viamexico.
February
SAVE Find a good travel book or DVD at AAA.com/barnesandnoble and get 10 percent off your purchase.
PLAN AHEAD Ladies take note: Our 11-day AAA Sojourns Girlfriend Getaway to the Emerald Isle tour departs for Dublin on June 22.
DON'T FORGET Through February 28, save 20 percent when you purchase a BritRail Pass for train travel within Great Britain. Passes are available from AAA Travel.
Let AAA help you get where you're going safely and on budget. Call (888) 586- 4222 or visit AAA.com/viago.
NEWS FLASH
Get a quote and keep your car neat
This January and February, get a quote on auto insurance at any AAA branch office and receive a gift to help you keep your vehicle organized. It's our thank-you for letting us show what we can do for you. To find the location nearest you, visit AAA.com/branches.
YOUR CAR
How do I get juice stains and gum off the upholstery?
By Nino Padova
Kids eating in cars can be sticky business. Even on a good day, much of what they aim at their mouths—from Cheerios to squeeze-and-eat Go-Gurt—lands instead in some crevice of your vehicle.
Brushing crumbs from the seats is one thing; prying a wad of gum from your embattled interior is another. The trick with sticky stuff and ugly stains is to address them quickly.
"Ice works on chewing gum," says Bud Abraham, whose Portland-based company, Detail Plus, outfits car washes and auto dealers. "Freeze the gum until it's hard, then gently run a dull paint scraper over the spot." If that doesn't do the job, try a petroleum based solvent made for removing adhesives. Given a spritz of Lift Off or Goo Gone, gum will release from the fibers and peel away.
Dark juice stains can be trickier, especially if they're deep in the fabric. Use what carpet-care insiders call the heat transfer method. Get a bottle of red dye remover at your local hardware store, apply a dab to the stain, and place a damp piece of folded terry cloth over the spot. Next, pass a steam iron over the area on medium heat. The vapors will transfer the stain to the cloth, leaving the towel the only evidence from the scene of the grime.
For help with maintaining and repairing a vehicle, call (800) 645-4288 or visit AAA.com/viacar.
SPOTLIGHT
Prescription savings
Save an average of 24 percent on most retail prescriptions, including pet medications, with the AAA Prescription Savings program. (This is not an insurance plan.) Discounts are good at participating pharmacies, including Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, and many others. You can also take advantage of extra savings when you order a three-month supply through a mail-order service. For more details, call (866) 222- 7283 or visit AAA.com/prescriptions
This article was first published in January 2010. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
