AAA Minnesota

AAA (referred to as Triple A) is organization that provides 24-hour roadside assistance, travel planning, auto pricing, buying, and maintenance services, as well as a host of insurance plans. For 100 years, member satisfaction has been the hallmark of AAA. And the company is very confident that its members will be happy with the services it provides and furthermore, offers a money-back guarantee. If at any time during the year AAA members decides that the product is not for them, the company will give them a pro-rata refund of their membership dues, exclusive of the new member admission fee. For any reason. The club also publishes "Going Places" magazine, which offers travel guides and tips.

Members belong to an individual club (such as AAA Minneapolis, the California State Automobile Association, the Automobile Club of Southern California, AAA Arizona, AAA of Colorado or, AAA Texas for example) and the clubs in turn, own AAA. The member clubs have arranged a reciprocal service system so that members of any participating club are able to receive member services from any other affiliate club. Member dues finance all club services as well as the operations of the national organization.

AAA clubs primarily provide emergency road services to members. These services include everything from lockouts, winching, tire changes, automotive first aid, and towing. These services are handled by private local towing companies contracted by a Triple A club. Many AAA clubs have an automotive fleet division serving large metro areas, while private towing companies cover the surplus call volume by area. Recently, certain clubs have implemented an "on the go" diagnostic/installation automotive battery program, which offers members an additional service to an ever more demanding commute. This is part of AAA's vision for the future of automotive services, termed Go, not Tow. Clubs also distribute road maps and travel publications, and rate restaurants and hotels according to a "diamond" scale (one to five). Many offices sell automobile liability insurance, provides travel agencies, auto-registration and notary services. AAA also offers member discounts at over 100 partners including many hotels, Amtrak, Hertz rental cars, Jiffy Lube, LensCrafters, BarnesandNoble.com, Circuit City, FTD.com, New York & Company, the Reebok and Rockport Outlet Stores, Target.com, the UPS Store and Payless ShoeSource through its "Show Your Card & Save" program. These saving programs give members a range of a 5% - 30% discount on merchandise and services.

Triple A members can also enjoy a personalized travel package when planning their next trip abroad. AAA organizes travel arrangements for families looking for some quality time spent together, couples looking for a romantic get-a-way, friends trying to rest and relax with each other's company, a soon-to-be wed bachelor or bachelorette looking for one more night unmarried, nature lovers, and everything in between.

The American Automobile Association was founded on March 4, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio as a response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for autos. The organization originally had 1000 charter members, and these original members were generally of an auto enthusiast demographic. AAA's membership base is and was formed from a number of local and regional motor clubs, and these auto clubs combined forces to create a more powerful organization.

The association expanded its scope of services as years progressed. The first AAA road maps were published in 1905, and AAA began printing hotel guides in 1917. AAA began its School Safety Patrol Program in 1920, and many driver safety programs followed in the decades to come. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which conducts a large volume of studies regarding motorist safety, was established as separate entity in 1947.

AAA was a sanctioning organization for automobile racing in the United States until 1956. It endorsed many races, including the Indianapolis 500. After the Le Mans 1955 disaster, AAA decided that auto racing distracted from its primary goals, and the United States Automobile Club was created to take over the race sanctioning/officiating.
The AAA has joint arrangements with a range of international affiliates. In general, members of affiliates are offered the same benefits as members of the AAA while traveling in the United States, while AAA members are offered equivalent benefits at the same time as traveling in the territory of the affiliate.

International affiliates include: The Automobile Association in the United Kingdom, The Canadian Automobile Association in Canada (Tourbooks and maps of Canadian places are published by AAA, and are distributed by AAA and CAA clubs using both AAA and CAA logos) and The ADAC in Germany.