Start Saving Today! As a AAA Member, you can save at thousands of merchants nationwide simply by showing your AAA Membership Card. But did you know there are hundreds of local partners that provide discounts to AAA members as well? Click here to search for discounts at restaurants, attractions, shops and more near you—some just around the corner! Meet with a AAA Counselor Branch Locations Saturday hours at many locations. EXPLORE MORE AAA Member Savings LensCrafter Savings AAA Member Days

Show Your Card & Save®

When AAA members show their card, they save big money at thousands of shops, restaurants and online locations. Are you showing your card? It’s easy! Read on to learn more about the Show Your Card & Save program, plus extra savings during AAA Member Days and great tips from LensCrafters, Penske and Sea Tow.

>AAA Member Days - Everyday Savings just got Better!

>What is the AAA Show Your Card & Save Program?

>LensCrafters Focuses on Vision and Eye Health

>Moving Tips (and Savings) from Penske

>New Show Your Card & Save partner-Sea Tow Reminds You about Safe Boating Tips

 

AAA Member Days - Everyday Savings just got Better!

In addition to the thousands of ways you can save every day when you Show Your Card & Save®, April and May hold some special members-only events where you can save even more on select partners!

 

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LensCrafters Focuses on Vision and Eye Health

April is designated as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, and May is designated Healthy Vision Month—what better time to visit LensCrafters and have your vision thoroughly examined? As a AAA member, you’ll save:

• 30% off eye exams, eyeglasses, sunglasses and accessories
• 15% off partials (lenses or frames purchased individually)
• 10% off conventional contact lenses

See Disclaimer/Conditions

In addition to supporting events like Women’ Eye Health and Safety Month and Healthy Vision Month, LensCrafters is dedicated to community support, including their Give the Gift of Sight, which provides free eye care and glasses to those in need in local communities and in developing countries around the world, as well as the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 

Part of LensCrafters’ Hurricane Katrina effort included sending the Gift of Sight’s twin Vision Vans to New Orleans to provide eye exams and glasses to hurricane victims. Vans parked in areas that had a large concentration of evacuees and delivered thousands of free exams and glasses to people in need.

Gift of Sight programs are supported through generous donations from customers, associates, doctors and business partners who donate to the Gift of Sight Foundation. In fact, 99 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to the Gift of Sight. You can help the world see better by donating to the Gift of Sight Foundation. Learn more at www.givethegiftofsight.org 

P.S. Your old glasses can help others see. Drop them off at any LensCrafters store and they'll make them good as new and deliver them to those in need in developing countries. Thank you! 

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Moving Tips (and Savings) from Penske

Penske Truck Rental provides do-it-yourself movers with trucks, moving equipment, packing supplies and accessories at special AAA member prices. Members save:

• 12% discount off one-way truck rental rates and moving accessories and supplies
• 10% discount off local rental rates and moving accessories and supplies
• 10% discount off moving accessories and supplies purchased separately
  from/or without a truck rental
• FREE unlimited mileage on one-way truck rentals only

When planning that next move, Penske offers the following tips:

• Utilize Penske's Truck Wizard to calculate the right truck size for your moving needs.
• Make sure the rental company you choose has 24-hour emergency road service along your route. Penske provides 24-hour service 365 days a year.
• Pick up your rental truck the day or evening before moving day so you can take some time to familiarize yourself with the operation and handling of the vehicle. This will allow you to get an early start on loading the next morning.
• Be sure to have specific information about mileage charges. Local rentals (pick up and drop off at the same location) generally use a per day and per mile rental rate. Some offer unlimited mileage on one-way rentals (pick up and drop off at different locations). Other agreements provide a limited number of free miles.
• Most truck rental companies allot a certain number of days for a one-way move based on the distance of the trip. Trucks returned late are subject to late fees.
• It is a good idea to consider protection plans with your truck rental. Unlike some car rentals, insurance carried on a personal vehicle usually does not cover a truck rental. A limited damage waiver will provide coverage on the vehicle. Personal accident/cargo insurance will provide coverage for you, your passengers and your cargo while in transit. Ask your truck rental agent to explain the different coverage options available.
• Remember to budget for fuel. A 15-foot truck averages about 6 to 10 miles per gallon. Most truck rental companies ask that all trucks be returned with a full tank of fuel. Filling up the tank before returning the truck is usually less expensive than paying the refueling fee.
• Trucks are taller and wider than cars and need greater overhead and side clearance. Be alert for low bridges and tree limbs, as well as canopies at service stations, fast food restaurants, banks, motels, etc.
• Use your turn signals and avoid making sudden stops or lane changes.
• Slow down by downshifting into lower gears, and be sure to downshift when going down hills as well.
• Never tailgate. Trucks weigh 3 to 10 times more than cars and must have more time and room to stop when traveling at any speed.
• Set the hand brake every time you park. Turn the wheels away from the curb when parking with the truck faced uphill. When parking with the truck faced downhill, turn the wheels in toward the curb. 

Choose Penske Truck Rental for all your moving needs and receive your AAA member savings!

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Sea Tow, a New Show Your Card & Save Partner, Reminds You: Safe Boating Week is Just Around the Corner!

National Safe Boating Week runs from May 20 – 26 and Sea Tow®, “Your Road Service at Sea”®, wants to be sure you’re geared up for a safe, happy 2006 boating season. As the nation’s premiere marine assistance provider, Sea Tow is a staunch promoter of, and advocate for, boating safety. AAA members save 15% on new Gold Card™ memberships that include unlimited free towing, multiple area tows, jump starts, covered ungroundings, fuel drops and more.

Wear It!  National Safe Boating Week, which is produced by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, highlights the need for boaters to wear a life jacket at all times while on the water.

"Our statistics show that wearing your life jacket is the number-one action you can take to greatly increase your chances of surviving a boating accident," said Rear Admiral Jeffrey J. Hathaway, Director of Operations Policy for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in a recent interview with Sea Tow. "The reality is there’s rarely enough time to reach a life jacket, because accidents happen so quickly and unexpectedly."

Get It!  Given the spotty coverage and unreliable signal capacity of cell phones on the water, the USCG highly recommends that all boats contain a working VHF radio and monitor channel 9 or 16 while underway (Sea Tow recommends a fixed-mount VHF). That way, in the event of an emergency, the USCG, nearby boaters and professional marine assistance providers will hear your distress calls.

Newer DSC-VHF radios require the implementation of a new system of identification called the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. An MMSI number functions much like a phone number and lets boaters make a touch-of-a-button emergency calls as well as connecting directly to other boaters. Sea Tow is authorized by the USCG and FCC to issue MMSI numbers to recreational vessels. To get your number go to www.seatow.com or www.seasmartvhf.com

Install It!  Boat fires can be lethal and devastating, yet smoke detectors are not yet required on boats. You can protect your family and friends, not to mention your boat, by taking the initiative to install smoke alarms yourself. According to Chesapeake Bay-based marine consultant Capt. John McDevitt, “The best smoke detectors are ionized or photoelectric, like those rated for use on RVs. They minimize false alarms and have the most stringent UL listing available.

“Check the alarms regularly for corrosion and install new ones every five or six years. Make sure they’re installed and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions.”

Additionally, closed cabin vessels (i.e., houseboats) should have carbon monoxide detectors installed and all boats should be equipped with working fire extinguishers.

Understand It!  What do you do when you see someone broken down and waving a t-shirt or flag, or even their arms, trying to get a tow into shore? Call the Coast Guard and ask them to issue a Marine Assistance Request Broadcast (MARB) for the vessel. They will ask you for information about the situation and then make a broadcast on VHF-16. If it’s a non-emergency situation, call a professional marine assistance provider (like Sea Tow!) directly. These companies are trained, equipped and insured to deal with these and many other problems that occur on the water when things go wrong.

Do It!  The following boating do's and don'ts will help you chart a safe course toward safe, enjoyable boating.

• Do know the water and environment you will be boating.
• Do shut your engines off when people are in the water near your boat.
• Do observe the nautical rules-of-the-road.
• Do check the weather forecast before getting underway.
• Do keep a balanced load and a trim boat.
• Don't overload your boat.
• Don't stand in a small boat.
• Don't ride on the gunwale, bow, seat backs, or anyplace not designed for passengers.

*Source: 2000 North American Safe Boating Campaign, National Safe Boating Council

Know It!  The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA) recently made it a mandate for all boat operators under 16 years of age to complete boater safety education courses that are approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and endorsed by the USCG. The USCGA supports the mandatory wearing of personal flotation devices (PFDs) by children under 13 years of age while aboard recreational vessels under way, except when below deck or in enclosed cabins. The USCGA also supports the establishment of .008 BAC as the legal limit for recreational vessel operators.

For more information throughout the year, visit Sea Tow’s dedicated safety site.
The following boat safety sites are:

Personal Watercraft info.
PWC Safety School
Vessel Safety Checklist
File a Float Plan
Register for an MMSI Number
Carbon monoxide info
Boating Safety Classes
NASBLA
United States Power Squadron
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
National Boating Safety Advisory Council
United States Coast Guard
Boating Safety Classes

Capt. Lyman Louis of Sea Tow Portland/Vancouver and freelance reporters Steve Knauth and Elizabeth McCarthy contributed to this article.

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LensCrafters- DISCLAIMERS/CONDITIONS:

To receive AAA discounts, a valid AAA membership card must be presented at time of purchase or order. Not valid with other discounts, promotions or coupons. Discounts exclude tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages. Shipping, handling, delivery and service charges are not included. The discounts and benefits described in this section are available in Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada through participating commercial establishments. Satisfaction guaranteed: members must provide opportunity for the establishment to correct the situation. Various restrictions apply. Online purchases available to AAA/CAA members only. Offer subject to change without notice and may be subject to additional terms and conditions.
Eye exams and contact lenses provided by independent doctors of optometry located next to LensCrafters. Eye exam discount does not include contact lens exams or fitting. Most of the doctors next to LensCrafters are independent. Doctors may be employed in some locations. The doctors in California are employees of EYEXAM2000 of California, which is a licensed vision healthcare plan. Members save 10% on non-disposable contacts only. Contact lens purchase requires valid, nonexpired prescription and may require new contact lens evaluation for a separate fee. Eyeglass purchase requires a complete pair, frame and lenses. No minimum purchase required. Valid AAA Membership card must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid with other coupons, discounts, package offers, sale items, promotional offers, or insurance programs. Certain brands are excluded; see store for details. Void where prohibited.

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