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EnCompass®
The AAA Companion
July | August 2005
Volume 79 Issue 4
Volume 79 Issue 4
Insurance & Financial Services
AAA Colorado's independent insurance agency offers auto, home, life, umbrella and long-term care products from several highly rated national insurers, as well as a new, exclusive brand, "AAA Insurance." To obtain a competitive quote, call 866-399-9836, or click on "Insurance" at www.aaa.com.
AAA Colorado also offers various financial services that include the "AAA Visa" card, certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market deposits. To learn more about the AAA Visa card, or to apply, call 303-753-8800 or click on "Financial" at www.aaa.com. For information on AAA's deposit products, call 800-526-7120.
Renter's insurance for college
With high school graduation still a vivid memory, teens are preparing to embark on a college education. Even though they are stepping into the adult world, many college students are still the legal responsibility of their parents.
With that in mind, you should review what your family insurance policies will or won't cover for students away from home.
If your teen is moving, the protection your homeowner's policy has provided for his or her possessions and liability exposure (property damage or bodily injury to other people) most likely won't apply any more.
Renter's insurance can help fill this gap. Like homeowner's insurance, it provides protection for possessions and liability. It costs less since it does not cover the physical dwelling-that is the responsibility of the landlord. Each person will have different coverage needs; your local AAA insurance agent can help you and your teen decide on the best option.
The college years can be among the most enjoyable times of life, even if they mean some added stress for parents. However, with a little planning, you can take the right steps to make sure your prize student is properly insured. That's one item you can check off the list of things to worry about.
Drive vacation protection
Road trips should be about family togetherness and the lure of the open road. To ensure that's all they're about, you might consider AAA TripAssist Drive Protection. Offered through Access America, it provides protection for any road trip that's at least 100 miles from your home. Known as a "gap" insurance, because it takes up where your normal insurance ends, it comes in two plans.
The Standard Plan is designed for trips without prepaid expenses, providing coverage without the added expense of unnecessary trip cancellation insurance.
The Enhanced Plan is for trips that do have prepaid expenses, deposits or tickets, providing trip cancellation protection in addition to higher coverage limits on certain benefits. Coverage includes item such as personal effects, vehicle return and emergency medical and dental. For one or two adults, for up to seven days, the Standard Plan costs $39, the Enhanced Plan is $59. Full details can be found at www.aaa.com, or by contacting a AAA Travel professional.
AAA Travel
While most members have come to rely on AAA TourBooks, maps and TripTiks, AAA Travel is much more than that. AAA Auto Travel Counselors are knowledgeable about the open road and can plan any type of road trip. AAA Travel Professionals understand national and international travel and can ensure the best vacation possible, whether it's a guided tour or independent adventure. AAA Colorado's travel store (in most offices and online) contains guidebooks, atlases, luggage and other travel-related items. Call 866-235-7070, click on www.aaa.com, visit a AAA office, or see pages 39-42.
Automotive
AAA Colorado offers a wealth of automotive services, beginning with AAA's famous roadside assistance program that follows the member, not the vehicle. Other services include Approved Auto Repair facilities (pages 50-51), numerous automotive-related products at AAA Colorado offices, and auto sales and leasing through AutoSource (page 49). All services can be accessed through www.aaa.com, including AutoManager, which manages the maintenance of your vehicle.
AAA Diamond Ratings influence travel decisions
Almost three-quarters of AAA members consider a hotel's Diamond Rating when choosing accommodations, according to a recent survey.
The survey was conducted among a nationally representative random sample of 842 current AAA/CAA members, naming the top 10 factors they took into account when choosing a hotel. Location in or near a chosen city was number one (considered important by 93% of respondents), followed by proximity to a planned activity (90%), price (86%), a discount for AAA members (82%) and the property's AAA Diamond Rating (72%). Other factors making the top 10 list were:
- Complimentary breakfast (60%)
- Cleanliness (45%)
- Eco-friendly programs such as recycling and water conservation (34%)
- Swimming pool (33%)
- Activities for children (tie, 20%)
- Allowing pets (tie, 20%)
When asked to rate how well hotels met their expectations based on AAA's Diamond Rating, 88% said the ratings were reliable and accurate. Among all leisure travelers, 54% agree that hotel ratings are important when selecting lodgings, according to the 2005 National Leisure Travel Monitor. When asked what attribute best describes what the AAA Diamond Rating means to them, 63% of respondents indicated the cleanliness and condition of the property.
According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TLA), a property's AAA Diamond Rating is one of the top 20 considerations most travelers use when determining what hotel to stay in. It's the only rating system on TIA's top 20 list. AAA members can research and book lodging by a specific Diamond Rating at www.aaa.com.
Member comments drive TripTik changes
Since the introduction of the new — look Enhanced TripTiks two years ago, feedback from AAA members has prompted ongoing changes to the format and content of the map booklets, to bring them more in line with what members need and want.
At the beginning of this year, numerous comments about the TripTiks' size led to a major change: the large 8.5" x 11" booklet has been reduced to a more manageable 5.5" x 8.5" with double-sided printing. Response to this change has been very positive.
Another recent improvement was to bring back the mileage for individual maps in the TripTik. This now appears in the text under each map, showing the total travel distance for that section of the trip. More features continue to be added based on member suggestions, such as the ability to locate sporting venues and colleges.
TripTiks can be produced at any AAA office while you wait, or call an Auto Travel counselor to order one (877-244-9790, ext. 8110). You can print your own TripTik in a larger format at www.aaa.com. If you have suggestions for future TripTik improvements, email WeCare@colorado.aaa.com or phone 877-244-9790, ext. 2000. All calls and emails will receive a personal response — and you will help us provide a better service for all members.
Winners in two AAA events
The AAA Travel High School Challenge. Pratyush Buddiga, a 10th grade student from Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, teamed up with Yingchao (Carson) Qing from Morris Knolls High School in Denville, N.J., and Michael Oh from Williamsville East High School in East Amherst, N.Y., to become the first-place team in the national competition. The three students each received $25,000 scholarships. This was the second year in a row that Buddiga reached the finals.
The annual Travel Challenge, now in its third year, is a three-stage competition that includes an online test, a proctored written exam between each state's top five scorers, and a national final for state champions that is staged as a game show-styled event in Orlando, Fla.
Show Your Card & Save Program
This is the member savings program of AAA. It's better than coupons because to save money you simply show your AAA membership card when you make a purchase at any of hundreds of national, international and local retail and service shops, travel-related companies, lodging establishments and automotive facilities. Various restrictions apply; for details visit your local AAA office, click on "Member Savings" at www.aaa.com, call 866-AAA-SAVE.
New look, same discounts During the coming year, members will notice at participating merchants a phasing out of the familiar Show Your Card & Save icon for a new logo.
No matter what the image, the 12-year savings program is still your guide to finding AAA member savings with old favorites such as Hertz car rentals, LensCrafters, Penske truck rental, Grease Monkey, DIAPARK.com and USAirport Parking. New partners include Mike's Camera, ADT Security Systems, Cruise America RV Rentals and Sierra Springs Home Water Delivery.
Every year, millions of members take advantage of their AAA savings on travel, entertainment and merchandise at more than 150,000 locations in the United States, internationally and online. To find out more about AAA's Show Your Card & Save program, call 866-AAA-SAVE, visit www.aaa.com/savings.
EnCompass & www.aaa.com
AAA Colorado membership not only brings with it six issues of EnCompass magazine a year, but AAA Colorado's website. Online you'll find a 24-hour/seven-days-a-week virtual office that provides member-only benefit information such as travel vacation specials, TripTik maps and directions, insurance and auto information, car sales and leasing, and the member savings program, Show Your Card & Save.
Finding local fuel prices online
If you're tired of high gas prices, you can now turn to AAA's website for help finding less expensive fuel, no matter where you are driving in the United States.
The AAA Fuel Price Finder at www.aaa.com displays prices and station locations within a three-, five- or 10-mile radius of your chosen location. Unlike some sites that base their figures on prices submitted by readers, AAA's price finder is based on a constant stream of financial data from credit card transactions at more than 85,000 individual stations throughout the United States. The same information is used to track national, state and local gasoline price trends.
In addition to finding the fuel prices at a station near you, the site provides a link to the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator (www.fuelcostcalculator.com). Based on your starting point, destination, and the make and model of your vehicle, the Fuel Cost Calculator will tell you how much you can plan on spending on gas for the trip.
AAA has been tracking fuel availability or prices since the mid-1970s. AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report (www.fuelgaugereport.com) is the most comprehensive retail gasoline survey available, providing the national average price of regular, mid-grade, premium and diesel fuel, as well as the average prices for each state and for more than 250 metro areas.
Automotive
The Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills.
Samuel J. Nelson, age 18, and Rossi L. Luchetta, age 18, from Salida High School in Salida, beat out the best in the state to win the Colorado finals of this national competition. The team's instructor is Steven Best.
In less than 40 minutes, the two students completed a perfect car repair and will now advance to the national finals at the National Mall in Washington, DC, in June (after press time). The state championship was determined by the combination of a written qualifying exam and the team's performance in a hands-on competition to accurately repair a disabled Ford vehicle under a 90-minute time clock.
More than $5 million in scholarships and prizes are awarded nationwide. Local sponsors of the event included Denver Automotive Diesel College, Hertz Corp., Sears Automotive Center, Southwest Plaza and NAPA Auto Parts.
Did You Know?
Battery service is more than just a boost
What time of year is more likely to bring problems with your car battery?
Most people would say winter, but in fact, far more batteries fail during the heat of summer.
In addition, thousands of batteries are needlessly replaced when proper testing might have shown they still have plenty of life. AAA's Battery Service program, available in the Denver metro area, Boulder and Colorado Springs, brings specialty diagnostic equipment to your car — at home, work, or roadside — to determine whether your battery is at the end of its life, or just needs a little help.
If a new battery is necessary, the technician can sell and install one on the spot, and take away the old battery for recycling.
Many battery components are highly recyclable. Ninety-nine percent of the lead can be reused. Parts of your battery might have been in your grandfather's car 50 years ago and could be in your child's 50 years from now. Even the plastic casing is ground down and reused.
AAA has recently introduced its own brand of car batteries, which come with a six-year warranty. To learn more about AAA Battery Service — which is part of AAA's "On The Go" dedication to keep you moving — call 303-753-8800, 800-222-4357 or visit www.aaa.com.
Complimentary child safety seat inspections now available
AAA Colorado is now offering free child safety seat inspections to established groups, institutions and organizations throughout the state. The seat checks will be conducted by AAA Colorado's traffic safety coordinator, Jaime Weisbrod, who is a certified child safety seat inspector. Ms. Weisbrod also does safety presentations to K-12 schools and administers the middle and high school safety patrol program. For more information about the safety seat inspections, or to book this complimentary AAA service for your group, contact Jaime Weisbrod at 303-753-8800, ext. 8105.