💡 Quick Answer
AAA Travel remains a solid choice for travelers who want assistance planning vacations and access to member discounts.
However, many frequent travelers discover that becoming an independent travel advisor provides many of the same benefits — and often significantly more — including access to travel industry education, supplier relationships, travel perks, and the opportunity to earn commission on bookings.
If you’re already the person everyone calls for Disney advice, cruise recommendations, or vacation planning help, becoming a travel advisor may be worth considering.
Key Takeaways
- AAA Travel remains a solid option for travelers who already maintain a AAA membership and want assistance planning vacations.
- AAA Travel services include cruises, Disney vacations, all-inclusive resorts, Europe trips, and travel insurance.
- AAA membership fees can make sense if you also use roadside assistance and other member benefits.
- Travel advisors often provide value beyond discounts, including expert guidance, support during travel disruptions, and destination knowledge.
- Frequent travelers may benefit from becoming travel advisors themselves, especially if they already help friends and family plan trips.
- Many travel advisors start part-time and use the opportunity to earn commission while booking their own vacations.
- Host agencies like Boardwalk Travel Agency provide training, supplier relationships, and support, making it easier than ever to enter the travel industry.
- For Disney fans, cruisers, and frequent travelers, becoming a travel advisor can unlock additional travel benefits and income opportunities.
If you’ve ever planned a cruise, Disney vacation, European adventure, or all-inclusive resort stay, you’ve probably come across AAA Travel.
For decades, AAA has been one of the most recognizable names in the travel industry. Many travelers associate the organization with roadside assistance, maps, and member discounts, but AAA also operates a large travel division that helps members plan vacations around the world.
The question many travelers are asking in 2026 is simple: Is AAA Travel still worth using?
The answer depends largely on how often you travel and what you’re hoping to get out of the experience.
For occasional travelers who already maintain a AAA membership for roadside assistance, AAA Travel can be a convenient option. But for frequent travelers, Disney enthusiasts, cruise lovers, and families who find themselves helping friends and relatives plan trips, there may be an even better option: becoming a travel advisor yourself.
Let’s take a closer look.
What Is AAA Travel Agency?
AAA Travel is the travel division of the American Automobile Association. While most people know AAA for roadside assistance and vehicle services, the organization has been helping members plan vacations for decades.
Depending on your local AAA club, services may include:
- Cruise bookings
- Disney vacations
- Universal vacations
- All-inclusive resorts
- European tours
- Guided travel packages
- River cruises
- Group travel
- Travel insurance
- Rental cars
- Hotel reservations
Many AAA offices also maintain physical storefront locations where travelers can sit down with an advisor and discuss their upcoming trips.
For travelers who prefer face-to-face interactions and already carry a AAA membership, this can be an attractive option.
How Much Does AAA Travel Cost?
One of the biggest misconceptions about AAA Travel is that the travel planning itself is completely free. In reality, access to many AAA travel benefits requires an active membership, which comes with annual fees that vary by region and membership level.
Membership typically includes benefits such as:
- Roadside assistance
- Battery service
- Vehicle lockout assistance
- Travel discounts
- Hotel discounts
- Car rental discounts
- Vacation planning assistance
For many families, these memberships make perfect sense because they use both the roadside assistance and travel benefits throughout the year.
But if your primary interest is travel, it’s worth asking whether there are alternatives that provide more value for frequent travelers.
What Services Does AAA Travel Offer?
Cruises
Cruises remain one of AAA’s most popular booking categories. Travel advisors can help compare cruise lines, cabin categories, itineraries, and promotions while helping clients navigate the overwhelming number of choices available.
Popular cruise categories include:
- Caribbean cruises
- Alaska cruises
- Mediterranean cruises
- River cruises
- Family cruises
- Luxury cruises
- Disney Vacations
Disney Vacations
Many AAA offices also specialize in Disney destinations. This can include Walt Disney World vacations, Disneyland vacations, Disney Cruise Line sailings, and Adventures by Disney tours.
Travel advisors can help clients understand dining reservations, Lightning Lane strategies, resort options, and transportation logistics.
Universal Vacations
With the continued growth of Universal destinations, including Epic Universe and the newly opened Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, more families are turning to travel advisors for assistance planning these increasingly complex vacations.
All-Inclusive Resorts
Travel advisors frequently help clients compare destinations such as:
- Mexico
- Jamaica
- Dominican Republic
- Aruba
- Saint Lucia
- International Travel
- Europe itineraries
- Guided tours
- Rail travel
- Travel insurance
- Documentation guidance
Advantages of Using AAA Travel
AAA has survived for more than a century for a reason. There are several legitimate advantages to using their travel services.
Established Brand Recognition
Few travel brands carry the recognition and trust that AAA has built over generations. For many travelers, this familiarity creates confidence.
Physical Office Locations
While much of the travel industry has moved online, some travelers still value the ability to walk into an office and meet with someone in person. AAA continues to offer that experience in many markets.
Membership Discounts
AAA members often gain access to:
- Hotel discounts
- Rental car discounts
- Vacation package promotions
- Cruise offers
While these savings vary considerably, they can sometimes add meaningful value to a trip.
One-Stop Convenience
Many travelers appreciate combining their roadside assistance, insurance products, maps, travel planning, and discounts under one organization.
Potential Drawbacks of AAA Travel
AAA Travel isn’t perfect for everyone. There are a few limitations worth considering.
Annual Membership Costs
Unlike independent travel advisors who often charge no planning fee, AAA membership requires ongoing annual dues.
If you don’t use the roadside assistance portion of the membership, these costs can become difficult to justify.
Benefits May Vary By Region
AAA operates through regional clubs, which means your experience may differ significantly depending on where you live.
Advisor expertise, available promotions, and service levels can vary between offices.
Discounts Are Sometimes Smaller Than Expected
Many travelers assume AAA prices are dramatically lower than publicly available rates. Sometimes they are. Often they are not.
In many cases, the value comes less from the price itself and more from the guidance and support provided by the advisor.
Limited Ownership Of The Process
When using any third-party travel service, you’re ultimately relying on someone else to manage your reservations and bookings. For some travelers, this is ideal. Others prefer greater control and flexibility.
AAA Travel vs Booking Vacations Yourself
Many travelers wonder whether they should simply book online and skip travel advisors entirely. There are certainly advantages to the do-it-yourself approach.
Benefits of Booking Yourself
- Complete control over every decision
- Ability to research extensively
- No middleman
- Immediate booking confirmation
Drawbacks of Booking Yourself
- Hours of research
- Information overload
- Difficulty comparing options
- Limited support when problems arise
- Missing promotions or supplier incentives
As travel becomes increasingly complicated, many travelers are rediscovering the value of working with professionals who understand the destinations and suppliers involved.
The Question More Travelers Are Asking
There is another option that is entering the conversation more and more: What if you became a travel advisor yourself?
For many people, this idea initially sounds intimidating. They imagine quitting their job, opening an office, and trying to compete with major agencies.
The reality is very different.
Thousands of travel advisors across the United States work part-time, helping friends, family members, coworkers, and social media contacts plan vacations while earning commission and enjoying travel industry benefits along the way.
Many started simply because they loved traveling. Others started because they were already helping people plan trips for free.
Need some encouragement? Read about some amazing travel agent success stories.
AAA Travel vs Becoming A Travel Advisor
This is where the comparison becomes interesting. AAA members often pay annual fees to access travel discounts and advisor assistance.
Independent travel advisors frequently gain access to many of those same travel opportunities while also earning commission on bookings.
For example, travel advisors may receive:
- Access to supplier education programs
- Industry training opportunities
- Preferred supplier relationships
- Familiarization trips
- Commission opportunities
- Travel discounts and perks
- Networking communities
- Ongoing support and mentorship
For someone who travels frequently, the math can become very compelling. Instead of paying each year for access to travel benefits, many advisors discover they can offset a significant portion of their own vacation costs through commissions earned on personal travel and bookings for friends and family.
Can You Really Become A Travel Advisor Just For The Discounts?
This is one of the most common questions in the industry. The answer is yes…mostly. Legitimate agencies will always have at least some minimum requirements.
Booking your own travel and gaining the benefits is how many successful travel advisors start out. Not only do you benefit, but it helps you learn the systems and the lingo of the travel world so that you can better help your future clients.
Many start because they:
- Travel several times per year
- Help family members book vacations
- Love Disney destinations
- Cruise regularly
- Enjoy researching travel options
- Want to save money on their own trips
Over time, many discover they enjoy helping others travel and gradually build a side business around it. Others remain hobbyists who primarily focus on their own vacations and a small circle of friends and family.
Both approaches are perfectly valid.
Who Makes A Great Part-Time Travel Advisor?
Some of the best travel advisors aren’t salespeople at all. They’re simply passionate travelers.
You may be a strong fit if:
- Friends regularly ask for vacation recommendations.
- You enjoy researching travel options.
- You love Disney planning.
- You’re the family cruise expert.
- You belong to travel-focused online communities.
- You enjoy helping others.
- You travel several times each year.
If that sounds familiar, you’re already doing much of the work many advisors do professionally. The difference is that professional advisors receive education, support, supplier access, and compensation for their expertise. Learn more
Why Many New Advisors Choose Host Agencies
Most independent travel advisors don’t operate completely on their own. Instead, they partner with a host agency.
A good host agency provides:
- Supplier relationships
- Training
- Education
- Commissions
- Industry credentials
- Mentorship
- Community support
This allows advisors to focus on learning and serving clients rather than building infrastructure from scratch.
For many people, this dramatically lowers the barrier to entry. Read our guide on how to choose the best host agency
Where Boardwalk Travel Agency Fits In
At Boardwalk Travel Agency, we work with people who love travel and want to explore whether becoming an advisor makes sense for them. Some join because they want to build a significant side business. Others simply want to book their own vacations and help friends and family travel more often.
Many of our most successful advisors started with one simple realization:
“I’m already doing this for free.”
When you join Boardwalk, our agency provides:
- Comprehensive training
- One-on-one support
- Supplier relationships
- Access to top travel brands
- Ongoing education
- A highly engaged advisor community
Perhaps most importantly, advisors don’t have to figure everything out on their own.
The travel industry can seem overwhelming from the outside, but with the right support system, many people are surprised by how approachable it becomes.
Is AAA Travel Worth It?
For many travelers, absolutely. If you already maintain a AAA membership for roadside assistance and only take occasional vacations, AAA Travel can be a convenient and valuable service. There is a reason the organization has remained trusted for so long.
But if you travel frequently, love helping others plan vacations, or find yourself researching destinations for fun, it’s worth considering whether becoming a travel advisor could provide even more value.
The benefits that attract people to AAA Travel — discounts, expertise, support, and insider knowledge — are often the same reasons many people decide to become travel advisors themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you need a AAA membership to use AAA Travel?
A: No — non-members can book through AAA, though the exclusive discounts, perks, and full advisor services are reserved for members, and some clubs charge non-members planning fees.
Q: Does AAA offer cruise discounts?
A: Sometimes. Cruise pricing is highly dynamic, but AAA advisors may occasionally have access to promotions, onboard credits, or special offers.
Q: Can AAA book Disney vacations?
A: Yes. Many AAA advisors specialize in Disney destinations.
Q: Can travel advisors get discounts on their own vacations?
A: Yes, often. Discounts and perks vary significantly by supplier, destination, and availability, but travel advisors may gain access to opportunities unavailable to the general public.
Q: Is becoming a travel advisor difficult?
A: Like any business, success requires effort and learning. However, modern host agencies have made entering the industry easier than ever before.
Many advisors begin part-time while maintaining full-time careers elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
AAA Travel remains a respected option for travelers seeking guidance and convenience.
But in today’s travel environment, many frequent travelers are discovering a new question worth asking:
Instead of paying for travel benefits, what if you could unlock them yourself?
For Disney fans, cruise enthusiasts, Universal lovers, and families who already enjoy helping others plan vacations, becoming a travel advisor may be one of the most rewarding ways to make travel more affordable while creating opportunities for additional income at the same time.
Sometimes the best travel insider isn’t the person helping you plan your vacation.
Sometimes it’s you. Get started today!