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AAA vs. Travelers

Updated Apr 18, 2024

While AAA boasts nationwide availability and attractive membership benefits, Travelers typically offers lower rates on auto insurance.

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Founded in 1902, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is the parent organization for a nationwide network of motor clubs that provide roadside assistance and auto and homeowners insurance to members. Various insurers underwrite auto insurance policies for AAA members depending on the specific club and region. The three largest — Auto Club Enterprises Group, CSAA Insurance Group and Automobile Club of Michigan — together hold a total of 3.45 percent of the market share for private passenger automobile insurance as of 2023.

Travelers Insurance received its original charter in 1863, just days before the battle of Gettysburg, and the company has been on the front lines of the insurance industry since. Travelers sold the first-ever U.S. auto insurance policy in 1897, issued the first space flight insurance policy in 1969 and was the first U.S. insurer to offer a discount to owners of hybrid vehicles. Today, Travelers holds just over 2 percent of the auto insurance market share, making it the ninth-largest auto insurance carrier in the U.S. market.

Our verdict

In Bankrate’s Travelers vs. AAA insurance review, we found that Travelers has lower average rates and a higher level of policy customization than AAA. However, AAA insurance is available nationwide and comes with access to a higher level of perks and benefits than Travelers for policyholders willing to pay a membership fee. The fact that AAA’s insurance policies are underwritten by a number of different insurers can make a direct comparison difficult in certain areas such as pricing claims satisfaction.

AAA vs. Travelers comparison

We've compiled a comparison of key quality metrics for AAA and Travelers in the chart below.

Featured AAA Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5 3.4 Cost & ratings Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 3.5 Coverage Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 2.5 Support Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 4.3 Read Review	Travelers Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5 4.2 Cost & ratings Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 4.3 Coverage Rating: 4 stars out of 5 4.0 Support Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 4.3 Read Review
OVERVIEW
AAA is a large insurance carrier offering affordable auto insurance options, as well as membership perks. Those who like convenience may also appreciate that some of AAA’s offices also offer services like DMV transactions, notary services and travel planning. Read More	Customers who value robust policy options and want the ease of managing all their insurance policies in one place may find Travelers to be an appealing option. Read More
STANDOUT FEATURES
Geographic-focused coverage options Local agents available Access to additional AAA perks	Hybrid/electric car discount New car replacement endorsement Online quotes available
AVG FULL COV. AUTO RATE
$2,353	$1,806
AVG MIN COV. AUTO RATE
$617	$567
JD POWER AUTO SCORE
847/1000	854/1000
AM BEST RATING
A(Excellent)	A++(Superior)

AAA pros and cons

Pros

Access to member benefits, including roadside assistance, travel deals and discounts
Available in all states
Automotive and financial services offered to members
Some AAA insurers score well in J.D. Power customer satisfaction studies

Cons

Average full and minimum coverage rates above the national average
Membership required for some services and discounts
Regional clubs may have different coverage availability and underwriters
Mixed scores in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance and U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction studies

Travelers pros and cons

Pros

Plentiful endorsement and discount options
Average rates below the national average for both full and minimum coverage
Accident forgiveness, violation forgiveness and disappearing deductibles available for some drivers
Hybrid/electric car discounts available

Cons

Not available in AK, HI, LA, MI, ND, SD, WV or WY
Ridesharing insurance only sold in CO and IL
Scored below industry average in most regions on customer satisfaction with J.D. Power
Below-average J.D. Power claims satisfaction and digital experience scores

Is AAA cheaper than Travelers?

Car insurance rates from AAA and Travelers can vary considerably based on the individual driver profile and the company underwriting the coverage. To help drivers begin their search, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team analyzed the latest average rate data available from Quadrant Information Services for both carriers — but comparing real quotes from both companies is the best way to determine which company is cheapest for your driver profile.

Car insurance company	AAA avg. full coverage premium	Travelers avg. full coverage premium
Young driver (age 25)	$2,834	$2,081
Senior driver (age 70)	$2,383	$1,836
Good driver, good credit	$2,353	$1,806
Good driver, poor credit	$5,579	$2,879
Speeding ticket with good credit	$3,217	$2,348
At-fault accident with good credit	$3,305	$2,482
DUI conviction with good credit	$4,257	$3,392

Bankrate's take

When shopping for auto insurance with a DUI conviction on your driving record, keep in mind that not all auto insurance companies will write coverage for drivers with DUIs. Some high-risk drivers may need to shop around to find a carrier offering coverage for their risk level. Overall, Travelers’ average rates tend to be lower than AAA’s, although personal rating factors and regional differences could diverge from those trends. Most insurance professionals recommend requesting quotes from multiple companies rather than deciding on a carrier based on a single quote.

AAA vs. Travelers: discounts

AAA and Travelers both offer several potential discounts for policyholders, although available AAA discounts may vary widely by club. Both carriers advertise bundling discounts for buying multiple policies from the same company, and both offer variations of safe driver and good student discounts. We’ve highlighted some of the more unique discounts from each carrier that may help you save on your premium.

Discounts from both carriers

AAA and Travelers share a certain number of discounts, though availability may vary by state:

Multi-policy discounts: AAA advertises discounts for bundling auto insurance with home, life and/or watercraft coverage, while Travelers offers discounts to drivers who bundle their coverage with a home, renters or condo policy.
Multi-vehicle discounts: Insuring multiple vehicles could earn you a discount off certain coverage with AAA or a discount on your Travelers policy.
Continuous insurance discounts: Travelers offers discounts to some drivers who have been with Travelers for multiple consecutive years with no gaps, while AAA advertises a “persistency” discount for two or more years with your current carrier.
Good student discounts: Both companies offer discounts to full-time students who maintain a B average or better in high school or college.
Driver training discounts: Young drivers may be able to earn discounts from either AAA or Travelers by completing an approved driver training course.
Advance quoting discounts: Shopping in advance of your current policy’s expiration date may earn a discount from both carriers.

AAA discounts

Because AAA auto insurance policies are underwritten by various companies depending on your region, discount availability may vary more significantly than with other carriers. The following discounts are among those listed by AAA’s member websites:

AAA membership discount: AAA members may be eligible for automatic discounts on insurance in addition to a wide range of discounts on goods and services.
Group affinity discount: Membership in certain organizations could earn you a discount from some AAA insurers.
Verified mileage: Drivers who supply odometer readings may be eligible for a potential discount, depending on their annual mileage.
Garage parking: Some AAA customers who park in an enclosed garage may be eligible for discounted rates.
Triple Check: AAA’s Triple Check service, available in some states, allows customers to go over their coverage selections with an agent to identify any unnecessary coverage or potential discounts.

Travelers discounts

Travelers offers a number of unique ways to save on car insurance, including:

New car discount: Travelers rewards drivers of newer, safer vehicles by providing them with potential savings on their premium.
Hybrid and electric car discounts: Drivers of hybrid and electric vehicles may be eligible for a discount.
Homeowner discount: Home or condo owners may qualify for discounted auto insurance rates, even if their insurance is not bundled with Travelers.
Safe driver discount: Remaining accident- and violation-free for three to five years could earn you a discount in certain states.
Student away at school discount: If your household includes a student under 25 attending school at least 100 miles away without a car, you could qualify for a discounted rate.
Payment behavior discounts: Travelers policyholders can save by opting for EFT payments, paying your premium in full or making regular on-time payments.

AAA and Travelers telematics programs

Both AAA and Travelers offer telematics programs that may allow drivers to save based on their real-life driving patterns. These usage-based programs monitor driving, often in real-time, and use that data to evaluate the relative safety of drivers. Below you can find a brief comparison of the two programs: AAADrive and Travelers IntelliDrive.

	AAADrive	Travelers IntelliDrive
Device	Mobile app	Mobile app
Can it raise your rate?	No	Possibly
Availability	Select states	Select states
Discount	Up to 25%	Up to 30%
What it monitors	Start and end time, location, accelerometer data, mobile phone use	Time of day, speed, acceleration, braking, phone use

AAA vs Travelers: customer experience comparison

For many drivers, customer service is as important as price when it comes to choosing an auto insurance company, and mobile tools may be a big factor in the modern customer experience. For this reason, we’ve pulled comparisons of Google Play and iOS mobile app ratings for each carrier, as well as J.D. Power scores from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. For reference, the segment average for the J.D. Power study is 878/1,000.

	AAA	Travelers
Apple store	4.6 of 5	4.7 of 5
Google play	4.6 of 5	3.4 of 5
J.D. Power claims satisfaction	870 / 1,000	871 / 1,000

AAA disclosure

AAA is composed of 32 regional motor clubs. Since each club operates independently of the other, customer service, coverage options and claim experience vary. To accurately reflect the “average” customer experience, the J.D. Power score mentioned in this article is the combined average from the three biggest AAA motor clubs: Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group, CSAA Insurance Group and Automobile Club Group.

Customer complaints

The NAIC Complaint Index measures customer complaint rates for U.S. insurers based on complaints logged by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Each company’s index is based on the number of complaints it receives relative to the industry average for its market share. The baseline complaint index is 1.00; higher numbers indicate an above-average number of customers complaints, while lower numbers indicate a low rate of complaints.

AAA auto insurance customer complaints

Because AAA’s auto insurance policies are underwritten by multiple companies, finding customer complaint information is a little more complicated. We looked at NAIC Complaint Index scores for three of AAA’s biggest underwriters: Auto Club Property-Casualty Insurance Company, Auto Club Group and CSAA General Insurance Company. As CSAA has the largest regional club presence, we’ve featured its NAIC index performance in our data visualization. Out of the three, CSAA showed the lowest complaint index scores, but all three carriers saw decreases in customer complaints over the past three years.

Travelers auto insurance customer complaints

Travelers’ 2023 NAIC Complaint Index for private passenger auto insurance is close to the industry baseline at 0.94. That’s an increase in complaints from the previous year, but still below average for the company’s size.

Frequently asked questions

Between AAA and Travelers, neither company is better for all drivers. Both your rates and your customer experience depend on a wide range of factors, from your age and ZIP code to the type of vehicle you drive and your unique coverage needs. In the case of AAA, your experience also depends on your regional club and the insurer that underwrites your coverage.
In the 2023 J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Travelers performed better than AAA member organization Automobile Club Group, but worse than AAA members Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group and CSAA Insurance Group. Of these four carriers, only the Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group scored above the industry average, with 889 out of 1,000 points compared to the study average of 878.
No single car insurance company is best for all drivers. While Bankrate’s insurance editorial team puts a lot of research into identifying the best car insurance companies for drivers overall, individual experiences and insurance needs are different based on carrier availability, personal risk factors and customer priorities. To identify the ideal insurance carrier for you, it’s helpful to research the best companies for drivers with your profile or in your location and request quotes to compare between some of the top-rated providers.
Both AAA and Travelers sell home insurance policies and offer discounts to drivers who bundle their auto insurance with a homeowners policy.

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze April 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

$100,000 bodily injury liability per person
$300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
$50,000 property damage liability per accident
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
$500 collision deductible
$500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 25-70 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Overall Score

Cost & ratings 50%
Coverage & savings 30%
Support 20%

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlight where they fall short.