Back when I was in college, it was a once per year fee. Everyone got the same level of service. Now there are tiers of service depending on how much you’re willing to pay, and it’s gone from having to pay once a year, to monthly if you want their best level of support.

AAA no longer has its own fleet of tow trucks. Instead they use outside contractors whom they squeeze to the point that they’re often working at under minimum wage. This, needless to say, impacts quality. There are persistent reports of predatory upselling tactics, like being called for a simple jump start and having the contractors try to sell a brand new battery instead for a LOT more money. They’re playing the Canada Post game, too, of pairing price increases with decreased service. For example basic membership gives you, say, a 5 mile tow (I’m not sure what the current rates/services are; this dates back a couple of years). If you’re on the highway and need a 20-mile tow, you’re on the hook for private towing for 15 more miles. That is a marked downturn from previous “tow to nearest” plans. There’s also persistent reports of them going viciously bureaucratic on reimbursements to the point that people just give up on getting reimbursed despite that reimbursement being within their plan’s service levels.