AAA and Lyft Partner to Give Rides to People Whose Cars Are out for Repairs

AAA will organize Lyft rides or credits for customers who find themselves without cars.
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AAA will use Lyft to help its customers get around should they find themselves without a car. Lyft is working to get people to ditch their own cars completely, but the program shows how ride-hailing can supplement personal car ownership.

Under the program, customers at certain AAA “Car Care Centers” get free Lyft rides. AAA previously offered free shuttle rides to people who took their cars to these centers, but now it will begin shifting to ride-hailing. Since AAA schedules the ride and covers the bill, customers don’t need to have the Lyft app, or even a smartphone.

The service is currently available at all Car Car Centers in Maryland, and in certain cities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, AAA said in a press release.

Lyft is also partnering with AAA and CSAA Insurance Group to provide ride-hailing credits during the insurance claim process. Again, this should help people get around when their own cars aren’t available. The credit program launched in 2017 as a pilot, and is now available throughout CSAA’s service area, which includes 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to AAA. The group said it would continue to work with Lyft to “deliver new and innovative mobility options” to its customers.

Lyft would likely prefer if AAA customers never went back to their own cars. The ride-hailing company is challenging people in 35 U.S. cities to ditch their personal cars for a month, and recently launched a nationwide subscription service that encourages people to buy rides in bulk. Lyft even wants its own drivers to replace their personal cars with rentals in order to save money, and to in turn replace those drivers with automated vehicles.