A little Monday tidbit – BCAA and Husky part ways.
This is more of a local breaking news story. Everyone outside British Columbia is probably wondering what’s BCAA and Husky.
AAA
A lot of people are familiar with AAA, the good old triple A. The American Automobile Association.
It’s an auto club. People pay an annual fee and can phone in for emergency roadside service if their car breaks down and they need a tow or the car won’t start and they need a jump start. Members get discounts at various hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions.
I can’t give all the details of AAA membership. Since I’m in Canada, if I try to click on www.aaa.com, I get redirected to the Canadian version.
And just what is the Canadian equivalent to the AAA?
CAA
Anyone want to guess what CAA stands for?
Hmmm…. Canadian Automobile Association!
The CAA is the Canadian equivalent of the AAA, and they offer reciprocal arrangements. For the most part it doesn’t matter if you hold the AAA card or the CAA card, if a discount is available to one of those auto clubs, the other one is also eligible.
For example, on my road trip that included Bend, Oregon, I visited the High Desert Museum, showed my auto club card, and got a 10% discount. I’d picked up AAA maps and AAA tour book (free with my membership) before leaving home, and the museum was listed to get a discount on admission.
But the CAA gets more complicated. It’s regional.
BCAA
Yes, folks, if you live in British Columbia and want the Canadian Automobile Association membership, its called the British Columbia Automobile Association. I’m a “Plus” member, which is a step up from the Basic membership. This membership gives me 160km free towing, compared to 5km with the Basic. It includes motorcycle coverage, and Basic does not.
I’ll write a review of BCAA one of these days. I’ve got loads to tell, not all good.
In addition to roadside assistance, and picking up free AAA maps at their branches, they also sell insurance, and back in the olden days when travel agencies were a thing, BCAA also operated a travel section.
Here’s their webpage, https://www.bcaa.com/. If you click it and it redirects you to your local automobile association, let me know. I’m trying to figure out if only British Columbians or Canadians are getting bumped when we try to access the AAA website, and if it’s vice versa if Americans try to visit the CAA sites.
Husky
So now that everyone who doesn’t live in British Columbia knows what BCAA is, let’s move along to the rest of this blog post’s title: Husky.
A dog?
Husky is a Canadian gas station. Also known in jest as the Dirty Dog.
Most Husky gas stations have a convenience store with a coffee bar and snacks. Larger Husky locations are truck stops, where truckers use a cardlock fuel card to fill up. Many Husky truck stops have a full service, sit down restaurant.
BCAA partnership with Husky
BCAA has had a partnership with Husky for as long as I can remember. 30 years, maybe longer.
When filling up at Husky, I slide/scan my BCAA card and earn “points”. And what happens with these points? When my BCAA annual membership renews, the points have a cash value and bring down the price of my annual membership.
Very nice.
So all of my adult life, I’ve pretty much made it a point to always fuel up at Husky.
Save money wherever you can, right!
BCAA and Husky part ways
On February 7, I received an email from Husky that says effective March 1, 2022, their partnership with BCAA is ending.
What notification have I received from BCAA about parting ways with Husky?
Nothing!
Zippo!
Silence!
This is a HUGE blow to the BCAA rewards program offered to the members.
HUGE!!!
And BCAA doesn’t even have the courtesy to inform their members?
Wow! That sucks! Shame on you BCAA!!!
If I hadn’t registered my BCAA card with the Husky rewards a couple of years ago – I’d still be in the dark!
As of February 7, 2022, There is nothing on BCAA’s Twitter account that BCAA and Husky are parting ways.
There’s nothing on BCAA’s web page. BCAA has a blog and the last post was on September 3, 2021. Not too prolific, are they? You’d think this major news about parting ways with Husky would be on there.
I’m wondering if BCAA just thinks the members won’t notice.
That’s a pretty shitty public relations team you got going there BCAA!
I’ve been a BCAA member how long?
I’ve been a member of BCAA since 1982. Originally I was on my father’s membership which included everyone who lived in the household. I rented a basement suite in his house until about 1997 when I bought a townhouse and split off from his membership. Then my father used to buy my BCAA membership as a Christmas present.
Within a few years I started buying my own BCAA membership, and the year I joined carried over with me and is printed on my card.
Once a person has been a BCAA member for 50 years, their membership is free!
Who’s doing the math? How many more years before I get a free membership? And that will just be the Basic membership. I’m not sure if that means I’ll have the option to pay the difference between the two plans and continue with “Plus”. I doubt I’ll need the motorbike coverage then, but that extra towing could come in very handy.
Final word on BCAA and Husky parting ways
I sure won’t be the only one who thinks BCAA and Husky no longer partnering SUCKS! This was a perfect way to get a few bucks off my annual BCAA membership just for fueling up. Something I have to do anyway.
And I’d go out of my way to make sure I fueled up at a Husky location. There’s a nice one in Cloverdale with a long time employee, Ray, so that’s my go-to Husky.
What motivates me to keep fueling up at Husky now that I won’t get BCAA points?
Not a thing!
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on February 7, 2022.
