One-click access to AAA comes to BlackBerry 8130, 8830

Starting today for a monthly fee for AAA members, BlackBerry users will have the ability to call for roadside assistance, alerting emergency crews to their exact location.

If you've ever planned a road trip, you know how invaluable those AAA "Trip-tics" can be, especially for spotting the best stops along the way and for finding the best motel deals. But if you've ever had to go down the same route year after year, for hundreds of miles each way, you know how quickly those little spiral-bound maps can get torn, waterlogged, and dog-eared.

Today, the Trip-tic enters the 21st century, with the arrival of AAA Mobile service is now available on two of the latest BlackBerry smartphones, with more likely to come. Although the service is widely available on a number of phones, this marks the first time AAA Mobile is available to smart phone users.

The new service lets AAA customers get turn-by-turn navigation capability, locate places to stop using AAA TourBook, and the ability to request roadside assistance.

AAA Mobile is available to BlackBerry Pearl 8130 and BlackBerry 8830 World Edition owners for $9.99 per month, and currently through Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Alltel only, although AAA is discussing future options with other wireless carriers.

Aside from BlackBerry, AAA Mobile is compatible on more than 40 phones, from Motorola, LG, Samsung, Casio, and Samsung.

GPS and other navigational features have not been widely implemented on phones used in the United States, but their importance for purposes like AAA Mobile is helping drive a new level of adaptation. With indications of a GPS-enabled BlackBerry Pearl in the not-too-distant future, it looks like AAA may at last be on the right road.