Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

These are the travel memberships and subscriptions that are worth the money

Not all travel programs are created equal. These are the rare memberships that are still worth buying

Traveler pulling a rollaboard suitcase outside an airport, sun shining directly into the camera.
Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

From Netflix and smartphone apps to food delivery services, everyone is vying for your subscription dollars these days. Most aren’t worth the expense, in our opinion. There are a few, however, that make legitimate sense — and cents — for travelers. If you’re planning to travel in the upcoming year, here are the best travel memberships and subscription services that are worth the money in 2023.

Couple with a child at the airport looking out the window.
4 PM production/Shutterstock

TSA PreCheck

Let’s start with the most obvious travel membership: TSA PreCheck. Even for U.S.-based travelers who only fly a handful of times per year, the recurring cost is worth the time and money. A five-year membership costs $78 (less than $16 annually). It’s guaranteed to save you hours at the airport because PreCheck passengers needn’t remove their shoes, belts, or light jackets, and can leave laptops and liquids in their carry-on luggage.

Add to that the privilege of passing through a separate, often much shorter, security line, and it can pay for itself on your very first trip. The TSA reports that, in 2020, 100% of PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes in line. New applicants can start the process online, and some credit cards and loyalty programs even include the fee as a perk for cardholders.

Air traveler entering information at a Global Entry airport kiosk.
Courtesy of CBP.gov

Global Entry

If your travel takes you out of the country — frequently or not — Global Entry is even better than a TSA PreCheck travel membership. This flagship federal program includes the same benefits of PreCheck, plus expedited screening at international borders and customs checkpoints. A five-year subscription is $100 — just $15 more than TSA PreCheck.

The approval process is a bit more time-consuming, as it requires a passport and an in-person interview. But that time will likely pay for itself on your first trip or two abroad. Plus, like PreCheck, some popular travel credit card programs pay the annual program fee for their cardholders.

Man with a suitcase watching an airplane take off through the airport window.
Yousef Alfuhigi/Unsplash / Unsplash

ExpertFlyer

Booking air travel is complicated these days. Travelers who want the utmost comfort and convenience are expected to wade through mountains of airfares, seat charts, connecting flight schedules, airline policy disclosures, and more. ExpertFlyer is a monthly travel membership that takes the guesswork out of all of it.

The site keeps tabs on basic things like flight availability, flight status, and other details. But, most importantly, it can also provide useful alerts for things that make your trips more comfortable. That includes letting you know when your preferred seats become available, what frequent flyer awards and upgrades are available, and aircraft change alerts (so you can avoid unexpected seat reassignments). The free version is enough for most infrequent travelers, while the Pro version opens up every feature for one low monthly price.

CLEAR program representative helping a traveler at an airport kiosk.

CLEAR

CLEAR works similarly to TSA PreCheck. But, while the latter focuses on expediting the entire screening process (from document checking to baggage screening), CLEAR is designed to speed up the first part. TSA PreCheck is great, but it still requires most passengers to wait in a line — albeit usually a shorter one — to verify their personal ID.

With CLEAR, members use a dedicated line (often with no other passengers) to scan their fingerprint or iris at a kiosk and are then personally escorted immediately to baggage screening. The service is available in almost 50 U.S. cities, and more are added regularly. It’s pricey at around $189 annually, but for frequent air travelers, every second counts. Plus, it also works at stadiums and other event venues around the country.

Visual summary of travel plans all summarized inside the TripIt mobile app.
TripIt.com

TripIt Pro

Digital boarding passes, itineraries, and hotel reservations have mostly made travel easier (not to mention better for the environment). However, trying to keep all those emails, confirmation numbers, and departure times straight while en route can be a hassle. TripIt streamlines everything about travel.

Subscribers provide TripIt with their email account information. Then the app automatically scans their inbox for travel-related emails. It organizes and files them all in a single, easy-to-read mobile itinerary within the TripIt app. It might sound like a lofty promise, but the app delivers. It also tracks important updates to upcoming flights and is often better and faster at sending alerts to changes than the official airline apps. There’s a free option, but the features are limited, which is why we recommend spending the extra $49 for the TripIt Pro version. You can also go Pro free for five days to see if it’s right for you.

Man wheeling a rollaboard suitcase through a Priority Pass lounge in the Vancouver Airport.

Priority Pass Standard Plus

Most air travelers who only fly a handful of times each year don’t bother with airline lounges. Unless you’re staring down a very long layover, dropping $50 for a day pass to score cold finger foods and “free” domestic beer hardly seems worth it. Priority Pass is an annual travel membership program that makes the cost of lounge admission a little more palatable.

For as little as $329, the upgraded Priority Pass Standard Plus membership provides ten lounge visits in a calendar year. Depending on the airline, that’s roughly 50% off the fees you’d expect to pay to check in to most lounges. It’s valid at more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world. Again, some of the best travel credit cards and loyalty programs also provide free Priority Pass membership as a perk.

Man reading a paper outside his vacation rental

Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

Countless newsletters and subscription services promise to help travelers save big on their next vacation. In our experience, none delivers like Going (formerly called Scott’s Cheap Flights). Simply sign up, pick your preferred departure airport, and wait for the best flight deals to roll into your inbox.

In some cases, we’ve seen so-called “mistake fares” and rare deals of up to 90% off — legitimately.  The basic Limited membership is free, but we recommend splurging for the $49-per-year Premium subscription for earlier access to the best deals. It’ll more than pay for itself on your very first trip.

Destonian/Adobe Stock

Garmin Search and Rescue (SAR) Insurance

Travel safety and insurance are hardly sexy topics, compared to breezing through airport security and free booze during your next layover. Still, for adventurous travelers, insurance is essential. In many countries, anyone needing search and rescue is required to pay for the service themselves, sometimes in advance. Depending on the location, these services could be in the tens — or even hundreds — of thousands of dollars.

A travel membership to Garmin’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Insurance plans will reimburse you in the event of a life-threatening rescue scenario. The entry-level membership is just $39.95 annually, which covers expenses of up to $100,000 per year. Hardcore travelers might want to consider add-ons like medical evacuation insurance, all of which are incredibly affordable, especially compared to the alternative.

Buffalo sitting down in front of a sign in Wind Cave National Park.
National Park Service/Facebook

America the Beautiful Pass

Since the pandemic, more of us are camping and taking road trips now than ever before. That has meant that Americans are exploring our National Parks in record numbers. If you count yourself among them or are planning to in 2023, consider an annual park pass. The National Park Service’s America the Beautiful Pass is just $80 a year.

That covers entrance fees, standard amenity fees, and day-use fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Considering that entrance to some of the country’s most popular parks can cost $25 or more, the pass will more than pay for itself if you plan to visit even a handful of sites in a single year.

Battery jumper cables lying underneath a car's open hood.
Daniel @ bestjumpstarterreview.com/Unsplash

AAA

Yup, a travel membership to AAA is still worth the money in 2023. The entry-level Basic plan costs less than $5 per month and provides access to essential road trip emergency services like fuel delivery, flat tire repair, battery jumpstarting, and limited towing, to name a few. These alone are worth the price of admission. But travelers also score deals on everything from hotel stays and rental cars to flights and upgrades.

For a few extra dollars monthly (to its upgraded Plus membership), AAA throws in extras like a free set of passport photos, enhanced vehicle lockout services, and even better towing and recovery in case your road trip goes seriously sideways. Plus, if you book travel through one of its agents, you’ll have access to AAA’s deep suite of traveler assistance services.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Make travel easy: The best packing apps for every type of traveler
Packing is always the worst part of traveling. Find the best packing app to help you stay sane for your trip
Someone packing their suitcase for a trip.

Let's be real: Packing for a trip is tedious, stressful, and time-consuming. For most of us, it just plain sucks. If you’re not the sort of masochist traveler who actually enjoys packing, smartphone technology is here to help. There's an app for everything, and they have come up with the best packing apps so you don't have to cry while putting things randomly into your suitcase.

There's a huge selection of travel apps out there, including packing apps for every flavor of traveler. From control freaks to those who want a dead-simple wizard to hand-hold them through every step of the packing process, these mobile packing apps make the process as quick, painless, and even mindless as possible. These are the best packing apps for travelers who seriously hate to pack.

Read more
Yellowstone National Park, the Amalfi Coast, and more: Add these top 5 heritage sites to your travel bucket list
When you should visit (and more)
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon (Arizona)

Betway has recently revealed the top 100 most beautiful Natural heritage sites based on the number of Instagram hashtags, and the United States and Italy dominate the top 5 spots. If you're considering a trip this year, why not go and see what all the fuss is about? This post will explore the top 5 results of Betway's study and provide some valuable planning information for all of these heritage sites.

Grand Canyon
What list would be complete without the Grand Canyon? About 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon every year, so it's not a surprise that it's one of the most Instagrammed places out there. Coming into first place with a whopping 4.3 million hashtags, the Grand Canyon is sure to blow your mind.

Read more
Will Sony’s portable PlayStation Portal be your new travel buddy?
Move over, Nintendo Switch?
Sony PlayStation Portal

If you want to travel and play video games remotely, you can connect your smartphone to your PS5 at home using the PS Remote Play app. However, there are two limitations to using your smartphone or tablet to stream your PlayStation games. For starters, most smartphones don’t have the ideal visuals to get the best performance out of PS5 games. But even if you own a smartphone with a display that exceeds expectations, you may find it inconvenient to use on-screen buttons.

Well, Sony has a solution for gamers who want a handheld gaming console that’s better than a smartphone — it’s called the PlayStation Portal remote player. It comes with an 8-inch LCD screen that can support 1080p at 60 frames per second. But the best part about it is that the LCD screen is sandwiched between a PS5 DualSense wireless controller. This means you can enjoy the full gaming pad experience, including the haptic feedback when you’re playing your PlayStation games remotely.

Read more