Lure for Auto Club Members : A Valet Good Parking Deal

One of the biggest bargains around these days may be at South Coast Plaza--in the parking lot, that is.

Starting this week, the Costa Mesa mall is offering free valet parking for shoppers who present membership cards in the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The cards were already good for free maps or towing service from the Auto Club. By offering cardholders primo parking spaces, the megamall hopes to tap into more customers from the club’s 3.4 million members in California, said Werner Escher, public affairs director for the mall.

The mall got the idea from an Auto Club promotion with Disneyland that gave cardholders $4 off admission, Escher said.

“We thought, why not do that at South Coast Plaza, by God!” he said.

Valet parking usually costs $3.50, with a “discretionary” tip, Escher said. The promotion will run through September and be repeated in January and February.