The holiday season is right around the corner, and with it comes some of the busiest travel days of the year. The days before and after Thanksgiving and Christmas are the most traveled—and typically the most expensive—in the United States.
Specifically, the Sunday after Thanksgiving can see nearly 60 percent more travelers than on Thanksgiving Day. And this year, as the dates to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa more closely align, travel is expected to be higher than usual on Dec. 23—a Friday, which is already the busiest day of the week to fly.
Whether your goal is to get home for football, food, and family time, or to take a well-deserved trip with your loved ones over the holidays, there are plenty of ways for military and veterans to save on travel. From airfare to rental cars to hotels to theme park tickets, many companies and programs show their appreciation for military service with additional discounts.
Here are our top five ways you can save with military travel discounts for the holidays.
Join the club
Did you know there are services and rewards programs that pull travel discounts together in one convenient place for the military?
A great tool for military families is American Forces Travel. Supported by Priceline—which already helps users discover great travel deals—this site puts extra effort into finding hotel, car, flight and cruise deals for military members and their dependents. It is the “only official joint service owned leisure and travel service for the military community.” Grab up to 60 percent savings on more than 76,000 destinations worldwide and tap into 24/7 support.
Or sign up for the Armed Forces Vacation Club, where your free membership unlocks access to more than 200,000 resort accommodations in more than 100 countries. Active duty and veterans can travel to condominium-style timeshare resorts in the U.S., Mexico, South America, Europe and more with value pricing thanks to opportunities through Wyndham Worldwide. (Added bonus, you get the timeshare accommodations without attending the timeshare presentation!) The membership also opens up “space available” units, priced at just over $400 for last-minute or off-season travel. Plus, members get access to and discounts for cruises, car rentals, a host of amenities and added benefits.
Similarly, Veterans Advantage is a military discount and savings resource that provides deep discounts from more than 350 major brands, including travel companies like JetBlue, American Airlines Vacations, United, Wyndham Hotel Group, Choice Hotels, Budget and Hertz. Founded by a Vietnam veteran and his wife in 2000, the VetRewards program provides active and veteran military with a secure military ID that is used for exclusive discounts and travel protection. Veterans Advantage offers monthly and annual membership fees, plus a free 7-day trial to check out the program. It might seem like a wash to pay for a membership to gain discounted pricing, but Veterans Advantage advocates for deeper discounts for its members. It’s worth it to those who use it frequently.
Hit the road—or sky
Plenty of airlines offer their own discounts and benefits to service members—but you have to know where to look or who to ask. These deals typically aren’t advertised on the airline website, but an email or phone call can get you to the right place. Check all restrictions and limitations when inquiring about discounts, as some might only apply to active-duty service members in certain situations.
American Airlines offers up to 10 percent off domestic and international flights, while United, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Lufthansa offer up to 5 percent discounts. Many major airlines provide other perks like free checked bags or waived service fees.
Space Available Travel is another option for active duty, reservists and veterans who can be flexible with their travel plans. You can snag an available seat on military aircraft if you don’t mind waiting for availability and can make a backup plan if a seat is unavailable. (Also be prepared to go without the complimentary peanuts as you might be flying in a cargo plane!)
If you need a rental car, check out negotiated rates and waived fees with companies like Hertz, National Car Rental and Alamo.
Stay for less
If you’re shopping for a steal of a hotel on your trip, there are great options available. Just as with major airlines, some of the biggest resort and hotel companies offer military discounts. And again, some discounts apply to active-duty travel orders, so be sure to check restrictions.
It should come as no surprise that IHG® Hotels & Resorts are proud to offer discounts at participating properties. With your military ID, you can save an additional percentage off Best Flex Rates and gain other benefits with your IHG One Rewards membership. It’s free to join! (link here)
Best Western, Great Wolf Lodge, Motel 6, Embassy Suites, Radisson Hotels and Hilton also provide discounts, upgrades and perks to active and retired military, veterans and their families.
Another way to enjoy a great stay for less is to take advantage of base lodging. IHG® Army Hotels has over 70 locations inside 40 U.S. Army installations and offers amenities specifically designed to make your stay as comfortable and convenient as possible. Amenities include complimentary hot breakfast, pet-friendly accommodations, fitness centers, guest laundry facilities and more. With a team of veterans and military families on staff, they understand the unique challenges of military travel and work hard to help you feel at home when you stay. In addition to everyday affordable rates, many hotels offer special Holiday Rates discounts this season.
Play a little longer
For leisure travel, you can stretch your vacation budget a little further with great rates on amusement park tickets, especially at Disney Resorts and Theme Parks. All active duty and veteran military and their families can tap into discounts like the 4-day or 5-day Military Promotional Ticket, offering about a $60 discount per ticket to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. And check out the Shades of Green military resort, offering deals on your stay plus additional discounts on tickets to other Florida amusements like Busch Gardens, Sea World, LEGOLAND and more.
There are a host of other amusement parks that provide military discounts, including Carowinds, Hersheypark, Colonial Williamsburg, Dollywood, Kings Dominion, Six Flags and Universal Studios. Get free or discounted admission for you and your family, extra days, special pricing on vacation packages and more.
Stack up on supplies
Once you’ve got your travel and hotel booked, it’s time to fill your suitcase! If you need any travel supplies—or a long list of other goods—head over to Shop My Exchange. Verify your military service to get up to 10 percent off items like luggage, swim gear, travel kits and more.
Now, you’re ready to travel! And if you don’t have a trip or vacation planned on the horizon, these military discounts might give you some inspiration. Have fun!