When members of the military and their families need to travel, they are frequently offered discounts by airlines. It’s a method of expressing gratitude for their contributions to the country. Each airline has its unique policy regarding military discounts, as well as the amount of savings that are offered. Numerous military personnel consult with their preferred airlines or shop around for the greatest deals. To find military discounts on flights, first determine how much flexibility you have in your travel plans, and then conduct an Internet search for the most competitive military fare available.

Part 1 of 3: Finding Military Discounts is the first of three parts.

Identify military discounts on commercial airlines by conducting a search online. Each airline has its own military discount scheme, which varies from one to the next. * To take advantage of these discounts and find the greatest bargain on airfare, you must search each airline individually, either by phone or through the use of an online search engine tool. On the website Militarytravel.com, you may find a search engine that is tailored particularly to military people looking for low-cost travel. As a result, you will save the time it would take to call each airline separately. The discount is commonly expressed as a percentage of the total ticket price, or as a dollar amount off the total ticket price.

2 Participate in airline loyalty programs. Individual airlines may require you to register an account in order to qualify for certain military discounts. These accounts are normally free, but they assist the airline in keeping track of which customers are taking advantage of certain offers. Not all airlines, however, need you to sign up for programs, so keep this in mind while you are looking at the discount or speaking with an airline agent on the phone. The Veterans Advantage Program, for example, is offered by United Airlines. A 5 percent discount on flights is available to military personnel and their families, in addition to additional perks and privileges. To be eligible for savings, you must enroll. Keep in mind that the majority of these discounts and programs have restrictions on both where you board the airline and where it lands at its final destination, with the majority of them requiring you to board in the United States.

3 Make use of many discounts. Once you’ve narrowed down which airlines provide military discounts and how much you’re going to save with each one, you may inquire as to whether you can combine your savings with others. In the case of frequent flyer programs, for example, you can inquire as to whether your military discount will interfere with the usage of your points. Also, you can try to find discounted airline tickets or package deals and see if you can add the military discount on top of those.

4 Consult with a travel agent. Consult with a travel agency that specializes in military travel before making your decision. A travel agent will be aware of any deals that are currently available and will be able to get you the most economical flights possible. Always remember that a travel agency will charge you for the time they spend researching your vacation destination. Travel agents are more valuable when you require a vacation organized with an itinerary and reservations for hotels and restaurants, which is especially true if you are flying with a large group of people.

2nd of 3 parts: When to Use Space A Flights and When Not to

1
Find out where the Space A seats are located. Space Available Flights, also known as Space A flights, are also referred to as “military hops” since they allow you to “hop” on a military flight while on vacation or leave. Members of the military, both active duty and retired, are eligible to fly for free whenever there are vacant seats available on a trip. Additionally, their dependents are eligible.

2 Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time hunting for Space A seats. Since the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, it has been increasingly difficult to find Space A seats, even for military personnel. You’ll have to do a lot of research and calling around to find one because of this. Because there is no specific web search engine for discovering Space A flights, it may come down to who you know and keeping an ear out for opportunities.

Three, find out which airlines provide Space A service. Due to the fact that Space A seats are only available aboard Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft, no commercial airlines provide them. Flight schedules can be obtained by calling particular military facilities, which can assist you in locating Space A flights; however, flight schedules are no longer published online in order to keep America secure in the face of growing terrorist activity.

4
Determine whether or not you have the necessary time to wait for Space A seats. If you want to sit in a Space A seat, you must first wait for a seat to become available, as the name implies. This implies that once you’ve found a flight, you’ll need to be incredibly adaptable. It’s possible that you’ll have to spend some time at the airport or military base.

5 Make a plan to fly during off-peak travel hours. If you want to increase your chances of getting a Space A seat, try to fly during less-popular travel times. Take, for example, a flight leaving at 5:30 a.m. rather than at 10:00 a.m. because traveling in the middle of the morning is much more comfortable than having to get up early or stay up very late in the evening.

3rd and last installment: Finding Additional Savings

1 Take use of frequent flier miles. Furthermore, you should consider that discovering your own savings can be more cost-effective than utilizing military discounts. It is preferable to use the alternative discount if an airline will only let you to use one or the other, and the discount that is not based on military service is superior. Some airlines, for example, require that you utilize frequent flyer miles only if you are not combining them with other discounts. If you have a large number of frequent flyer miles and are unable to obtain a Space A seat, and the military discount is minimal, it is probably in your best interest to spend the miles instead of paying the military discount.

2 Examine the differences between military and non-military discounts. Most airlines offer commercial flight sales at various times of the year, such as vacation packages or discounted fares for flights that take place during non-peak times. Take a look around and compare these offers with the military discounts that you are eligible to receive. It is possible that you will not be able to combine the discounts, but it is advisable to utilize the one that saves you the most money. Before choosing one deal over another, double-check that you won’t be able to combine them by contacting the airline directly or studying the FAQ page on their website before making your decision.

3 Determine the cost of government fares. In addition to government fares, which are not publicized by most airlines, there is another form of discount available. These rates have been negotiated by the government in order to obtain lower-cost seats for government employees. These seats are often reserved for business purposes alone.

• These seats are frequently available to military members on leave, and there are no fees associated with altering flight times while using these seats. You should be aware that, in most cases, there is only one airline that has these seats available on each given trip.

Tips* Keep in mind that the best deals on travel may be found outside of the military discount program. Using United Airlines as an example, the 5 percent military discount is a great deal, but by searching online on a discount travel site such as Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire or Priceline, you can find flight fares that are even lower than the fares you receive directly from commercial airlines when using your military discount.

Warnings* When flying on Space A, you may not receive the same level of customer service that you would receive on a commercial aircraft. It is possible that you may have to face difficult situations such as long periods of waiting and sleeping in airports in order to obtain these seats.