Military Deals on Flights and Baggage
Military families often live far away from their extended families, which means they often travel during holidays to get home and often times have to pick and choose when they will go home. Flying is expensive, but some airlines have ways to help with military deals on flights and baggage. Here is a quick overview of what airlines offer for military members on flights.
Almost all airlines offer active duty military member free bags and most offer the same deal to dependents. My husband and I normally try to limit our bags to 2 so that they can both be checked under his name so we can avoid the fees.
But I did not know there are some additional airlines that provide discounted tickets. Most companies required you to call in to the reservation office to see if there were military rates for your flight, but United proudly stated on their site they offer a 5% discount on all military flights. American Airlines offers limited discounts to military and you have to call to see if there is anything available. Southwest doesn’t have a specific discount, but the 3rd bag is free for military members and with the first two bags free for all travelers this is an added bonus if you have a lot of luggage. Delta has a similar policy to American Airlines with free bags and limited discounts.
Jet Blue surprised me by having one of the best discounts for military and veterans. If you enroll in the Veterans Advantage program you will receive a 5% discount on everyday JetBlue travel to 85+ destinations. They also have a military fare class (MIL) for active duty military personnel not traveling on orders. This does not provide a percentage discount, but does remove any advanced-purchase requirements, which may result in a lower fare in the event that the advanced-purchase price has expired. They also allow 5 bags free for the military member and their dependents.
Alaskan Airlines does offer military rates as well, but it is through reservations and you must call to see if they are available for your flight.
US Airways offers 2 bags free plus if you call their reservation line and are on personal travel or traveling within 7 days of leaving the military you can get military discounts on flights. They also have special rates for military dependents when flying with the active duty member
The last airline I was able to find a discount for was Alligent Air. They offer 3 bags free for active duty members.
Some airlines offer better discounts than other, but almost all cover the baggage fees, which can really add up. So the next time you are planning a trip home make sure you take the time to call around to different airlines to see if they can get you a better fare to get you home or wherever your travels take you.
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