Sarahritchie17 From booking my trip to landing at my destination, there are so many privileges that I take advantage of as an active duty service member whether I’m traveling for work or for leisure. No gatekeeping here! If you are also a uniformed servicemember, make sure you know all the benefits and don’t miss out!
If you don’t already have the American Express Platinum credit card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, this is where to start. Both of these cards waive the annual fee for Active Duty military and together will give you over $1000 in travel benefits. If you’ve never had a credit card before, use it like a debit card and never spend more than you have, set up auto-pay, and you won’t have to worry about it! Then you’re building your credit history which will boost your credit score in time, and you’ll basically be getting free money with points accumulation and all the perks. The key is to not let yourself overspend.
If you are a money-conscious and responsible spender, credit cards perks are a great way to enjoy a little luxury in life on someone else’s dime. This is not an ad or paid endorsement. At the end of the day, do what’s right for you and your situation. There are great travel perks for active duty members with or without these cards, but having high-end credit cards just makes travel even sweeter.
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Booking Flights
With the AmEx Platinum credit card, I get 5x the points when booking travel through their website or directly with airlines using the card. Another perk of the card is a $200 credit for incidentals on an airline of your choice which can go towards luggage or drinks in flight. You have to select the airline in January, and then it’s locked in for the year.
One of the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card’s perks is a $300 annual travel credit which can be used towards flights, hotels, tolls, and even parking.
Military members can also score free flights through the Space A program. Though I’ve never tried it myself, I have friends that have gone to Europe from the U.S. for free with spare seats on military aircraft.
Other deals can be found on militaryfares.com or by taking advantage of budget airlines like Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue. These airlines typically make their money on added fees instead of ticket sales, but military bags fly free with them. We’ve flown several Spirit flights in the past year, and while the seats are not the most comfortable, we haven’t had any big issues with them. To us, the price is worth the slight discomfort! Last year, I booked a round trip flight from Miami to Denver for $85 on Frontier.
Getting to the Airport
My husband and I usually Uber to the airport because every time we’ve tried to park at Miami or Ft. Lauderdale airports has been a nightmare. Luckily, we get $15 a month in Uber credits with our AmEx Platinum cards, and I also get $10 a month in Uber credits with the AmEx Gold card. In December, AmEx adds an extra $10 to each of those credits.
Checking In
If we’re checking bags or having to add a carry-on on a budget airline that charges for carry-ons, we make sure we have enough time to see a gate agent. For military bags to fly free whether you’re on orders or on leave, you’ll normally have to wait in line to talk to a gate agent. The major airlines also have credit cards with annual fees waived for military, but we don’t have those cards (yet). This would allow us to get in the priority lines at the check-in counter, but for now, we just wait in the general assistance line. Sometimes the gate agent will even upgrade our seats.
Security
Military members can get TSA pre-check by simply entering their DOD ID number as their Known Traveler Number. This can be input when booking the flight or added at the check-in counter.
Through the AmEx Platinum card, we also applied for CLEAR with its annual fee waived, and it’s been a game-changer. Faster than pre-check, with CLEAR, they scan our eyes and then escort us straight to the front of the pre-check line. We don’t have to pull out our ID’s (unless chosen for a random ID check), and we don’t have to worry about taking anything out of our bags or taking off our shoes.
If you are traveling with family, you also get a few free passes to share that are good for a 3-month trial. The process is so streamlined, it usually takes us less than 5 minutes to get completely through security at any terminal that offers CLEAR.
Lounge Access
Less time in the security line means more time at the Lounge. AmEx Platinum cardholders get access to not only Centurion Lounges, but a number of other luxury travel lounges, including internationally. Be sure to also sign up for a Priority Pass account to get access to even more.
Most lounges provide a free buffet and complimentary drinks from the bar. Some Centurion lounges even have complimentary nail and massage appointments.
Military members also have access to USO’s which typically have nice lounge chairs and free food. Unless we’re in a rush to catch a tight layover, we always eat 1-2 meals free on our travel days, and it’s great food!
At the Gate
We typically leave the lounge when the flight starts boarding, so we can walk straight onto the flight. Airlines normally allow active duty to preboard which means we get first dibs on overhead space if we want. Sometimes, we’ll just wait in line until our group is called, but when I bring a carry-on suitcase, this is a nice perk to take advantage of.
In Flight
Here’s where you can use that $200 AmEx airline credit for food or drinks or wifi. We also have T-Mobile which offers wifi perks too. T-Mobile has a military discount on select plans.
Rental Car
We book our rental cars through USAA or T-Mobile depending on which offers us a better deal. Before I was 25, I always booked through USAA to avoid the huge upcharge for being under the rental car age, and to ensure that the car would be covered by my insurance policy.
Hotel
Yet another perk of the AmEx Platinum card is the annual $200 Fine Hotel & Resort credit. You’ll get that $200 off automatically reimbursed on your card after booking and then an additional $100 experience credit when you get there. Breakfast is included where available, and you’ll get late checkout and a room upgrade when available. You can also apply for Hilton Honors Gold through the AmEx app when you’re a Platinum Card holder and get upgrades when you book at Hilton-owned properties. Booking your hotel through the AmEx site also gets you 5x the points, or you can redeem the points you’ve earned on your hotel stay. Or just use the Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit.
Most of my favorite military benefits have to do with travel, and learning these hacks has saved us money and allowed us to take so many trips in the past few years and be low-stress along the way. Which of these did you know about, and did you learn any new ones? What did I miss?
Cheers!
Sarah
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