Everyone needs a getaway from time to time and, thankfully, there are many travel-related companies who feel no one deserves it more than the men and women who have so bravely served our country, which is why they show their appreciation in the best possible way: discounts!
We’re going to run down some of the best veteran-friendly travel deals out there, no matter what you’re in the mood for.
Transportation
- Air Fare - Several airlines offer veterans discounts, including United and JetBlue (5 percent off select flights for vets and their families), Delta (unspecified discounts on select flights) and Frontier ($120.00 off per year on qualifying services and bundles).
- Car Rental - Both Avis and Budget offer up to 25 percent off rentals for veterans and their families, while National is a close second with 20 percent. Thrifty offers a 5 percent discount and disabled vets get unspecified discounts with Alamo.
- Train & Bus Fare - AmTrak provides 15 percent off select fares for vets and up to seven “next of kin,” while Greyhound offers 10 percent off all fares and also provides eligible vets with greatly reduced or free transport to and from VA hospitals.
Lodging -
- 20 Percent Off - Red Roof Inn currently offers eligible vets 20 percent off room rates (and 10 percent off pet stays), while Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Baymont, Travelodge, Knights Inn, Howard Johnson’s and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offer up to 20 percent off.
- 15 Percent Off - Eligible veterans can enjoy 15 percent off at all Choice Hotels, which include Cambria Suites, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion, EconoLodge and Rodeway Inn.
Theme Parks
- Cedar Point - The “Roller Coaster Capital of the World” (17 in all) in Sandusky, OH offers an unspecified discount to honorably discharged veterans.
- Colonial Williamsburg - Veterans and up to five direct dependents can travel back to 18th century Williamsburg, VA at a discounted rate of 50 percent off single-day or annual passes.
- Dollywood - Disabled veterans, their spouses and dependents get 30 percent off gate price at the park that put Pigeon Forge, TN on the map.
- Kings Island - Kings Island, OH is home to this self-proclaimed “Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest,” which provides varying discounts to veterans (and up to six family members) throughout the year, both online and at the gate.
- Knoebles - Located in Elysburg, PA, America’s Largest Free-Admission Theme Park provides veterans with a free $20 book of ride tickets, once a season.
- Legoland California - Legoland’s Carlsbad, CA location offers veterans admission discounts ranging from 25 percent to 50 percent off.
- Universal Studios - This Orlando staple offers unspecified discounts to eligible veterans, but tickets need to be ordered in advance to get the best deal. The park recommends contacting “Commander, Navy Region, Southwest” with their searchable Google maps. Vets that purchase their tickets at the gate can still get $3.00 off general admission and 48” and below (height requirement) tickets.
Cruises
- Carnival - This 25-ship cruise line offers vets an array of unspecified discounts, depending on type of voyage.
- Princess - Veterans receive up to $250 onboard spending money, depending on length of voyage.
- Royal Caribbean - Select voyages are up to 20 percent off for eligible veterans.
Veterans Credit Cards
- USAA’s Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card - Besides a host of great features like five percent cash back on your first $3000 of gas purchases, two percent on your first $3000 of grocery purchases and a zero percent annual fee, this card charges no fee on foreign transactions, which makes it perfect for traveling.
- Pentagon Federal Credit Union Platinum Rewards - With no annual fees and no charge on foreign transactions, this card offers rewards in the form of points (five points per dollar on gas, three points on groceries and one point on all other purchases) which can be used toward airfare and shopping.
- Navy Federal Credit Union Go Rewards- This card also rewards users with points (three points per dollar on dining out, two points for gas and one point for everything else) that can be used towards travel, as well as no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Veterans Financial & Discount Organizations
- USAA - The United Services Automobile Association is a financial services group for current and former military personnel and their families. They not only offer one of the travel-friendly credit cards listed above, but members are able to take advantage of exclusive deals on airfare, lodging, car rental, cruises and travel insurance.
- Veterans Advantage- This military discount benefits program offers the Vetrewards discount card, which not only opens the door to scores of terrific travel deals, but also allows you to receive discounts at a multitude of great companies, like Apple, Sprint, Oakley, Ford, Footlocker, Office Depot, etc.
No DD-214?
If you’re one of the millions of vets whose papers were lost, destroyed, stolen or never received, you may think your only recourse is to apply to the National Archives through eVetRecs, print your records request, sign it, fax or mail it in, wait weeks (maybe months) for processing and then wait for your DD-214 to be mailed back. We’ve got a better solution.
We’re veteran-owned DD214Direct.com and our mission is to reduce unnecessary wait times, fruitless status checks and frustrating communication issues. Our professional, courteous agents do all the heavy lifting for you, from requesting your records to maintaining constant contact with Archives’ agents to navigating the system to ultimately achieving the objective: providing you with your papers faster than anyone, anywhere.
Our three-tier pricing allows you to choose your preferred delivery speed (we can even deliver DD-214s by email!) so that you can begin planning your next getaway sooner than later.
