With the worst of the pandemic in our rearview mirror, you might find yourself ready to get out into the world again. Maybe you’ve begun daydreaming about spending some time on a beach, hiking a mountain trail or anything in between. As you start thinking about travel, be sure to get familiar with all the options available to active duty and retired military personnel and their families for travel assistance and savings.
Get Exclusive Deals from American Forces Travel
When it’s time to start planning a trip, a good place to start is American Forces Travel. Created in partnership with Priceline®, this site will help you find discounts on hotels, airfare, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises and more. No matter where you want to go, there’s a good chance you can save on your accommodations. That’s because more than a million hotel deals are available at thousands of destinations around the world, with discounts of up to 50 percent off.
American Forces Travel is available to:
- Active-duty military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard)
- Members of the Reserves and National Guard
- Retired military, including those in the Reserves and National Guard who are retirement eligible
- Disabled veterans
- Medal of Honor recipients
Verify your eligibility here
Fly Free Between Military Installations
Service members and their families can take advantage of Space-Available (Space-A) flights to travel across the country or around the world at little or no cost. Though sometimes unpredictable, military flights are perfect for families with flexible plans and limited travel budgets. With the right planning and documentation, Space-A travel can be a great way to take a trip with your family.
Get tips for planning your trip with Space-A Travel.
Learn more about signing up for Space-A Travel.
Find a list of AMC (Air Mobility Command) terminal locations.
Enroll in Armed Forces Vacation Club
If you’re interested in exciting vacation destinations around the world, consider becoming a member of the Armed Forces Vacation Club. Membership is free, and it’s open to active duty, National Guard, Reserves and retired members of the Armed Forces. This program includes the popular $409 R&R Vacations – just $409/week ($389 for Premium members).
4 Additional Ways to Save Money
In addition to the travel services noted above, here are some additional tips to help you stretch your vacation budget.
Get traveler’s insurance. Your trip is an investment, and travel insurance can help you protect it. Some plans will cover trip cancellation or changes in travel due to weather or airline delays. Others will cover medical emergencies. As a USBA Member, you can sign up for Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+). It offers 24-hour emergency travel assistance for medical emergencies and over 20 additional travel benefits. USBA Members get a special yearly rate: $129 for Members, $169 for Members and family, and risk-free 30-day trial.
Lounge during layovers. Many major U.S. airports offer USO lounges, which are staffed 24/7 by volunteers. These lounges give you access to free snacks and drinks, and a place to relax and recharge your devices. Find out of your layover destination offers a USO lounge.
Save on lodging. Stay at base lodging at military bases across the country. Every base has a hotel for service member families. Priority is given to those on a PCS or school assignment, but additional rooms are often available.
Visit national parks. Veterans and Active duty families get free access to National Parks, perfect for a summer vacation or warm-weather PCS move. If you decide to camp in a national park campground, you may need to pay a small fee to reserve a site.
Uniformed Services Benefit Association (USBA) is a not-for-profit Association that provides group life insurance, health insurance supplements, and other products and services to military personnel, Federal employees, National Guard and Reserve members, Veterans and their families.
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Follow us on social media @USBAInsurance