Military discounts on flights: a sweet little perk for US servicemen and women. Well, if you know how to find them. Because, while most major airlines offer discounted military fares, you’ll often need to do a bit of digging to find out the exact ‘what’ and ‘how’.
Hm, if only someone would do all that hard work for you, eh? That’s where we come in. Below, you’ll find our complete guide to flights and military discounts. Hey, you do enough.
Start searching for the best prices now:
Major airlines typically offer discounted military fares on their flights. Generally, military passengers need to notify the airline during the reservation process in order to activate this discount. Additional perks may include fee waivers for checked bags or access to their clubs.
How much is a military discount?
The slightly annoying answer is: it depends. Sometimes you’ll get around 5% off the airfare and/or free checked bags. Other airlines might give you access to their airport lounges. See, discounts vary widely from airline to airline — which is why finding the right discount for you can take so much research.
Why do airlines offer military discounts?
It’s a small thank you for your service. Given military personnel tend to travel by plane a lot — heading home to see family and loved ones whenever they can — the idea is that military airfares are an especially useful gesture.
Sometimes the discount is also extended to the active military member’s dependents — because military families also travel a lot to visit their loved ones in the services.
Do airlines give veterans discounts?
Yes, some airlines also give a military discount to retired military personnel who are part of the Veterans Advantage Program. The discount usually matches what is offered to active military personnel.
How do I find military discounts on flights?
A-ha, that’s the tricky part. Often, you won’t find military discounts online, so you’ll need to call the airline’s number for reservations and ask an actual, live person about their military discounts on flights. (Imagine!).
Handily, we’ve put together a list of major airlines and their discount military fares below. But first…
Bear in mind that the military discount might not be as good as other discounts on that same flight.
Say what?
Why a military discount isn’t always the best deal
If the military discount is only, say, 5%, but the airline has a seat sale or a promotion on, you’ll probably get a better price through the seat sale or promotion.
That’s why we recommend doing a search on Skyscanner first, so you can compare your military discount with all the other deals out there.
We always show the very best prices at the time of your search, so you’ll be seeing the very cheapest fares available.
What airlines offer military discounts?
Time for the big reveal! Here’s a list of major airlines known to offer military discounts on flights. All the info here was accurate at the time of writing, but please note things can change — so we’d advise giving the airline a call well ahead of time to check that these discounts are still offered and what you need to do to claim them.
American Airlines military discounts
The good news: active military and their dependents get free checked baggage (up to five bags for work-related travel; up to three bags for all other travel). But: note that dependents must be traveling on military orders and will need to present those orders to the check-in agent.
The not-so-good news: if you’re a dependent and you’re not traveling on military orders, standard baggage fees apply.
Heading to Europe? Here are all the latest American Airlines fare sales to countries across the continent.
United military airfares
Active military and their dependents get free checked baggage (up to five bags for work-related travel; up to three bags for all other travel). Bonus: active duty personnel get free access to the United Club Lounge at the airport. Which means free food and drink. We like. Veteran Advantage members also get up to 5% off fares. We list the latest fare sales from United on this page.
Delta military discounts
Delta offers military fare discounts to active military and their dependents for both work and personal flights. But the size of the discount depends on the flight. As well as military airfares, Delta offers military discounts on Delta Vacations (ie, package deals). Both active military and their dependents get free checked baggage (five when on military orders; two for personal travel). Click here for the latest Delta deals!
JetBlue military airfares
This one’s a mixed bag. Veteran Advantage members can save up to 5% off airfare and get two free checked bags. Active military and their families are eligible for a ‘military class fare’, which removes advance-purchase requirements (APR typically mandates that you buy tickets a minimum number of days before the flight). The ‘military class fare’ also includes free checked baggage: up to five for active military. Click here to find JetBlue sales!
Southwest military discounts
Sorry, we can’t be more precise about this one, but while Southwest does say active military personnel may be eligible for military discounts, both discount and availability depend on the flight. Southwest also occasionally offers promo codes and flight deals. The latest can be found here.
Alaska Airlines special offers
Free checked baggage for active military (up to five bags), including free oversized baggage (up to 70 pounds). Find more information here on Alaska’s everyday fare sales.
Allegiant Air discounts for military members and veterans
Perks apply to active military, their dependents, and veterans. They include free checked baggage (up to three bags), free oversized baggage, and one free carry-on per passenger. There’s also complimentary seat assignment and one pet permitted within the cabin, free of charge. Allegiant also occasionally offers promo codes for discounted flights.
Hawaiian Airlines military discounts
Aloha discounts! Hawaiian offers 5% off airfares for military veterans if they’re part of the Veterans Advantage Program or enrolled in VetRewards. Discounts are offered year-round, with no blackout periods. Find cheap fares to start with on Hawaiian here, and then use your military discount to book!
Frontier Airlines Armed Forces discounts
Simple but effective: free checked baggage for active military on duty. Remember, though: searching for flights on Skyscanner might get you an even better price. And check here for Frontier sales going on now!
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