Military Families Can Save on Flights

We all know the song, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, but for many military members and civilians in today’s economy, flying anywhere can be a budget buster.

Every time I book a flight I always ask for the military rate, but according to military.com, many airlines will not offer these rates even if you ask. Going directly through the airline is not always the best way for military members and their dependents to find the best rate on airline tickets. Since military members make up such a minority of the population, airlines don’t regularly publicize their military fares.

Military.com recently launched access to military airline fares through a unique booking engine located on its website. This site uses a technology that gives military members the ability to pull military fares from the airlines database and then compare them to the regular prices being offered to the general public.

Another common problem that is unique to military members when booking flights is unknown leave dates and last minute changes. Military travel agents can help in this situation by assisting in holding the fare, purchasing a 100 percent refundable ticket with no penalties for changes or attaching military insurance, which allows changes and cancelations at no cost.

Active duty members and their dependents are eligible for this fare even if they are not traveling together. Other family members like father, mother and siblings are also eligible for this fare if they are traveling with the active duty member.

There is a difference between a military rate and a military class ticket. Military rates are determined by the airlines and the discount is usually 5 percent to 65 percent off of the regular ticket price. These tickets are usually available at short notice. The airlines store these military rates in their data base and they are not available to the general public. The only way to find them is to go through a military travel agent that can pull the special fares.

Military class tickets, according to military.com, are airline tickets that are issued (or classed) through the airline for a military member despite any available discount. Military class tickets come with unique benefits such as the waiving of a change or cancel fee, which can run $150 per ticket, a 100 percent refundable ticket if the trip needs to be canceled and no charge for checked bags. Most airlines will waive the extra bag fee for active duty and their dependents traveling with them regardless of the ticket status, but if you are a dependent traveling separately from the active duty member the military class ticket will give you the benefits.

With military travel agents working to find the best rates possible for military members on active duty and their families, more of us can book tickets that fit into our budgets.