DoD Official Site for Travel Discounts
Brad Baker
Department of Defense has released a new website as the only official site for travel discounts of up to 60% off flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more. American Forces Travel offers access to 1.2 million properties through a partnership with Priceline. They also offer event tickets through TicketNetwork. Those eligible must verify their eligibility through their online portal. They are directly connected to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and can quickly verify your status after entering a few details about yourself.
“Because the Internet is now the most popular way to research and book travel, the branches of Service chose to evolve their travel offering. The Services have contracted with a world leader in travel, Priceline®, to deliver high value travel benefits to the U.S. military community. American Forces Travel℠ is transforming the way MWR provides online leisure services to our Service members and families, empowering them to revitalize, reconnect, be well, and most importantly, be mission-ready. In addition to dramatically enhancing quality of life for the military community, American Forces Travel℠ will inject critical revenue into MWR programs by providing commissions from every booking made.”
Those who are eligible are listed below:
- All current active duty military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard)
- All members of the Reserve components and National Guard
- Coast Guard Auxiliary Active Duty
- All current active duty and retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- All current active duty and retired US Public Health Service (USPHS)
- All retired military, including those in the Reserves and National Guard who are retirement eligible
- All Medal of Honor recipients
- All veterans with service-connected disabilities, all veterans who are Purple Heart recipients, all veterans who are former prisoners of war, all individuals approved and designated as the primary family caregivers of eligible veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
- Eligible family members who are officially sponsored (ID card holder) by authorized patrons in the above categories
- All Department of Defense and Coast Guard civilians, including appropriated funds (APF) employees and nonappropriated funds (NAF) employees
- Full-time, paid employees of the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) hired in the United States and serving at U.S. DoD installations overseas
- All Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions.
