Military perks run the gamut from a hearty “thank you for your service” (nearly useless) to discounts on tickets at Six Flags (pretty good). But when it comes to air travel, it’s weirdly difficult to find out what cool things you can get with a military ID—other than early boarding, of course.
That’s why we scoured the internet, poked around labyrinthine airline websites, and even managed to get some actual customer service folks to pick up the phone, all to put together this comprehensive list of military perks and benefits. There are some standard military discounts in there, but also a ton of other freebies you’ll definitely want to take advantage of. We’ll even tell you which ones are really worth your time!
Let’s dive right in:
American
Our tour starts with American Airlines, which offers some pretty solid perks! Maybe the name inspired a little extra patriotism over there.
First things first: If you bring your active duty military ID, you and your family can board the plane early as part of group 1. You don’t even have to do anything special when booking your ticket; just show your ID at the gate and you’re all good. This is a pretty standard perk in the US, even among budget airlines.
American also offers free checked bags to members of the military. Just bring your ID to the check-in counter when you arrive at the airport, and you can check three bags of up to 50 lbs. If you’re traveling on orders, showing the agent your paperwork will get you five free checked bags of up to 100 lbs each. This one doesn’t apply to codeshare flights, however, so make sure every leg of your itinerary is with American and not a partner airline like British Airways.
I know what you're thinking: What about discounted tickets? Unfortunately, the closest you'll get with American is if you book a special military or government fare. But these are an entirely different fare class, so the price could be lower or higher than regular tickets. You also can’t book them online—you have to call AA’s reservation line at 1-800-433-7300, give them your starting point and destination, and hope they have some military fares available. Kind of a pain.
My advice? Find the flights you want online, but give the line a call before you complete the transaction. You might get lucky and save 5-10% with a military ticket, and if you strike out, you can just book the fares you had already picked out.
We did manage to track down another discount (10% off vacation packages), but it comes with a caveat: You have to subscribe to a service called WeSalute+ to snag this one. WeSalute is a private company that negotiates perks for veterans and active military members, with paid plans starting at $60 a year. They have a handful of travel-related benefits, including an impressive 15% discount with budget carrier Breeze, but reports vary on whether the service is worth the cost.
Delta
Delta’s offers are… pretty similar to American’s! You’ve got the same preboarding opportunity with your military ID, so that’s nice. Anecdotally, we’ve heard some Delta gate agents will let veterans board early as well, but it’s not an official policy—so don’t quote us on it!
With Delta, those free checked bags will depend on your fare class. If you’re in Basic Economy, Main Cabin, or Delta Comfort+, you get two free bags of 50 lbs or less. If you’re in Delta Premium Select, you get three. And if you have First Class or Delta One tickets, you get three free bags up to 70 lbs each. Military members traveling on orders can check five bags of 100 lbs or less, same as American.
If you’re flying to a new home on transfer orders, Delta will let you check your pets for free as well, up to two kennels per flight. As far as we can tell, they’re the only airline that won’t make you pay for bringing your furry friends on board, so that’s a nice little bonus.
Like American, Delta offers military discounts on vacation packages, but they don’t require you to go through WeSalute+. Another plus for Delta!
The phone number for Delta’s military fares is 1-800-221-1212, if you want to give that a try when booking your next trip. It’s always worth a shot!
United
Next up is United with some standard options. You’ve got your preboarding. You’ve got your free checked bags—three bags of up to 70 lbs, or five bags up to 100 lbs if you have orders.
Here’s something new, though: United is our first airline to offer a straight-up 5% discount on fares! Unfortunately, you have to be a WeSalute+ subscriber to take advantage of this one, which is a bit of a drag. It also only applies to destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, or Europe, so you’re out of luck if you’re flying across the Pacific or down to South America.
United will also let you hang out in their United Club airport lounges, but their new policy is a little complex. Access to the lounge is free if you’re traveling on an official government or military fare, and costs $29 if you’re flying for leisure. We’ve heard that there’s a little bit of confusion surrounding the updated policy, so you might be able to talk your way in with just a military ID. We wouldn't count on it, though.
Frontier/Spirit
Frontier is the first budget airline on our list, and you can definitely tell by these perks. Aside from the standard preboarding, they're offering free bags for you and your spouse (two checked bags, one carry-on) and… not much else.
Seriously, that’s about it. Frontier (and Spirit, assuming they make it through their most recent bankruptcy) will sometimes run military-only sales on Veteran’s Day, but other than that, no discounts.
JetBlue
Okay, now we’re talking! JetBlue has a slightly less impressive preboarding policy (you’ll go between Group A and Group B), but they make up for it with an across-the-board 5% discount for active-duty military and their families—no subscription service required! Just be prepared to show your DoD ID at the check-in counter.
You’ll also get two free checked bags up to 50 lbs, or five free bags up to 100 lbs if you’re flying on orders. Pretty typical.
Veterans can get the same deal with an active WeSalute+ subscription: 5% off fares, two free checked bags. Sadly, subscribers who are still on active duty can’t double up on the discounts. Trust us, we checked.
Southwest
Southwest may have just downgraded their baggage policy for us civilians, but their military options are pretty dang generous.
If you show your active duty ID at the check-in counter, you don’t have to pay for any of your checked bags. As long as you keep each bag under 100 lbs, you can keep piling them on until you reach the single-customer limit of 20. And that applies whether you’re flying on orders or for leisure. Good one, Southwest! They also offer military and government fares, so give their customer service line a call at 1-800-435-9792 before you finalize your booking. You might get lucky.
That’s about it for their perks, but do you really need more?
Alaska
Alaska Airlines has the strangest collection of perks on our list. You’ve got:
- Preboarding, always a classic.
- Military fares if you call them at 1-800-252-7522.
- Two free checked bags per passenger, up to 70 lbs, or five bags up to 100 lbs if you’re traveling on orders.
- A 5% discount for WeSalute+ subscribers.
- Free access to their Alaska Lounges if you’re on orders, or a $30 lounge day pass if you’re traveling for leisure.
- 15% discount on in-flight snacks, which is a new one.
You know what? We’ll take it, Alaska.
Which discounts are worth it?
As nice as some of these perks are (looking at you, discounted snacks!), waived baggage fees are easily the most significant benefit for military travelers. Government/military fares are a total crapshoot, and those 5% discounts can make a small dent, but skipping baggage fees can save a family hundreds of dollars, especially if you’re traveling internationally.
To get the most out of this one, you’ll want to avoid booking codeshare flights, since the benefits don’t extend to partner airlines. Not sure how to tell? Check out this screenshot for a round-trip ticket from Boston to Riga:
You can book the whole itinerary through Delta, but that doesn’t mean you'll be taking Delta flights the whole way. If you click on the departing flight, you’ll see this:
While the first leg is on a Delta plane, the second leg is with Air Baltic. So you’ll just end up having to pay to get all those checked bags from Amsterdam to Riga. Compare that with this flight from Boston to Amsterdam:
Since both legs are with Delta, you’re free and clear. No baggage fees here!
And if you want to really save some cash on your travels, your best option is to sign up for Jack’s Flight Club!
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