Expedia is the go-to company for finding the lowest rates on flights, hotels, and transportation to meet all of your travel needs.
You could save hundreds of dollars by booking your next family vacation with Expedia, but the benefits get even better if you’re in the military.
Expedia is one of an ever-growing list of companies who offer military discounts to active duty military personnel and veterans. Here’s what they have to offer.
About Expedia
Expedia, an online travel service, was launched as part of the Microsoft Network on October 22, 1996, and was the first online travel service to be launched by a technology giant.
The travel company not only allowed customers to browse through an online multimedia travel guide, but also make hotel, car, or air ticket reservations online.
Richard Barton was responsible for the creation of CD-ROM travel guides for Microsoft at the time. As the CD-ROM market started losing popularity, he approached CEO Bill Gates with the idea of selling travel online, which the latter approved readily.
By November 1996, Microsoft was running full-page advertisements in leading publications, encouraging the public to use the newly-launched service.
In March 1997, Microsoft claimed to have booked over $1 million in hotel and airline reservations within a span of a week.
By 1998, Expedia had expanded its operations to the United Kingdom, and by 1999, in Canada, Australia, and Germany as well. By 2001, these operations were extended to Italy, Holland and France, and in 2002, the company was spun off.
Now a part of USA Interactive, Expedia offers a military discount to show appreciation to verified members of the military, past and present, with a service called Expedia+Gold Status. Let’s take a look at this offer.
Expedia’s Military Discount Policy
Exclusive for the members of the military and their families, Expedia offers great discounts on top of their already impressive travel deals.
In appreciation of their service, Expedia offers members of the military, including veterans, retirees, National Guard, reservists, and personnel on active duty exclusive discounts.
Expedia has not released the exact details of this year-end’s offer yet, so we will take a look at the offers from July of last year to get an idea of what could be offered.
To eligible members, Expedia offers complimentary room upgrades upon availability. It also offers exclusive amenities at over 2,000 VIP Access hotels.
Eligible servicemen can also earn 30% more bonus points for their bookings. They get access to member rates and get an exclusive 10% off on select hotels. You also get access to exclusive travel offers.
Expedia uses the services of SheerID, a firm that performs binary verification against authoritative data. It has no need for sensitive data such as a Social Security Number.
SheerID can check the authenticity of personnel on active duty, retirees, and veterans, whether they are from the National Guard, reservists, or registered dependants.
Does the Discount Work with Coupon Codes?
Expedia doesn’t clearly state a policy on coupon codes on its Military Offer page.
But usually, these discounts do not work during an ongoing special event or with any other special rates, and it’s unlikely the Expedia military discount would be an exception.
Who Is Eligible?
Personnel on active duty, retirees, veterans, reservists, or National Guards and spouses or dependents of the military family are eligible and required to provide all the proper identification to take advantage of the Expedia discount.
Just like a lot of companies that offer military discounts, with Expedia, too, you can choose from a selection of identification proofs.
In the same way, all the family members would also have to produce their identity proofs to get the discount.
You will also need to provide identification in some form to show that you are a retired or active member of the military.
Proof of service is required to be eligible for the 10% discount. A few eligible forms of proof include:
- military ID card (issued to personnel on active duty, National Guard, reserves or retirees),
- DD Form 214/215 (issued to members when they are discharged from the service)
- state veterans ID card or veterans designation indicated on a driver’s license
- a veterans ID card
- DD Form 1173 and DD Form 2 (for eligible dependents of active duty service members, Medal of Honor recipients, retirees and surviving dependents)
The branches of service that are listed under the verification process are Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Marine Corps Forces Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve, Coast Guard reserve, National Guard Reserve, and Air National Guard.
Are There Exceptions?
In order to be eligible for the offers, users must verify their credentials through the Expedia landing page.
The offer is open to current and retired United States military personnel who must sign in to Expedia Rewards or join the Expedia Rewards program.
The Expedia Rewards membership is free. The offer may be modified or canceled at any point of time by Expedia Inc. This offer is not redeemable for cash or transferable.
If you do claim this offer, you might receive more offers for military discounts on flights, military discounts on vacations, veteran travel discounts or military travel deals.
The offer terms made by Expedia may not be changed by any employees of Expedia Inc. or by an unauthorized person and is void where prohibited by law.
Other Ways to Save at Expedia
You now know about the fabulous discount offered by Expedia. Regardless of how you are traveling, you can book with a service that is one of the largest and most respected in the world.
Here are some tips you can use while still using Expedia’s services:
- Use the Expedia App: Apart from the joy of booking on the go, there is also the benefit of getting up to 40% off and points on bookings with this nifty app.
- Watch for Deals: Always keep an eye on the day’s deals when looking to book for your travel. You might be in for a surprise as Expedia often offers pop-up special offers from many top cruise liners.
- Choose the Right Card: Save money on insurance and try booking with a travel credit card, most of which offer attractive benefits such as baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation insurance.
Compare Top Military Travel Cards
Compare the rates, fees, and rewards of top credit cards for military servicemembers and veterans, including cards with waived annual fees under the SCRA.
Final Thoughts
You’re likely using a site like Expedia anyway as you plan business and personal trips for you and your family, so why not maximize your savings by enrolling in Expedia’s military program?
You may find that the rewards from Expedia allow you to take trips you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.
Military discounts allow companies to thank you for your service and allow you to enjoy your favorite services and products.
With Expedia’s discount and the tips above, you can save in a big way as you book your travels.
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Anna says
I once had the gold status from expedia, for their military program. It seems, though, they have done away with it since the switch to one key. I emailed them to reinstate the gold/military status and they said they no longer provide it.
David Bunnell says
I’m very glad that I signed up for this because I love to travel and I love the discount on motels and everything else.