"I'll have to admit that when I first used the website I thought there was some catch or scam. I called a contact phone number listed on the site to ask questions. She answered my questions and put me to ease. The true test is when my wife is actually on the plane next to me using the tickets purchased. Why was I skeptical? The fare was Approx. $300 lower than any other site out there. Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, Cheapoair, Forecast, Sidestep, Delta..."

The High Cost of an Airline Ticket

Even with the increases in airfares over the past year over 677 million people are projected to fly US airlines in 2008. This is up almost 2% from the number of travelers in 2007. There is no doubt that you have read about the airline's woes and their ongoing financial struggles. These struggles can be seen in the most recent increase in fares by the major airlines. The average increase is around $60 per round trip ticket. In addition, most of the airlines are desperately creating new ways to charge their customers more to fly. This can be seen in baggage fees ($25 per bag,) in-flight meals and the pleasure of viewing a movie during you flight. All-in-all these extra charges can add an additional $50 - $75 per ticket. In addition, if you choose to reschedule your flight (no matter what the reason) you can expect a hefty charge of $100. All is not lost though. If you are a military member or a dependent you can often escape many of these charges. Most importantly, military members and their families are eligible for a military fare on the ticket themselves. This discount can often save the military person up to 30%-40% off a regular adult fare. Unfortunately, most military members don't realize they qualify for these great fares.

Where do military fares come from?

The majority of airlines offer a standard military fare that military members qualify for by simply presenting their military ID. However, it seems as if it is an industry secret as to what this military discount is, but on average a military fare can be as high as 30% - 40% off a regular fare ticket. Even though these fares exist it can be a bit confusing as to how they are made available by the airlines. First, airlines designate "x" amount of seats per flight for military members. This means that once these seats are purchased the discount is no longer available. The good news, however, is that a military fare normally won't go up even the day of travel.

How do airlines publish their airfares?

Airlines report their fares throughout the day to a system call the Global Distribution System (GDS), which is simply a large database that holds current available ticket inventory. Travel agents and on-line travel site access these fares via a portal, which allows them to offer these fares to their customers. The GDS is updated periodically, which explains why one minute you will see one fare and the next it has increased or decreased in price. This often causes frustration with travelers that are desperately searching multiple travel sites for the lowest fare. At times it seems that the sites are manipulating the fares on purpose.

How do you find a military fare?

Military fares are offered through the same GDS mentioned above however; the majority of on-line sites don't have access to these fares. If you do find a site that offers military fares you may not always see a lower fare based upon the GDS and not the site. If you are expecting to find a military fare on an airline site you will be disappointed. Currently, airlines don't offer military fares on their on-line reservation sites. In fact, they really don't make it easy for the fares to be accessed even if you call them directly. Traditionally, a person would have to visit a travel agent and pay them up to $50 per ticket in order to buy a military fare ticket. The other option is to call the airline directly and trust that the agent will provide you with the lowest fare military or not. And in some cases the airline may require you to travel to the airport to purchase a military fared ticket.

So, what's the answer?

Andrew Appleton, owner of AnMarc Technology LLC offers access to these military fares through a unique travel system that he has created. Mr. Appleton says that over the past four years his company has saved the military family close to 2 million dollars based upon these fares. Further, he encourages military members to start with a site that utilizes his travel technology and then compare; if you find it somewhere cheaper, buy it there. One such site is http://Army.militarytogo.com, which utilizes AnMarc's technology to offer military fares to soldiers and their families.

Finally, when you Google "military airline fares" you will be met with hundreds of travel sites that claim they offer military fares. Most of them don't so be aware. If they truly search for military fares you should see the following:

If you have any comments on this article or questions regarding military fares please don't hesitate to contact our military support team at support@militarymemberservices.com.

Travel Support Team

Secrets to saving money with the airlines
-If you need to reschedule your ticket call the airline directly and ask them about their military policy on returns/exchanges. You may need to ask for a supervisor in the case the agent is not willing to assist. Many times military fared tickets are automatically refundable.

-Military dependents are eligible for the fares and don't need to travel with the actual military member.

-Most airlines will not charge active duty military members for extra bags or luggage that is overweight

-Check out your USO. They often can assist you with many of your travel needs while you are at the airport.

-Never trust a site that tells you they offer military fares; make sure that the traveler option indicates military.