Thanks to all who entered our contest. The winner by random pick was post #9 Ari. Thanks to everyone and wish Ari luck in the big drawing to be held soon for the two seats on StarMegaDo4. I was really impressed with all the entries and hopefully everyone enjoyed reading all those war stories about…
Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m late to this contest compared to my compatriots, but the good news it that you can still get another entry through my blog contest. For my readers that don’t know, there is a frequent flyer fest called Star Mega DO that is a chartered series of flights on Star Alliance carriers to and around the U.S. and Europe. This contest will select two winners to fly for free on this grand tour of the skies. Each blog has their own contest and mine is the best war story. You know the difference between a war story and a fairy tale right? Fairy tales begin “once upon a time” and war stories start “no ****, this really happened”. Give me your best shot and I’ll reveal one of mine at the end of the contest. Here are the rules to the contest: The prize: 1. A reserved aisle or window seat next to Randy Petersen on the upcoming StarMegaDo 2012, hotel accommodations, and…
If you are a Government traveler, you surely know that GSA has all the airlines bid for the government contracted fare between two given cities known as GSA City Pairs. The winners for FY13 were announced in August and take effect next Monday 1 October. Several factors beyond just low price are factored into the bids according to the GSA. all of which are supposed to allow you more flexability and reliance. Here is the statement from GSA: “GSA’s mission is to help federal agencies save money, and that includes getting the best price for government travelers,” said Mary Davie, Acting Commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. “By leveraging the government’s buying power, we are able to maximize cost-savings for federal agencies and save taxpayer dollars.” The City Pairs Program establishes standard airfare rates between cities where the federal workforce typically travels, and these pre-negotiated rates save the government money. GSA is able to negotiate best-value pricing for the government by using travel data. All major U.S. carriers participate in…
Last spring, the Congress passed legislation calling for a Risk-based Security Initiative. This requires TSA to focus their energies on those more likely to commit a crime and less on those who can be trusted more. This applies to many frequent flyers of high status with the assumtion that they travel a lot and are less likely to be a terrorist. For those of us in uniform, it also means that we can be trusted regardless of status since we are sworn to defend our country and do so every day. This means we are allowed to go through a screening similar to what we experienced before 9/11. Keep your belt, shoes, and jacket on and your laptop inside its case. Pass through a regular metal detector and you are on your way. This program has only been rolled out at Monterey, Reagan (Term. B Gates 10-22), and Sea-Tac (Checkpoint 5 North) Airports with more to follow. I…
Disney announced a renewal of their popular Armed Forces Salute Program that will run 1 OCT 12 through 28 SEP 13. This program gives a significant discount to all military members, including Guard, Reserve, retired, and spouses. Tickets are about 50% off and a discount of 30-40% is available on rooms at thier resorts. There is even a discount rate for Disney cruises. The details can be viewed at Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Steve Bell’s website http://www.militarydisneytips.com/. Note that the program has changed slightly, such as only allowing six tickets – not 12, and blackout dates. So if you have used it in the past, you better check it out before assuming anything. Here are the details: Disney Theme Ticket Discounts for Military Members Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida Four-Day Park Hopper Tickets or Four-Day Water Park and More…
Just a reminder that the Great Getaways Vacation Sweepstakes in heading into its last week to win an all expense paid stay at any of the four Armed Forces Resorts. Go to www.AFRCresorts.com to enter daily. You could win a vacation for four to Shades of Green at Disneyworld or a vacation for two to…
So everyone knows the basics of earning miles and redeeming them for a free flight, right? Well, here are some tips on using those miles in a smarter manner and for ways that are applicable to military flyers. A key fact to remember is that dollar prices of miles almost alway rise the closer you…
A contest is being held here for military members and their families. For those of you who do not know, ArmyMWR.com runs a promotional site to feature the Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRC) and is holding a contest until the end of August to increase attendence. Thanks to my fellow officer, LTC Mike for finding…
Greek2me and Charlie Sheen donated a combined total of over $1,000,000 to the USO, so I want to say thanks to both of them! I couldn’t upgrade Charlie, since he is already as high as possible, but greek2me will be receiving the 2 GPUs for travel on United. Thanks for participating and look for more…
At the beginning of the year, I blogged about setting up a plan for the year in each of your FF programs that were important to you and setting a realistic goal of the status that you could achieve. Here is a link. Establishing a plan helps you get the status you want by projecting…
