There is an old Army saying that “If you find yourself in a fair fight, you’ve made a tactical error somewhere”. I take this same philosophy towards maintaining my status as a 1K on United and a MVP Gold on Alaska for the last seven years running. I carefully plan my year’s flights out and…
If you have been following my blog, you know that last spring I got the Veterans Advantage Card and I thought it worth a little update to see how my savings are going so far. The card gives discounts on a wide range of items, including pharmaceuticals, Ford cars, Footlocker, etc. and best of all a %5 discount on all United tickets. They just announced a new benefit of 10% off everything at CVS/ pharmacy (except ironically prescriptions – but they have a separate prescription benefit). This CVS discount is great since it is above and beyond any normal veterans benefit that you could get with out the card. So how am I doing so far this year? I have saved: $210 on United tickets for myself and my family members. $48 on car rentals through Thrifty and Dollar $ 350 on a Ford SUV ( this discount is new this year and came out only two weeks before I needed to buy a car for my graduating daughter) Total: $608.00 …
Every year the list seems to grow of more and more businesses offering free or discounted stuff to honor those who have served our nation. This year is no exception and I am offering a long list here for you to take advantage of. If you are not a veteran, please spread the word to…
New York City Veterans Week is two weeks of activities and discounts running November 1-14. Kickoff Week November 1-6 includes events from a career fair to tours to school visits. Veterans Week November 7-14 continues with even more events highlighted by the Veterans Day parade on Sunday, November 11. Some events are invitation only and some require advance reservations or ticket purchase, so plan ahead. Veterans Advantage is offering a free VetRewards event cards valid for November: The Veterans Advantage Card Benefits Program has been created to provide greater respect, recognition, & rewards for all those who serve our country’s military and their families: U.S. Veterans Active Duty military National Guard & Reservists All branches, all periods of service Next of kin: Fathers, mothers, sons or daughters. The discounts range from travel to retail in New York in addition to regular…
I am not one to blog every special deal that comes along, but I couldn’t resist letting everyone know about this one. The Hale Koa runs the Kilauea Military Camp on the island of Hawaii and is located in Volcanos National Park. They are running a special to roll back their price to the ’90’s price for the entire month of November. A one-bedroom place is going for only $65/ night. Can’t beat that with a stick! Here is the ad. Have fun to those that go and be warned that it will be chilly (for Hawaii) up there.
Yesterday, I took a common flight for me IAD-HNL. Going through IAD and going towards the Premium Passenger security line, the guy standing saw my military ID and said I was in the wrong place and should go through the TSA Pre-Check line. He told me that two months ago DoD signed all active duty up to use any TSA Pre-Check line not just the three for the test roll out. I know he said active duty, but I think the real deal is anyone with a CAC card including the Reserve and National Guard. I proceeded back up the escalator and another guy guided me to the TSA Pre-Check line in the middle of the terminal. It was just me and one other guy, so I am not ssure that the Government is getting their money’s worth out of this. I am finally getting used to the new rules for Pre-Check which are really the old rules prior to 9/11. …
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…
