Discover the Best Deals and Services with American Forces Travel

The military personnel of the United States Armed Forces work constantly to ensure our security and freedoms. Because of the selfless sacrifices that they make every day, we as a nation have to give back in any way we can through several programs designed to help military personnel achieve a healthy work-life balance as well as take advantage of the many opportunities awarded to them for their service. When service personnel want to spend as much time as possible with their families, they often schedule travel and vacations, taking advantage of the many specials and offers available to them. Active duty, reservists, and retired Veterans have the opportunity to utilize discounts towards travel, hotels, destinations, and resorts, as well as airfare. The American Forces Travel Service, in partnership with Priceline, is an official website of the US Department of Defense, providing special deals on leisure travel for active military, National Guard, Reserve, US Coast Guard, retired military, and all eligible MWR patrons. If you are a United States Servicemember, read on to learn about American Forces Travel and the services they offer.

What is American Forces Travel?

American Forces Travel is part of the Armed Forces’ Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program, MWR, which promotes leisure time for military personnel in the five branches of the United States military and the Department of Defense. As the Internet has become such a driving force in everyday life for most people, AFT is an online community that helps Servicemembers research and book travel arrangements. In partnership with travel company Priceline, the service offers discount and value-added benefits to US military personnel and their families.

The idea behind it is that providing affordable travel opportunities with families helps Servicemembers maintain a healthy work-life balance as well as maintain mission readiness. When military personnel can connect with their families, revitalize relationships, especially on return from deployment, and work on wellness, they will maintain health and readiness for duty. The online service available to US military personnel, as part of the MWR program, is a service to the personnel of the Armed Forces. In addition, the service also maintains its own resorts and recreation centers, such as Dragon Hill Lodge, Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, and Shades of Green Resort at Disney World.

Who can benefit from American Forces Travel?

Most military personnel, Veterans, and retirees can participate in the MWR programs. Similarly, this portion of MWR is available to certain individuals within the US Armed Forces. Anyone who qualifies for MWR programs can utilize American Forces Travel, which includes active duty military, National Guard, reservists, eligible family members, retired military, and Department of Defense civilians.

Services offered by American Forces Travel

For those who qualify, AFT provides a variety of services. This often comes with highly exclusive deals and discounts on hotels, car rentals, flights, and vacation packages. They also offer military-only cruises, military family appreciation events at the Disney resorts and Universal Studios, and sponsor group trips and tours to other countries.

Exclusive offers through the US Armed Forces Vacation Club

For anyone who has ever belonged to a timeshare or vacation club, similar to the Disney Vacation Club, for example, you might be interested to know that the US Armed Forces Vacation Club operates its own similar service. This is a free membership travel club for all active, retired, and Veteran military members. Members of the US Armed Forces Vacation Club have a wide variety of benefits, which include access to RNR resort rentals, access to Wyndham timeshare properties, and some week long trips for as little as $420. The club operates in conjunction with Wyndham Worldwide, which is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. This gives members premium access to condominium-style timeshare resorts, including off-season activities at popular locations.

The only downside to this service is that availability might vary at certain times of the year and in certain locations, but many resorts provide amenities through their condos that are typically not available in regular hotels or motel rooms. Furthermore, unlike other timeshare companies, this service is hassle-free with no pressure. Unlike other timeshare services, there is no need to attend a timeshare presentation, no requirement to purchase a timeshare, and no need to pay yearly upkeep fees, which can be quite costly in traditional timeshare services. One of the more noteworthy benefits of the US Armed Forces Vacation Club is its “last-minute vacations”. Here, members can book travel accommodations for extra low prices if they plan to travel in the coming month, as resorts greatly discount unbooked or cancelled rooms to fill them and avoid losing money on their end. However, it is important to understand that AFT and the Armed Forces Vacation Club are two distinct services, and membership in one does not guarantee exclusive deals through the other. The two services work hand-in-hand with one another, but they are separate services within the MWR.

How to book travel with American Forces Travel

If you prefer in-person services, visiting the travel department of your base’s MWR offices will put you in touch with an American Forces Travel expert who can help you book your vacation. If you prefer online services, you can navigate to the American Forces Travel website and begin the process of booking your travel plans online yourself. If you are taking a cruise, you can book shore excursions through the AFT shore excursions site, as well as book rental cars. Once you pass the eligibility check, you can access the AFT exclusive deals. The service accesses the DEERS database to verify eligibility, so make sure your information is current before proceeding. 

Benefits of using American Forces Travel

Because AFT has joined forces with Priceline, military personnel have access to exclusive deals on travel and lodging that are not typically available to non-military Priceline customers. Military travelers have access to 24-hour customer service and insurance options for all forms of travel, as well as a much easier booking process through the service than non-military travelers would encounter with similar services such as Expedia and Kayak. For many types of travel, there are no cancellation fees, especially if rapid deployment is the cause of canceling travel plans.

FAQs about American Forces Travel