Maximizing Military Benefits for Long-Term Travel

This article is a guest post from Mark. Mark left the US Army after eight years of active duty. He felt some frustrations with the transition process and so he started writing about it.

Eventually that writing turned into The Veteran Professional where he writes about going to graduate school, entrepreneurship, and professional careers for veterans after their service.

Leaving the military after eight years was a tough decision, But, I ultimately knew it was the right move for me. In thinking about what I wanted to do after hanging up the boots and moving on, I knew I wanted to plan some long-term travel.

I always loved to travel. There’s just something magical about being at an airport with your bags and knowing you are going somewhere. And so is everyone around you. 

While the military afforded me many opportunities to travel, personal travel was usually allocated to two-week blocks of leave, twice a year. I just wanted something longer. 

So when my commander asked me, what I planned on doing between getting my DD-214 and starting my MBA nine months later, I responded:

“I’m going to travel”

But how did I afford it?

Deployment and TDY Savings

My main pot of savings came from extra money earned on deployments and TDY trips. These afforded me opportunities for extra income. First, there were the direct increases in income:

• Per diem
• Special duty pay like hardship duty location or COLA
• Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE)
• Hostile fire and imminent danger pay (IDP)

But there were also opportunities to save based on adjustments to my living situation:

• While deployed or TDY I was not paying for gas, my grocery bill was either less or zero, and my utility bill was less.
• On my second deployment, I was able to find someone to move into my house while I was away. The timing was almost to the day — perfect. He was a friend, so I trusted him to look after the place. Plus he paid half my mortgage during that time. 
• On my third deployment, I had moved out of that house and brought in a tenant (through a property manager). While I was gone, all my household goods were placed in storage. So my housing costs were the cost of that storage unit. Needless to say — they were significantly cheaper.

First things first — I made sure I had my emergency fund set up. 

Then, on top of my usual 25% savings rate, I doubled down with these extra savings opportunities. I typically put around 60% of the extra money into “long-term savings.” I made sure I maxed out my Roth IRA, got the match from the TSP when the Blended Retirement System came out, and started investing in real estate through Fundrise and Groundfloor.  

The rest went into low-volatility Vanguard bond funds. This was money I knew I would want in a few years for travel and wanted to see a bit of growth from it. I made sure I was maxing out my retirement savings, but wanted to leave some for me to enjoy as well. 

Military Discounts and Advantages

I won’t lie, I was never one to routinely ask for military discounts. I didn’t join the military to get 10% at a small business somewhere. But sometimes the deal is just too good to pass. 

My first adventure was two weeks of skiing in Park City, Utah. Sounds fancy, huh?

Despite how much I love to ski, it can be quite expensive. Just to get a ski pass, you can expect to pay close to $100/day and closer to $200/day at a world-class resort like Park City. 

Before the ski season, while still on active duty, I bought the Epic Pass, which gave me season access to some of the best mountains in America. The cost? 

$169 for active duty, active duty dependents, and retired military. 

That’s nuts. Even for non-retired veterans, the price is still unbelievable at $559.

For lodging, I kept it simple. I stayed at a hostel. This also saved me money on food because they had a kitchen where I could make meals. Hostels around ski reports are different from the party-crazy ones you may hear about overseas. Most people were just there to ski.

For the last few days of the trip I stayed in a Marriott Residence Inn with some family. The stay was paid for entirely through Marriott Points earned during TDY trips and on Marriott cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. I always stayed at a Marriot when able on TDY. And because rooms at the Residence Inn have kitchens, I again made my own meals and saved on food.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $650 Annual Fee* See details about American Express protections for you and your spouse 
• Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• With Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy (subject to availability upon check-in).
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® program.
• 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
• Enjoy a night away when you receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Free night can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. (Certain hotels have resort fees)
• Get rewarded each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Select one Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit per calendar year. See here for Award options.
• Elevate your stay with $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Save time traveling with either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. (Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.)
• Lounge Access! Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. Escape the busy airport and enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• Terms Apply, Enrollment is required for select benefits

Wanting to keep the snow theme alive, my next adventure was dog sledding in Minnesota with Outward Bound. This nonprofit offers free trips every year for veterans with everything from sailing, to rafting, to dog sledding. They even paid for my flight to Minnesota and to my next destination. 

Credit Card Points and Air Travel

Air travel is expensive. It’s easy in planning long-term travel to have the “travel” part be one of the most expensive. 

I had a significant number of points acquired through my military credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

I like having both Visa and Amex credit cards because Visa is accepted more globally than Amex. I built up points while on active duty, where I took advantage of the reduced yearly fees. 

I still kept my Amex Platinum card. Full review of the Amex Platinum for military here. While on active duty, the yearly fee is reduced to $0. Even though I’m not active duty anymore, the annual fee is still worth it to me. The travel perks are amazing:

The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $695 annual fee. Reduced to $0 with American Express special military protections
• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
• $200 Annual Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. Note that The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, a Disney+ Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Enrollment required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
• This is a MAJOR time saver–$120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®! Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Lounge life! Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, enrollment required
• Global Dining Access by Resy gets you access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Enrollment is required for select benefits
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express – learn how to apply
• Read my full review of the Amex Platinum card for military, terms apply

And while flying you get access to the American Express Centurion® Lounges and a host of other lounges via the Priority Pass, membership which is free with the Amex Platinum Card®. There’s nothing like being able to kick back and relax at an airport lounge while traveling. And it surely helps with layovers.

Even though I am no longer on active duty and the annual fee is no longer reduced to $0, I still have this card. The price is made up through all the perks. Check out this article to see what to do with credit cards when you leave active duty.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $795 annual fee waived to $0 for US military + spouses with Chase MLA policy
• Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠ including The Edit℠
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
• 3x points on dining worldwide
• 1x points on all other purchases
• Get a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Live the lounge life at over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
• Up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years which saves you a ton of time
• Up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
• Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 – a value of $250 annually
• Member FDIC
• Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review

Long-Term Travel With Military Benefits

Long-term travel is a dream for a lot of people. It can be a ton of fun. There are numerous ways to save through budget travel options.

The good part about taking advantage of these is that if you are traveling long-term, you usually have flexible options and won’t mind taking a cheaper flight or longer bus ride, where someone on a shorter timeline will want to pay for the convenience. 

After a military career, it’s important to reflect on what you’ve experienced and accomplished. Take advantage of these offers and opportunities and build the experience you want.