The Department of Defense has teamed up with popular travel platform Priceline to create an online vacation website just for active duty and military retirees.
American Forces Travel is a new Morale, Welfare, and Recreating program (MWR) that supports all five service branches. The website offers deals on everything from cruises to flights and hotel reservations.
While travel agents on military bases have long been a resource for military families, this website offers a one-stop shop experience. Along with singular reservations like flights, American Forces Travel also offers travel packages with the flight, hotel and rental car included. The site boasts more than a million hotel deals in more than 71,000 destinations around the world.
"American Forces Travel was developed for a simple reason. The people who support the United States of America through military service have earned access to the world's most exclusive travel deals," said Brett Keller, Priceline's CEO.
Currently, active duty, Reserve and Guard service members and sponsored family members are eligible to use this site, as well as Medal of Honor recipients, 100 percent disabled benefits and retirees. In the future, American Forces Travel plans to extend this resource to Coast Guard members, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense civilians.
While veterans who didn't retire aren't eligible to use the site now, DoD intends to make all who served eligible in the future.
Guests will need their last four, birthdate and last name to log in. Upon the site verifying that information, veterans and service members can unlock tons of benefits like no booking fees and 24-hour flight cancellation windows. The website also offers 24/7 military travel support and details on flight delays and travel advisories.
Each booking on the site generates a commission for service branch MWR programs, which support the military community year-round. This venture, the first of its kind is the only joint service owned leisure travel program.