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In 2026, American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian sell military fares to active-duty personnel by phone in selected markets; Frontier and Allegiant give no fare discount but waive bag fees. The most valuable published benefit on every major US carrier is baggage: up to five checked bags on orders, and two or three on personal travel.
Each row was verified on the airline's website in September 2026 and links to the page we read. Discount amounts appear only where the airline publishes them; fares change daily, so ask the airline or call us for a live quote.
Military benefits by airline (last verified: September 2026)
| Airline | Policy / discount | Who qualifies | How to book | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Government or military fares "in some markets" (no percentage published). Bags: up to 5 checked bags at 100 lb each on orders; up to 3 bags at 50 lb on personal travel. Group 1 boarding with military ID. | Active US Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Space Force, including cadets; dependents when on orders. Excludes Reserves, National Guard, Public Health Service and civilian military ID. | Call American Reservations for military fares; show military ID at check-in for the bag allowance. | aa.com |
| Delta Air Lines | Discounted leisure fares for active-duty members and immediate family (amount not published). Bags: 5 checked bags at 100 lb each on orders; 2 bags at 50 lb on personal travel. Early boarding. Delta Vacations military packages. | Active members of the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard; immediate family for leisure fares. | Call Delta Reservations or message Delta; military fares are not sold on delta.com. | delta.com / bags |
| United Airlines | Military and veteran discounts for the service member and companions on the same reservation, per United's military fares page; bag allowances are on United's military benefits page. Our tools could not load united.com in September 2026; confirm figures with United or call us. | Active-duty or veteran US military at time of booking, plus companions on the same reservation. | Book through United's military fares page or by phone. | united.com |
| Southwest Airlines | Military fares by phone or ticket counter only, "not available on Southwest.com". Bags: active-duty members with a Uniformed Services ID are exempt from bag fees for bags up to 100 lb and 80 inches, up to 20 bags. Priority boarding before Group 1. Points cannot buy military fares. | Active-duty personnel including reservists, National Guard and Coast Guard on active orders, service academy cadets and midshipmen, and authorized dependents. | Call Southwest or visit a ticket counter; present active-duty ID at the counter to receive the boarding pass. | southwest.com |
| JetBlue | MIL fare: "a 5% discount on the base fare", nonrefundable, no advance-purchase requirement. Bags: one duffel, B-4 or sea bag over 62 inches accepted in place of one included bag. Veterans Advantage partner discount also available. | Active military members and immediate family (spouses or children); veterans through Veterans Advantage. | Contact JetBlue with the member's name, branch and rank; the fare basis shows MIL01. | jetblue.com / fare rules |
| Alaska Airlines | Military fares "in some markets", phone only. Bags: first 5 checked bags at no charge with travel orders. 15% discount on inflight food; priority boarding; pet travel discounts. | Active-duty personnel with military ID, reserves on active duty, personnel within 7 days of discharge, and dependents (spouse or dependents 10 and older with dependent ID; children 2 to 9). | Call Alaska or Hawaiian Reservations; the fare is not sold online. | alaskaair.com / benefits |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Same phone-only military fare program as Alaska. Bags: 5 complimentary checked bags per person (70 lb, 80 inches) on official orders, including retiring personnel with orders and qualified dependents; 2 complimentary bags (50 lb, 62 inches) on personal travel. | Active-duty US military and qualified dependents; retirees with official travel orders for the on-orders allowance. | Call Reservations for fares; check in at a Hawaiian airport counter with active-duty ID for the bag allowance. | hawaiianairlines.com |
| Spirit Airlines | Not available. Spirit began an orderly wind-down of operations on May 2, 2026 and cancelled all flights. | n/a | Book another carrier. | spiritrestructuring.com |
| Frontier Airlines | "Frontier does not offer military discounts on airfare." Bags: one free personal item, one free carry-on and two free checked bags, with oversize and overweight fees waived on those two bags. Priority boarding. No change fees when orders apply. | Current service members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves, academy cadets, and Public Health Service or NOAA officers, plus accompanying spouse and children. | Book any fare; present a CAC or Armed Forces ID at check-in or the gate. | flyfrontier.com |
| Allegiant Air | Allegiant Honors: up to 2 free checked bags (each under 99 lb), no oversize fees to 115 linear inches, 1 free carry-on and personal item, 1 in-cabin pet with no fee, priority boarding, and no change or cancellation fees with official orders. No fare discount published. | Current US service members and veterans, plus spouses, domestic partners, children and dependents on the same reservation. | Book any fare; an agent verifies military ID at check-in and adds the eligible services. | allegiantair.com |
| Lufthansa | Discount for Veterans Advantage members on Lufthansa flights from the US; the amount and fare rules are on Lufthansa's page. | Veterans Advantage (VetRewards) members. | Book through the Veterans Advantage link on lufthansa.com. | lufthansa.com |
| Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates | Not offered / not published. None of the three publishes a military fare or military bag allowance for US personnel. | n/a | Book a regular fare; confirm with the airline or call us. | Airline websites, checked September 2026 |
A military fare is not always the lowest fare in the market; a public sale fare, a nearby airport or a one-stop routing can undercut it.
How it works
- Decide which benefit matters. Fare discounts exist at American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian, are unpublished in amount except at JetBlue, and are sold by phone. Bag waivers apply at check-in with ID on every US carrier (United: confirm).
- Book by phone for a military fare. Southwest and Alaska state the fare is not sold online; American and Delta say the same in practice. The agent codes the fare so the airport can verify eligibility.
- Carry orders for the larger allowance. The five-bag allowance at American, Delta, Alaska and Hawaiian applies only on orders; personal travel drops to two or three bags.
- Ask at the gate. Priority boarding at American, Delta, Southwest, Alaska, Frontier and Allegiant is claimed by showing ID, not by fare type.
What documents you need
- Common Access Card (CAC) or Armed Forces ID for the service member. Southwest specifies the Uniformed Services Active Duty ID; Frontier accepts the Reserve card.
- Dependent ID for spouses and children aged 10 and older (Alaska's rule); younger children travel on the member's eligibility.
- Official travel orders to unlock the five-bag allowance at American, Delta, Alaska and Hawaiian, and changes without fees at Allegiant and Frontier.
- Separation papers if you are within seven days of discharge and using Alaska's fare.
- Veterans Advantage card for the JetBlue and Lufthansa veteran discounts.
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