Travel discounts for military personnel:

• If you want reliable and predictable air travel, it's best to go commercial by booking reservations through a military discounter.

  The major travel agency servicing the military is Sato Travel (https://www.cwtsatotravel.com/). They handle much of the military's R&R travel.

  Many bases have travel offices. For example, in the Navy and Marines, The Information, Tickets, and Travel Offices (ITT) function as full-service travel agencies. All profits from these one-stop shops go back into base recreational services.

  For information on travel specials and locations of ITT offices, visit this website:

  www.mwr.navy.mil/mwrprgms/itt.html

  Other services, such as the Army's Information, Ticket, and Reservation Offices (www.armymwr.biz/docs/ITRDirectory.pdf), offer similar on-base travel services linked to the recreation center.

  Be sure to check out these websites, which specialize in military travel discounts for active duty military personnel, their families, and veterans:

  www.militarytravelstore.com
  www.militaryhop.com
  www.militarytravel.com
  www.vettravel.com
  www.militarytraveldiscounts.com
  www.militaryfares.com
  www.military.com (“Entertainment” section)

• Always compare the discounted military travel specialists with other travel discounters, especially the major online commercial travel websites:

  www.travelocity.com
  www.expedia.com
  www.orbitz.com
  www.hotwire.com
  www.priceline.com
  www.cheaptickets.com
  www.traveldiscounts.com
  www.cheapflights.com
  www.hotels.com

  The two bidding sites - www.priceline.com and www.hotwire.com - should be checked against www.militarytravel.com and www.vettravel.com to make sure you’re not overbidding.

• When in doubt, always ask for a “military travel discount” from a travel provider - hotels, rental car agencies, cruises, airlines, tour groups, and travel agencies. Your discounts could run anywhere from 10 to 60 percent.