I have to admit that I am one of those guys who follows the old rule “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. So when I came across the Veterans Advantage Card on the Deals & Offers tab on the new United.com website I was skeptical. The main draw was a 5% discount on all United flights, but there were a host of other discounts including pretty much every rental car company, AMTRAK, Greyhound, and a bunch of stores. The catch was that to join you needed to pay $60 plus a $4.95 handling fee. Hmmm. Let’s do the math, hey I’m an engineer, I like math. So to recoup $64.95, I divide it by 0.05 and get $1299. I would need to buy $1299 worth of United tickets to make this worthwhile. I probably spend about $3000 on United per year, so that part works out.
I decided to investigate more. The UA website link brings up a page giving some details of the program and touting the ability to get a free 30-day membership, but it didn’t really provide the detail I want before making a committment. Going to the www.veteransadvantage.com website gave me the answers that I needed. It lists the many programs involved, plus if you go to the Plan Options tab and then the Special Offers tab on the left side you will find two mutually exclusive options. One allows you to get a 15% discount on the membership price ($51) and the other gives you a free companion ticket.
OK, so not much to risk, but I was still a little concerned that I would find that the 5% discount on United would only apply to a high fare class or be somehow limited. I decided to take the plunge for the sake of my readers – what the heck it’s only $65. The first thing after signing up and getting my member numbr and code for United was to take it for a spin. Plugging the code into the Offer Code space on the search screen, I tried out an upcoming itinerary to attend my daughter’s graduation. They said a blue star would appear on each fare to let you know the discount was being applied and sure enough it appeared on every single flight listed. I was really surprised as I have had other United discount codes that only applied to a few flights when I tried them out.
OK, so the fare I wanted for a normal price of $762 was now only $724. A modest savings of $38, but heck, that’s equal to a free dinner, I’ll take it. So the ROI (return on investment) so far is already paying off as I just made back 58% of the money I put into this thing and I still haven’t got my rental car or hotel.
I’ll continue to report on my successes with this card over the coming year, but so far it seems like a good investment. Check it out yourselves and let me know if you have any questions that I can try to answer. Savings so far: $38.
Thanks for being the Guinea Pig on this one! I’ve always seen this, but as you said – it seemed too good to be true. Did you end up using the 15% off offer, or the companion ticket offer?
Thanks Glenn. Please let us know if you find any value with the program besides the United discount. I toyed with it a few months back and it seemed that most of the discounts were through their shopping mall – in other words, you got the discount but gave up any mileage you’d get through another program’s mall (Freq Flyer, Membership Rewards, Ultimate Rewards, etc.). And I just read your “about me” on the blog – congrats for getting selected onto the command list!
@Aarash – I am trying the companion ticket to see if that works. They sent me a form to fill out and send back for the certificate. Not sure how good that will be, but the 15% savings only amounted to $9, so I figured I’d try the ticket.
@Chris L. – Thanks!
this isn’t something I can personally take advantage of, but it’s a great find! Thanks for posting about it.
Also, you just earned some points in my book for being an engineer
btw, any chance that you’ll be at any of the upcoming frequent flyer events? (Frequent Traveler University in NYC or the Chicago Seminars)?
Unfortunately, I have military committments on both of those dates. Hopefully, I can be at a DO or other event in the future.
I am a retired service member. I enrolled in the 30 day trial period and was not satisfied….for many reasons. First why should I as a veteran pay to have a business give me a discount for services they provide me…and if they are honorable …why have me pay to join an organization to get the discount. Why should I pay Veterans Affairs to get me a 15% discount on Amtrak…why doesn’t AmTrak advertise this service for all veterans without going through a 3rd party. Yes there are some benefits but are they worth $199.00 for a 3 year period. Do the math…you would almost have to use this thing exclusively to make it financially benefical to the average Joe six pack. Third…it will take for ever to get someone on the phone…I called on May 2nd (a Saturday) to cancel my 30 day trial and could not get through…so I called on Monday May 4th and had to get down right indignent to get my refund. Let the buyer be ware
Thank you for your insite on the program. I just reviewed the offer on United’s website and when I did the math it sounds like a complete win – win.
The cost for 3 year’s is $150 + $5 = $155 – the $25 gift card = $130.00. We fly about 4 times a year at an average cost of $325 each per flight, so the companion ticket alone is worth more then twice the price paid.
$325 – $130 = $195 in my pocket. Now add in the 5% savings ($179) on 11 more flights over 3 years and you end up with $195 + 179 = $374 in my pocket. And that’s just for traveling. Now that kind of deal sounds like a very nice, “Thank you for your service” if you ask me.
This is an honest attempt for some bright individual to make a buck off of veterans…the savings are minimal unless you are a duck and fly constantly…the biggest problem I find is this…Dear veteran we appreciate you so much that for a fee we will give you a discount on varied services and products. The sound of the genuine heartfelt sympathy is drowned out by the sound of the cash registers clicking away…
I just looked into the program and read everyone’s comments. And the really funny part about this whole gimmick is you don’t need the card to get the 10% or 15% discount for most all business that offers a discount. I do not have a card, and guess what, I ask every merchant I go to if they offer military or veterans a discount, and every single one of them that offers a discount, has given it to me w/no more than a flash of my ID. No questions ask, normally a pleasant smile and thank you for your service response. So people, the card may be required at some stores/business, but if you need their costly card to get a discount,than it’s not really a discount, and it’s not where you want to shop anyway. Go shopping! Ask the question, show your military ID or veterans ID and get the discount. You don’t need someones money making membership card scheme. We all signed up years ago to become members of the US Armed Forces, and we have paid our membership dues
Thanks
@ Jo – Good luck flashing your ID at United Airlines and getting a discount. I wish it were that easy. Same goes for CVS, try flashing your ID card there are see. Yes, many merchants do offer a discount to all veterans and we should thank them for that, but I have saved much more than the cost of this card just on United Airlines alone.
On 12/4 I signed up for a ONE YEAR FREE trial membership. My VA disability doesn’t allow for vacations. But one never knows when 15% off AMTRAK might come in handy. At the end of the year I could cancel or pay membership.
Well, checking my bank balance the next day I discovered a debit of $59.95 on my account by Veteran’s Advantage. I called them and asked why. The reply was classic manipulative rhetoric built of logical fallacies and facts out of context. Eventually the rep relented and promised to cancel and refund in full, but wouldn’t tell me when my money would return. It only took them 3hrs to take it and he said maybe a week or two max!!!
I then started digging and learned that back in 2008 the Better Business Bureau had received numerous complaints against Veteran’s Advantage for the exact same thing that happened to me. Veterans Advantage assured the BBB that they had fix the ‘problem’ and that it wouldn’t happen anymore. That was four year ago!!
I don’t appreciate businesses who target Veterans for profit. Especially businesses owned by veterans and exploiting the various govt. policies giving tax and access advantages for such businesses.
It might seem trivial to many reading this. It isn’t by any means. Many business owners put profit over integrity and little stings like this one can and do add up to windfall profits in various ways.
I’ve filed complaint with BBB. Getting to the right person at AMTRAK – after all AMTRAK had to vet them before allowing them to market on AMTRAK’s site, has been an exercise in futility. Contacting the regional VA is all agents currently busy ‘click’ hell too.
So anyway, as in all such things. Works great for those with the discretionary funds needed to take advantage of the offers. Meanwhile those at the other end get gouged and basically brushed aside with little recourse and no one to lodge formal complaints to.
I can’t find anything about the Companion ticket on the Veterans’ Advantage website — can someone tell me the details?
@ Curtis – I agree they don’t give you much in the way of details on the enrollment site, but here is how it works. After enrolling, they will send you a letter from a company (forget the name). Then you have to go on thier website and enter the PIN that they mailed you. Then they mail you a companion certificate that you can use to book through thier travel service. Glad you posted this, I still need to use mine!
Does Veterans Advantage actually require any verification of an applicant’s veteran status on their application for membership?
No, they pretty much just trust you. As I recall, you sign a statement saying that you are eligle and that is that.
I am looking into VetAdv too and not being a frequent flyer/traveler what caught my eye was their (VetAdv) statement: “Veterans Advantage Members can now show their active “VetRewards” Card – at any Verizon Wireless Store nationwide — for 15% off new and existing monthly plans, 25% off accessories. — For smartphone users, you save $90 – $180 ANNUALLY.”
So now I am calling VZW to see if my current discount as a former employee of Verizon (NYTel when I was working, til the last few years as Verizon, but I do get a 22% discount (Thanks to the CWA Union)from my monthly VZW charges)
I am going to call VZW now and ask… “Can the VetAdv discount be used by me in any way, list what ways please.” I’ll post here what they (VZW) says.
REF: Call to VZW
What was good about the call was that I confirmed I already get a 25% (up from 22% from the VZ Employee Discount (after my 25 years working for VZ) on the monthly fees as well as new phone upgrades and accessories. — And as pretty much known, I can’t they (VZW) can’t apply any further discount to me ‘on top’ of what I’ve already got.
—
So now as I am interested in begining to travel the States via the likes of AMTRAK — what I still kind of like about what VetAdv is saying about the Life / Travel Insurance services member get.
Anyone here know much about that stuff? I am pretty sure my AMTRAK Guest Rewards Card includes travel Insurance (I’ll look into that). But I am wondering if that card and the VetAdv membership… hmmm, does the Life AD&D insurance coverage build ‘on top’ of one another (will both insurances pay if (God forbid) anything happen??? I wouldn’t mind that – Yah know? Or do insurance companies have some article in there somewhaere that only one will pay? Or they’ll split each paying a piece bring to a certain top payment?
FYI….Verizon has been giving me the 15% discount for years…based on me ASKING, and showing my ID card.
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The thing is, if your retired and an AARP member you get a 10% discount on everything the VAC has. And a AARP membership cost you only 10 bucks a year.