Ultimate Guide to Member Travel Privileges of USAA.

Now, as a member of USAA, you must be conscious of the fact that membership does not only cover banking and insurance services, it also provides you with travel perks, specialised services and exclusive discounts. 

We are going to un-zip what the USAA Member Travel Privileges actually is and how you can maximise on it, what the LSI/NLP keywords of travelling discounts, hotel savings, cruise deals, car-rental benefits, member-only travel deals all fit in and what traps to avoid when you can maximise value.

What are the USAA Member Travel Privileges?

Member Travel Privileges is a name that alludes to a set of travel benefits available to members of the USAA, usually through such programs as USAA Perks and Member Travel Privileges.

The main features are:

Discounted rates on hotel, resorts, cruise, flights and car rentals.

No black-out dates and best value guarantee promise.

Benefits related to travel with the USAA credit cards and membership rewards (e.g., travel insurance, points redemption).

Other benefits like car-rental services (free under-age charges, no limit on miles) to members.

Who Qualifies for these USAA Member Travel Privileges?

You will want to check on your eligibility before you begin to book.

Particularly to accept a lot of these privileges you have to be a USAA member. Membership of USAA is generally available to current/ former military personnel in the U.S., as well as their spouses/ dependents.

These travel-benefits can also make you log in to the USAA Perks or Member Travel Privileges portal through USAA.

Certain benefits (like credit card travel benefits) are based on the possession of a given USAA credit card (e.g. the Eagle Navigator) which in turn requires one to be a member of USAA.

Terms can be different depending on state, program or partner vendor. To illustrate, the travel-insurance plans of USAA are a factor of your state-of-residence.

The Main Benefits You Should Expect with Core Travel.

The following are the primary benefit-categories and details that you must be aware of.

Hotel, Resort and Flight Discounts.

Via the Member Travel Privileges / USAA Perks site, members are offered deals on hotels around the world – e.g. save up to 25 per cent on thousands of hotels around the world.

On these portals, flights may also be booked with special member rates or access.

Vacation-packages, resorts: edited offers, luxury, occasionally half-price, or even up to 50 percent to members.

Cruise Deals

Among the most interesting deals, USAA members can get up to 60 per cent discount on the cruise through the travel portal.

Member pricing, as well as access to top cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, etc.).

Perks of Car Rental and Ground Transport.

Example: Under the program of National Car Rental, USAA, members receive special rates, endless mileage on most vehicles, a free under-25 driver cost (21-24) during presentation of membership.

Other insurance/liability benefits inbuilt.

Travel Insurance, Rewards and Credit-Card Travel Benefits.

USAA also provides members/travelers with travel insurance packages (Worldwide Trip Protector, Travel Medical Protector).

It offers USAA credit cards (e.g. the Eagle Navigator) that earn you bonus points on travel purchases, annual credits (e.g. to TSA PreCheck/Global Entry) and no foreign transaction fees.

Rewards redemption: The USAA members are able to redeem their USAA rewards points to travel accommodation (flights, hotels, car rentals) through USAA Rewards Center.

How to maximise such USAA Member Travel Privileges.

You will want to use strategies to become a real beneficiary and not just assume that the discounts will come.

Compare & Book Smart

Always check the member-rate against the rates that are publicly available (OTAs, direct bookings). Although there is a promise of best value guarantee, there is no guarantee of savings on the portal.

Make reservations, enjoy last-room and advance-booking discounts.

Strategically Use Points and Benefits.

Accumulate the points by using the card if you have a USAA travel-rewards credit card, through travel and restaurants etc. Redemption of travel through the USAA Rewards Center.

Regarding car rentals: use all the opportunities to fee-waived under-age driver fee whenever possible, unlimited miles where possible.

Learn the Small Print and Limitations.

A significant number of discounts are capacity-based such that a certain date/room will receive a discount and not all.

Certain benefits must be booked through the USAA/MemberTravel Privileges (not through provider). Ensure that you use the portal properly.

Travel insurance: CFAR also known as Cancel-For-Any-Reason is optional and can be included at an additional fee.

Points: Depending on the type of redemption, points may be worth more or less and certain carriers may not be available.

User Feedback in the real world – Mixed Experiences.

Users in Reddit report about good deals at least in the past years and particularly with cruises and car rentals.

There are other complaints, slow sites, no competitive prices, problems with the use of the card in other countries.

Hint: You should use the portal as a tool, not the tool. Always have other options (another travel booking site, another credit card) particularly on long distance/complicated journeys.

Advantages and disadvantages of USAA Member Travel Privileges.

Pros

Access as a member implies that you receive negotiated offers which might not be open.

A travel support package is a complete package because it has a combination of travel benefits, insurance, rewards points, and car-rental perks.

High congruence to the military and veteran travel requirements (flexible bookings, out of country use, no foreign-transactions fees using associated cards).

Cons

Discounts are not necessarily as high or even as numerous as you would like them to be.

The usability of the portal may be poor; users complaining of problems in the site, booking problems.

Other terms of the benefits are not simple; you will have to pay attention to the conditions (dates, blackout periods, the channels of required booking).

The use of overseas cards can be challenging to certain members (fraud flags, blocked transactions) as the reviews of users indicate.

USAA Member Travel Privileges: Conclusion

Being a member of the USAA can provide a range of benefits on travel, including, but not limited to, discounted hotels and cruises, car-rental benefits, rewards points, travel insurance plans customized to the requirements of the military and the veteran. Nevertheless, it is no assurance of the best deal at all times, and availability, navigation of the portal, and the fine print being known to be complicated, you should take a strategic approach to:

The number of booking channels should be compared.

It is important to ensure that you are logged in the right portal and that you are using the specific booking mechanisms.

Use your rewards points in an intelligent way.

Have a plan B (another card, other booking site) – at least to foreign travel.

Check terms, conditions and availability.

Their behaviour by other users is a mixed one: some good deals, some frustrations.

Concisely: as a member of USAA, make use of such traveling benefits, but remain cautious about the utilization of the benefits. Value can be maximised by proper planning and comparison.

USAA Member Travel Privileges: (FAQ).

Q1. What would I save with USAA Member Travel Privileges?

A: The amount of savings is different in accordance with the destination, season, availability and booking channel. As an illustration: hotels can display the message of saving up to 25 percent of thousands of hotels across the globe.  

In certain situations, cruises can display a 60 percent discount.  Always use as a point of reference other booking channels to determine real savings.

Q2. Is it necessary to have a special code or a membership number to get the travel deals?

A: Yes – you have to be signed in with your USAA account and go to the portal of USAA Perks/Member Travel Privileges. 

In a case of car rental through National: “reservation should be made at least 24 hours before… through the USAA programme).

Q3. Do you have black-out dates or travel deals restrictions?

A: The portal says that they do not have Blackout Dates in certain of their member-deal offers.  With that being said, discounts are capacity-restricted and can be hard to get. Therefore, although there is no official date of a black-out, in practice, there might be fewer deals at the busiest time of the year.

Q4. Is it possible to redeem USAA rewards points on travel?

A: Yes. In the USAA Rewards Center you can redeem points on travel accommodations (flights, hotels, car rentals).  Reminder: the redemption value of what and when redeemed can be different.

Q5. What would happen in case I am below 25 years old and want to rent a vehicle under the USAA benefits?

A: Under the National Car Rental USAA programme, under-age driver fee (between 21-24 years old) can be waived with USAA insurance /membership documents.

Q6. Are the benefits of travel insurance inclusive?

A: USAA offers travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption, medical), although it might be needed to buy it and depends on the state of residence.