By Maryann Hammers

 

Want to save money while enhancing your journey? Read on.

 

Relax in an airport lounge

 

Don’t you love airports? The crowds, the chaos, the constant blast of intercom announcements? Uh, no. Wouldn’t you rather relax in a comfy chair, with a refreshing drink, in a quiet, calm setting — for free? Save your sanity and some serious bucks, too. Download LoungeBuddy, a free app built just for active duty servicemembers. The app displays USO lounges at 600 airports worldwide available to active duty servicemembers. Typically, airport lounge access costs about $50 for a day pass. Get more info, or download the app free through iTunes or Google Play.

Phone home

Want to stay in touch with the folks back home? International roaming charges really add up. OneSimCard provides mobile phone service in more than 200 countries with savings of about 85 percent (compared to standard international roaming fees). On top of those savings, the company offers a 15-percent discount to active duty servicemembers on international SIM cards and international cellphone bundles. To get the discount, use your military email address and enter promo code “MILITARY15.” There’s no expiration. For information, call (800) 640-2113.

 

Get Wi-Fi for National Guard members

 

National Guard members get a 20-percent discount on Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, and restaurants (more than a million hotspots worldwide) with Boingo. It works with iPhones, iPods, iPads, Android phones and tablets, laptops, and e-readers, so you can stream videos, download files, play games, and Skype or FaceTime friends and family. (Connections made outside the Americas are billed an additional 12-18 cents per minute.) The National Guard price is $7.95 month.

 

Keep uniforms wrinkle-free

 

SkyRoll garment bag, the perfect way to pack your uniform, is available at the discounted price of $99.99 to active duty servicemembers based in the U.S.. (Regular retail price is about $150.) The easy-to-tote carry-on bag enables you to gently roll your uniform or suit so it won’t crease. Shipping to USA addresses is included in the price; an extra charge may apply to shipping to an APO box. To get the special discount, go to the military page, www.skyroll.com/mil and order using your military email address. The offer is valid through the end of 2015.

 

Discounts and free shipping on travel accessories

 

Is your backpack or purse pickpocket-proof? Does your travel pillow self-inflate? Would you like to secure your hotel door or safe? Corporate Travel Safety stocks innovative products for traveling better, safer, and more comfortably, from antitheft wallets, purses, and passport cases to door and safe locks. “We carry a large selection of unique travel accessories that usually cannot be found in local stores,” says Connie Coffey, a spokesperson for the company. “Our products include daypacks, purses, and travel bags, money belts, portable travel safes, luggage locks, in-flight comfort products, travel electronics and adapters, and car safes.” The company offers active duty and retired servicemembers a 10-percent discount, plus free shipping on orders over $50. Use discount code: “ARM10.” To get the discount, you must have a military email address or email a copy of your military ID to info@corporatetravelsafety.com. Call (800) 601-5711 for more information.

 

Rest your weary head

 

So you find yourself in a new place without a hotel reservation. It’s good to know several of the reliable chain hotels — as well as charming bed-and-breakfasts nationwide — offer ongoing military discounts. Here’s where to find deals quickly.

 

• Participating Hampton (moderately priced with free hot breakfast and free Wi-Fi), Home2Suites (extended-stay suite hotels), and Homewood Suites (casual all-suite hotels with full kitchens — full hot breakfast, evening dinner, and drinks included) hotels offer a 15-percent discount off the best available rate to active duty and retired servicemembers and their families. Hilton Garden Inn offers a 15-percent discount off the Bed & Breakfast rate. (Note: Tuesday and Wednesday night arrivals may require a three-night minimum stay) To reserve or for more information, click here or call (800) 446-6677. Use code "MFR" or "PGMFR1" booking.
• Red Roof Inns offers a 15-percent discount to veterans and active duty servicemembers and their families through March 31, 2015. (After that date, the discount is 10 percent.) Use VP code 619091 when making your reservation.
• The bed-and-breakfast search engine BnBFinder has a section just for servicemembers, with discounted (and sometimes free) rates. Stay in historic one-of-a-kind mansions and manors, guest homes, farmhouses, cottages, and inns — no cookie-cutter accommodations here. Find your discounts (they vary by property), and be prepared to show proof of service to the innkeeper.