Teachers: Save on Hotels, Flights and More With These Tips

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As important as educators are, they often aren’t appreciated enough. So, teachers, we appreciate you, and we've put together a bunch of teacher travel discounts and tips so you can get some much-needed TLC when you step away from the classroom.

Many of these discounts are available to all school employees, whereas some are only offered to select public school educators. Either way, you may be able to transform your summer off into an affordable vacation.

Rental Car Discounts for Teachers

Hertz

A few rental car companies offer discounts through the National Education Association (NEA). Annual dues for NEA membership vary by state, but if you don’t want to join the NEA, you can still snag occasional deals directly through certain car rental companies. Alternatively, check out our Car Rental Coupon page for discount codes.

• Enterprise: Some teachers report there's an undisclosed savings discount for NEA members.
• Hertz: NEA members can reportedly get 25% off, though the offers may not always be available.
• National Car Rental: NEA members sometimes have access to special discounts on National rental cars.
• Sixt: Sixt offers teachers up to 25% off.
• Budget Truck Rental: Teachers can get 20% off local trips and 15% off on one-way moves.
• Thrifty Car Rental: Teachers with Union Plus membership have access to exclusive discounts on rental cars.

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Hotel Deals for Teachers

Hyatt

Many hotel chains offer teachers the government rate if they work at select public or tax-funded schools. While this is not a guaranteed saving, it’s worth asking about. Try calling before booking to ask about an additional discount.

• Best Western: Best Western offers per diem rates for select government and university employees. You can search for rates and book rooms at this discount by selecting “Government/Military.”
• Expedia: From time to time, Expedia offers teachers a discount on vacation packages.
• Caesars Entertainment: Save up to 30% through the teacher discount page.
• Choice Hotels: Check out the government discounts section to see select room discounts.
• IHG Hotels: IHG offers a discounted rate for government employees. IHG defines government employees as federal, state and local government workers, which would include public school educators and staff.
• Hilton: Hilton offers a per diem rate for government officials. Be sure to have your teacher ID available when checking in.
• Howard Johnson by Wyndham: Howard Johnson offers a government employee discount on per diem rates.
• Hyatt: Select “Government” when searching Hyatt hotel rooms to see the discounted rate for government and state-funded university employees.
• Red Roof: NEA members can save 20% on rooms at Red Roof properties.
• Westgate Resorts: All school staff can save 10% at Westgate Resorts. Come with a valid school ID.
• TeacherHomeSwap: While not a hotel chain, TeacherHomeSwap is like the Airbnb for educators. Verified educators can affordably rent from other teachers or do a house exchange during school breaks.

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Teacher Flight Discounts and Perks

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If an airline offers government discounts, public educators might also qualify. Try asking a customer service representative over the phone or via online chat before you book.

• Some teachers also have access to a range of flight discounts through NEA. Members can log in and peruse the deals.
• StudentUniverse can offer some solid teacher travel deals, but don’t forget to compare any flight deals found with Google Flights to make sure you are getting the lowest price.
• Finally, Southwest Airlines offers discounts to members of the American Federation of Teachers. Members can receive up to 8% off their flights, along with discounts on hotels, car rentals and more.

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Cruise Coupons for Teachers

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Many cruise lines don’t offer a separate teacher’s discount. That said, even if they did, you can often find better discounts than any teacher’s rate would offer. Vacations To Go, for example, is a third-party cruise booking site that’s useful for searching and booking cruises. And as a bonus, teachers can sometimes grab additional savings on top of posted deals through the site.

Museum and Attraction Discounts for Teachers

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Many museums and attractions offer free or discounted passes for educators, too. Don’t forget to ask for teacher and/or government discounts at every tourist spot you visit, because some attractions might not advertise their teacher rates.

Depending on your employer, you might have access to PlumBenefits, TicketsatWork or Perks at Work. These sites sometimes offer deep discounts on hotels and popular attractions. You can even find event tickets for less.

Here are a few other teacher discounts to enjoy:

• SeaWorld: Southern California and Arizona K-12 teachers can get a free SeaWorld Teacher Fun Card, and a similar program is available in Florida—both provide free admission.
• Kennedy Space Center: Teachers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can visit the Kennedy Space Center’s Education Resource Center for free after presenting certain documentation.
• LEGOLAND Florida: Free teacher passes are available for K-12 Florida educators, which allows access to LEGOLAND Florida Resort, Madame Tussauds Orlando and SEA LIFE Orlando.
• California Academy of the Sciences: This San Franciso science museum offers a deeply discounted membership rate to California teachers.
• New England Aquarium: Massachusetts Teacher Association and Boston Teachers Union card holders can receive free admission to the New England Aquarium.

Travel Rewards Credit Cards for Teachers

Your students might be more interested in geography if you have personal stories and souvenirs to share with them. But don’t just travel to enrich your students; explore the world for yourself too.

The best travel credit cards can make your next trip smoother and more affordable. With perks ranging from travel insurance to TSAPreCheck and Global Entry statement credits to discounts on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi, it's worth picking up a travel credit card before your next trip.

And if you want to make your vacation spending go further, check out the latest travel credit card offers in our Credit Card Hub or set a Deal Alert for the latest vacation travel discounts.