Would you like to make a donation that will buy a plane ticket so a soldier can return home to a loved one? There are several organizations that accept frequent flier miles as donations that can be used for this specific purpose. Instead of letting your miles go to waste, consider donating them to help soldiers connect with their family members.
Donate to Buy Plane Tickets for Soldiers
Even though soldiers may be given a two week leave from service to spend time with loved ones, the process is not always simple. Soldiers are given free airfare to a specified destination but are personally responsible for paying for the flight to their final destination. This often means purchasing high priced tickets that many simply cannot afford.
Family members may want to visit a loved one who has been injured while on duty. The soldier may be in a hospital on the other side of the world making it difficult for travel. Plane tickets can be costly when purchased last minute which happens when there is an unexpected emergency.
Many programs allow fliers to convert their frequent flier miles into donations that can be given to soldiers for the purpose of returning home to their families or for sending a family member to see an injured soldier. If you are not a frequent flier and do not have miles, you can check if these organizations also accept tax-deductible cash donations.
Two Organizations That Accept Donations for Soldier Air Travel
If you want to make a donation to help soldiers purchase plane tickets, consider donating frequent flier miles to the the Hero Miles program or the Let's Bring Em Home organization.
Hero Miles Program
The Fisher House Foundation operates the Hero Miles program. This program works with airlines such as AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, United Airlines and U.S. Airways. Passengers of the participating airlines are able to donate their miles to assist soldiers and their families.
The way the program works is by having miles that are donated accumulate in accounts that have been established for the sole purpose of giving them to soldiers. Each airline may have different requirements in the number of miles that it will accept. Once the miles are accumulated, the Fisher House Foundation will give them to soldiers who are in need of free air travel.
To donate miles to the Hero Miles program, visit the Fisher House Foundation's official website for a complete list of airlines and donation requirements.
Let's Bring Em Home
Established in 2001, Let's Bring Em Home has been arranging for free plane tickets for those in the military. The organization focuses mainly on travel during the holiday season so that soldiers can enjoy time with their families during the Christmas season.
The program works by matching a soldier up with a donor who has a minimum of 25,000 flier miles. That amount is equal to the price of a round-trip ticket.
Let's Bring Em Home only accepts donations on a yearly basis. Once all requests have been granted, the program closes for the year. If you are interested in donating to Let's Bring Em Home, check their website for their recent status. Applications and donations are typically accepted just before Thanksgiving.
If you have questions about making a donation, you can send an email to info@lbeh.org.
Tips for Donating
When planning on donating your frequent flier miles, have your information organized so that the process is simple and hassle free. Have on hand your mileage statement, account number as well as any log in information for the account.
