NEA members can book hotels, car rentals, cruises, resorts, flights and guided vacations through NEA Travel, and pay less with Savings Dollars that NEA hands out for free. It’s a member benefit, so you need an NEA membership to use it, but there’s no separate fee to join the travel program itself.
NEA Travel is booked through NEA Member Benefits. The program’s own page lists one booking hub covering six categories, with a phone line for changes and questions at 1-866-524-2807.
How To Get The NEA Travel Discount
- Sign in to NEA Member Benefits, or create an account if you don’t have one yet.
- Check your Savings Dollars balance. NEA Member Benefits says new registrants receive $1,000 in Savings Dollars, and that a balance can take up to a week to appear in the account.
- Book a hotel, car rental, cruise, resort stay or guided vacation through NEA Travel, and apply Savings Dollars at checkout to buy down the price.
Savings Dollars work as a partial payment toward a booking. NEA says they can be applied to cruises, hotels, car rentals, resorts and guided vacations to save up to 60% on travel. Its Savings Dollars page shows what that looks like on a $350 two-night hotel stay: $100 in Savings Dollars applied, you pay $250, and $900 stays in your account. The same page shows a $100 grocery gift card with only $20 of Savings Dollars applied, so how much a balance covers depends on what you’re buying.
NEA says Savings Dollars expire 12 months after they’re issued unless stated otherwise, so a balance is worth using within the year. You can earn more through an annual $1,000 deposit, a $100 bonus on any flight booking, and qualifying purchases and promotions during the year.
What Each Category Offers
Hotels: NEA lists over one million properties worldwide, with free cancellation on select bookings and filters for ratings, amenities and deals. Car rentals: special pricing from national brands, flexible pickup and return locations, no hidden fees, and Savings Dollars can be applied. Cruises: NEA says members can shop all major cruise lines and thousands of itineraries. Resorts and guided vacations round out the list, and the guided vacation tiles mention lodging, meals and transportation often being included.
Where It Falls Short
Flights are the exception to almost everything above. NEA’s FAQ states that Savings Dollars cannot be applied to flights and that airfare is excluded, and the Best Value Guarantee doesn’t apply to airfare either. You can still book flights through the hub and earn Savings Dollars on them, per the flights tile, but you can’t spend Savings Dollars to lower an airfare.
The Best Value Guarantee covers everything else. If you find a better value, NEA says it will match the qualified seller’s lowest market price within 24 hours of purchase, counting Savings Dollars in its comparison.
Q&A
Do I have to be an NEA member?
Yes. NEA Travel is a benefit of membership. NEA Member Benefits describes it as available at no extra charge to members. If you haven’t joined, our NEA Membership breakdown covers what else comes with dues.
What are Savings Dollars worth?
They’re a form of partial payment, so they lower the price you pay at checkout. NEA says they can add up to savings of as much as 60% on qualifying travel, and they expire 12 months after issuance unless stated otherwise.
Can I use Savings Dollars on a flight?
No. NEA’s FAQ says they can’t be applied to flights.
Is there a cash-back option for travel?
NEA’s travel page points to its NEA Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns rewards on travel purchases. That’s a separate credit card application, not part of the booking hub.
What if my plans change?
NEA Travel’s phone line, 1-866-524-2807, handles reservations and travel questions. Free cancellation applies only to select hotel bookings, so check the terms on the specific one you book.
Does NEA have discounts on attractions too?
Yes, through the NEA Discount Tickets Program, which the travel page links to for entertainment, attractions and city passes.
More Information:
NEA Member Benefits’ travel page and its Savings Dollars page list the terms above. Teachers in the AFT have a different set of travel perks, summarized in AFT Membership.
