Always ask for a teacher discount while vacationing.
As an adjunct professor and frequent travel writer, I’ve learned that simply asking, “Do you have an educator discount?” can often lead to savings.
Many places say yes, and I have saved on lodging, transportation, and museum tickets.
And after a stressful year of pandemic teaching, many educators are more eager than ever to travel. We’ve definitely earned the time off and any discounts our profession entitles us to.
Here are some areas in particular that you are likely to find teacher discounts.
1. Teacher Discounts at Hotels
Teacher discounts are offered at many hotels, though these savings are often disguised as a government discount. If you work for a public school, you are a government employee and therefore entitled to a government discount.
Hotel chains that offer this government/teacher discount include Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, IHG, and Wyndham Hotel Group Hotels. But many more chains and smaller hotels offer a similar discount. Remember, in this instance, you may have to ask for a government discount rather than an educator discount.
2. Teacher Discounts Through Teacher House Swap
For the tech-savvy and adventurous teachers, house-swapping apps specifically geared to educators may be the way to go. Teacher Home Swap, for example, is only open to teachers, who are all often off around the same time, and allows them to connect with one another directly to swap or rent homes. Membership costs $100 per year.
3. Teacher Discounts for Car Rentals and Flights
When it comes to getting around while on vacation, there are plenty of teacher discounts out there. Car rental companies regularly offer teacher discounts for their services. NEA members can also save up to 25 percent when they rent a car through the NEA’s car rental partners, which include Enterprise and Budget. NEA members are also eligible for discounts on select domestic and international flights.
4. Teacher Discounts for Museums
Many museums offer educators free admission. Others offer teacher discounts that can make a significant difference, especially if you’re the type who likes to visit multiple museums per trip. For example, I was all set to pay full price during a recent visit to a museum while on vacation, but asking for the educator discount knocked off $5 from my admission and $20 off my entire bill, which included tickets for three other educators. As with other teacher discounts, these deals are not always advertised and often require you to ask.
5. Teacher Discounts Most Places There Are Student Discounts
If there is no teacher discount available, ask about a student discount. Many educators are still technically students who are still working their way through various grad school programs and building on the degrees they already have. Even if that’s not the case, much of the time student discounts apply to educators as well, though you’ll have to clarify that that’s the case. As with other teacher discounts, the secret is often just to ask.
