Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

Welcome to another holiday season! It’s a time of reflection and connection, a time to remember and reach out to those near and dear to us. It’s also a critical time for thousands of military families across the country who endure the pain and loss of a loved one who served our country.

In an update for Veterans Advantage members, we are honoring our HeroVet Bonnie Carroll, the founder of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). I first met Bonnie in 2003 while she was serving as a special VA liaison for the White House. Over the years, we’ve become good friends. We are all proud that she served our nation a second time, in early post-war Iraq.

Thankfully, she returned home safely. She continues to run an important charitable organization with the same zeal and passion as she did when she held her first survivors seminar for 50 fellow military families in 1994. Attendance for her 17th annual meeting next May is expected to hit 1,500. Wow.

Reflecting back on the journey, Bonnie says: “It is about community. The pride that the families have in the service of their loved ones.”

We hope you enjoy reading Bonnie Carroll’s profile. She is a remarkable person who lives and reflects TAPS’ theme: “Remember the love, celebrate the life and share the journey.” Words to guide us all during this season.

On behalf of all of us at Veterans Advantage may you enjoy a peaceful holiday season and better times ahead in 2011.

Tags: HeroVet, taps
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Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

In the spirit of getting you as much background as possible on how to use your Veterans Advantage benefits, I wanted to let our member shoppers know that the following Veterans Advantage benefit providers offer membership discounts and the ability to ship to APO & FPO Zip Codes — filling a valuable need for Active Duty military and their families.

We have listed notable partnerships below.

• Champs Sports: 20% online discounts
• Dell desktops and laptops: 10 – 30% online discounts
• Eastbay: 20% online discounts
• Eastern Mountain Sports: 10% online discounts
• Footaction USA: 20% online discounts
• Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker & Kids Foot Locker: 20% online discounts
• General Nutrition Centers (GNC): 15% online discounts
• HBO: 20% online discounts
• History Channel: 20% online discounts
• NASCAR Superstore: 15% online discount
• Orvis: 10% online discounts
• Sears: $35 off on your next $300 purchase online
• Target: 10% online discounts.

And for future updates and background: Our updated list of Veterans Advantage benefit partners who ship to APO & FPO Zip Codes.

Tags: APO and FPO shipping
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Sunday, December 12th, 2010

We are proud to report that Continental Airlines — a Veterans Advantage Benefit Partner since 2004 — received top honors in Business Travel News’ (BTN) Annual Airline Survey for the third consecutive year.

The recognition marks the sixth time Continental finished first in the 13 years BTN has measured corporate travel buyer perceptions of airline performance in delivering service and maintaining preferred relationships.

Veterans Advantage Card members get to save 5% on Continental flights every day when they book at continental.com.

Tags: United Airlines Discounts
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Friday, December 10th, 2010

And yes, he’s logged more miles than George Clooney in last year’s hit movie “Up in the Air.”

We honored Fuller as a Veterans Advantage TopVet last week, in recognition of his Army service and extraordinary professional achievements at Marriott, proving once again, that the skills gained through military service are invaluable in building great companies.

I was joined by Peter Eldredge from our Board, and Roy Asfar, our VP of Marketing. We listened to Fuller cover the world’s capitals and datelines like we talk about our neighborhood coffee shop. Ed is also building world-class hotels in a land he once visited as a young LT. braced for war: Vietnam. For those of us who served in Vietnam, we marvel at how much the world has changed in our lifetime!

And now that he is nearing 40 years of service with the same employer, working with Navy Veteran and CEO J.W. Marriott, Fuller is planning a change of pace in a year or so  - writing books, hitting the speaking circuit and teaching at UC-Irvine. In the meantime, there’s plenty of work to do and Ed always has his bag packed, so he can get it done!

Marriott's Edwin D. Fuller with Veterans Advantage Founder & CEO Scott Higgins

Tags: TopVet and TopRank
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Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

As it has throughout 2010, Dell has once again extended a special combinable discount for Veterans Advantage members. Through month’s end, Veterans Advantage can add the following discount to our already low-priced Members Only online storefront, with the extra savings visible at online checkout:

a) Another $50 OFF your purchase on systems over $799
b) Another $100 OFF your purchase on systems over $999.

For more, you can click here for information on the Dell/Veterans Advantage discount partnership, including its Best Price Guarantee.

Tags: Dell, Veterans Advantage benefits
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Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

This week marks the 69th anniversary of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the attacks on our Hawaiian homeland soil, where over 2,000 brave Americans serving our military perished and prompted our full involvement in World War II.

Please take a moment to thank one who has served in World War II, or honor all those in uniform from 1941-1945 who are no longer with us. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates less than 2 million of the original 16-million-plus Americans who served are alive today, and projects the number should be halved by 2014.

Just a few of those Veterans Advantage has chosen to honor over the years include:

• Navajo Code Talkers. HeroVet honorees in 2009.
• Paul Newman. HeroVet in 2008.
• Bill Holloman of the Tuskegee Airmen, and honored as a HeroVet in 2005.
• Sen. John Warner, former senator from Virginia, a 2005 HeroVet.
• John Whitehead, HeroVet honoree in 2002.
• Jack Taylor, Enterprise Founder and TopVet honoree in 2002.
• Jack Valenti, Former head of the Motion Picture Association, TopVet in 2002.
• Sumner Redstone, Viacom Chairman and TopVet honoree in 2001.

And as President Obama said in an official Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day proclamation:

The Allied Forces battled the scourge of tyranny and ultimately spread the transformative march of freedom. As we recognize the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II this year, we honor not only those who gave their lives that December day, but also all those in uniform who travelled to distant theaters of war to halt the progression of totalitarianism and hate. In honor of all who have borne the cost of battle throughout America’s history, let us pledge to meet our debt of honor and uphold the ideals they fought to preserve.

For more online, check out the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and the National World War II Memorial.

Tags: Note of Gratitude, pearl harbor, world war II
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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

This month we are choosing a team approach to our  “Partner of the Month.” With holiday shopping in full swing, and members seeking everyday discounts online, we are highlighting our Everyday Shopping partnerships: Leading names in retail have discounts with Veterans Advantage every day, including the holidays.

Save yourself from the craze of coupon-clipping: Veterans Advantage Card members can always shop at a discount from Overstock.com, Foot Locker, Target.com, Sears.com, Sporting Goods Retailers, and GNC.com, among others, through our dedicated online discount shopping links.

And as a reminder, the following retailers will accept your Veterans Advantage Card for 20% discounts at their stores: Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker & Kids Foot Locker, Footaction USA and Champs Sports.

More information on Veterans Advantage Everyday Shopping discounts here.

Tags: Champls, Foot Locker, GNC, holiday shopping, Overstock, Target, veterans advantage card
Posted in Veterans Advantage benefits | Comments Off