Leisure Travel Office
BackFormerly operating out of the Pershing Welcome Center on Honest John Road, the Leisure Travel Office at Redstone Arsenal served as a dedicated travel resource for the military community. This Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) service was designed to provide value and convenience for a specific clientele: active-duty personnel, retirees, Department of Defense civilians, and their families. However, for anyone seeking their services today, the most critical piece of information is that this physical office is permanently closed. While the dedicated Leisure Travel Office no longer exists in its previous form, its functions have been partially absorbed by other MWR services.
The primary advantage of the Leisure Travel Office was its focus on providing significant military travel discounts. As one long-time patron noted after 20 years of use, the service consistently saved them money on every trip. This speaks to a long-standing reputation for delivering tangible financial benefits. The office operated as a specialized travel agency, focusing on creating affordable leisure travel experiences without the high-pressure sales tactics sometimes found at commercial agencies. Proceeds from bookings were reinvested into the installation's MWR programs, creating a cycle of support for the military community.
Services and Offerings
The Leisure Travel Office provided comprehensive travel planning services tailored to its eligible customers. This was a one-stop shop for arranging complex trips or simple getaways. Key offerings included:
- Cruises: Booking voyages with various cruise lines, often securing special military rates and onboard credits.
- Vacation Packages: Assembling complete travel itineraries, including flights, hotels, and transportation for destinations worldwide. This included popular options like Disney and Universal Studios packages, as well as trips to Hawaii and the Caribbean.
- All-inclusive Resorts: Securing reservations at resorts where lodging, meals, and activities are bundled into a single price, a popular choice for families and couples seeking a hassle-free vacation.
- Discounted Tickets: A major draw was the availability of reduced-price tickets to major theme parks and attractions, such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort.
The personalized service was another key benefit. Customers could speak directly with a travel consultant to customize their plans, a feature often lost when dealing with impersonal online travel booking sites. This human element was particularly valuable for navigating the complexities of international travel or large family vacations.
Drawbacks and Current Status
The most significant drawback of the Leisure Travel Office is its permanent closure. The provided business information is contradictory, listing it as both "temporarily closed" and "permanently closed," but the official Redstone MWR website confirms that dedicated travel planning services have shifted. For current leisure travel needs, MWR now directs personnel to the website American Forces Travel, an official online platform. While this online portal offers a wide range of booking options, it lacks the in-person, consultative experience the physical office provided.
Another limitation was its exclusivity. By design, the service was only available to those with access to Redstone Arsenal, meaning the general public could not take advantage of its offerings. Furthermore, its digital footprint was minimal, with very few online reviews or detailed information available outside of official MWR channels. This could make it difficult for newly stationed personnel to discover the service's full benefits compared to more prominently marketed commercial tour operators.
Today, while the centralized Leisure Travel Office at Building 3443 is gone, Redstone MWR continues to offer a component of its former services through the Information, Tickets, and Reservations (ITR) Office. Located in the MWR Library, this office focuses primarily on selling discounted tickets to attractions and theme parks. For broader travel arrangements like flights, hotels, and cruises, the community is now guided toward the aforementioned American Forces Travel website. While the convenience of a dedicated, on-post travel consultant is a thing of the past, the MWR system has adapted by pointing its community toward a digital-first solution for their travel needs.
