Trim Your Training Costs
What if I told you AOPA has a way to help you fly more often - by getting a discount on flying hours?
It's no secret that flying is not a low-cost activity, nor has it ever been. In fact, one of the three main reasons AOPA was founded in 1939 was to keep aviation affordable. Whether by challenging expensive airworthiness directives, fighting to keep fuel taxes down, lobbying against government "user fees," or searching for solutions to ever-rising insurance rates, AOPA has always been in your corner.
But what about this "discount flying"? It's possible through the groundbreaking AOPA 5% FBO Rebate Program, an agreement AOPA inked with Certified partner MBNA America Bank in August 1997. The program allows members to claim a full 5-percent credit on virtually any purchase made with an AOPA credit card at a qualifying FBO. And the word qualifying is not the catch - any FBO that sells fuel and/or rents aircraft is a qualifying business, so you can choose from more than 4,500 in the United States, most listed in AOPA's Airport Directory.
Notice I also didn't qualify "any purchase" with words like "except," or "other than," or "a few items." No, under the AOPA 5% FBO Rebate Program, virtually any purchase made with an AOPA credit card at a qualifying FBO is eligible for that full 5-percent rebate. To claim the rebate, simply circle qualifying purchases on each month's statement and fax it to MBNA America Bank, using the AOPA toll-free fax number of 866/AOPA-FBO (866/267-2326). The credit shows up on your next statement.
As a student, think of everything you buy as you work toward y0our pilot certificate: aircraft rental, flight instructor fees, charts, plotters. All of that could be earning you a rebate - found money - that you could use to buy additional flying, a new headset, or just about anything else. Virtually everything purchased with the AOPA credit card from a qualifying FBO is eligible for the rebate.
There are no tricks, no catches, and no disclaimers. The credit comes directly from AOPA Certified partner MBNA America Bank. No portion comes from the FBO, AOPA, or AOPA member dues, so there are no "hidden costs" to you. Rebates are limited to 5 percent of the first $5,000 in eligible purchases each year, for an annual cap of $250. Not surprisingly, about a third of all AOPA members now carry an AOPA MasterCard or Visa card from MBNA, making them eligible for the rebate. If you don't already have a card, you can apply online ( www.aopa.org/info/apply ) or by calling toll-free 866/438-6262.
Let me give you an example of the value of this program. My wife and I own a 1977 Cessna Skyhawk. A recent annual inspection cost us $2,216. With AOPA's FBO Rebate Program I simply charged the inspection on my AOPA credit card, sent it in, and received a credit for almost $111. It doesn't take much math skill to figure out that the savings can far more than pay your $39 annual AOPA membership dues.
This partnership between MBNA America Bank and AOPA saves you money and supports GA, since a small portion of each transaction is returned to AOPA for use in fighting for your right to fly, as well as keeping your membership dues low. Other aviation membership associations talk about lowering your cost of flying, but AOPA was the first to actually do something about it.
The AOPA FBO Rebate Program has been such a success that Sporty's Pilot Shop has developed a similar agreement with MBNA America Bank. The Sporty's agreement gives AOPA members a 5-percent discount on any item purchased from Sporty's catalog using an AOPA credit card and providing a valid AOPA membership number. Unlike the AOPA FBO rebate, this discount is given at the time of purchase.
When I was a new pilot, I was always scraping the dollars together for another hour of instruction. My flight school allowed the purchase of block time, using a credit card, to save 10 percent. Had the AOPA rebate been in effect, the discount would have been 15 percent for every flight hour. As a Flight Training member you are eligible for the AOPA credit card, and you can remind your instructor that this same offer applies.
Since inception of the program, AOPA members have received more than $9 million in AOPA FBO rebates. At an average rental cost of $70 for a Cessna 172 or similar GA airplane, that could equal well over 128,000 extra hours of flying for AOPA members! Why wait? Join with your fellow pilots who already use the AOPA credit card and enjoy discount flying.
Related Articles
