Mary_Fran

While I am many, many, many years away from qualifying for senior airfare, my running buddy (sister) is old as the hills and theoretically should qualify as a senior. However, whenever I am booking fares and check the senior rate, it's never been any cheaper than the "adult" rate.

Have any of you ever benefited from any kind of discount in your airfare to/from the US due to your advanced decrepitude? Or is the senior fare just another cruel hoax played on poor granny?

StCirq

Never heard of such a thing, but on the other hand maybe I should look into it as I think I qualify as "decrepit." PLEASE let me know !

francophile03

I am sure my aunt qualified for a senior fare from United Airlines last year. I am not sure if they offer this anymore.

P_M

About a year ago I helped a friend book a senior fare on NW for his elderly mom. More recently I booked a senior fare on SW for my FIL. These were both domestic flights, so I don't know if it applies to international. In both cases, I believe the discount was around 10%.

cmt

It may be something that is offered as a special promotion, but not on a regular basis. I remember in the 1970s qualifying for a "youth fare" when I was 25 (or maybe it was 24--I jsut remember I was one year younger than my friend flying with me for hundreds of dollars more). I don't think all the airlines offered Alitaia that particular summer. Maybe the geriatric discount fares work the same way.

cmt

A piece of the sentence disappeared. I meant that I don't think all the airlines offered that youth fare all the time, but it was offered by Alitaia that particular summer.(Not "I don't think all the airlines offered Alitaia that particular summer.&quot

francophile03

I noticed that Lufthansa has youth fares for ages 12 to 24. Also they offer a 10% senior discount on selected fares to Europe, but you have to be at least age 62.

Intrepid1

Yes, there are "senior fares" my partner has routinely gotten them on airlines.

Unfortunately, neither age nor youth ensure politeness or respect when referring to others.

Bree

Apparently such discounts used to be more widely available than they are now, because I found an article in the September 2002 AARP Bulletin that leads off like this: “Travelers looking for traditional senior discounts at major airlines this fall will find those discounts have vanished, replaced by new and more restrictive offers.”

Although the article is considerably out of date by now, it has some interesting historical details about the discontinued discounts. It’s online at
http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/consume...discounts.html

Patrick

American used to always offer a senior fare. Generally it was 10% off whatever the regular fare was, including "super savers" and the best part was it also extended to a companion flying at the same time. But that seemed to end several years ago and I haven't seen it since.

Scarlett

My SIL flew with a senior fare, I think it was 10% .. same with hotels, she always for AARP rates. She gets some nice discounts ...
MaryFran, very funny, does she know you tell the world that she is as old as the hills ? LOL

Underhill

Air France offers senior fares in some markets.

Mary_Fran

Scarlett,

My sister is my dearest friend and so nearly perfect in every respect that I have to tease her every chance I get, just to keep the playing field half-way level, including implying that she is in her dotage, which is certainly not true, despite the fact she will never see the south side of 65 again.

Thanks, folks, for the input. I think I'll assume that senior fares are a thing of the past but, before I make the final booking, call the airline to check and make sure a discount does not apply.

I always shop intensively for airfares and get great deals anyway. Maybe the discounted senior fares kick in for folks who are paying "list price."

Gretchen

I am amazed to read that people have gotten senior fares in recent years. In my experience they were phased out right after 9/11 as a cost cutting move.The airlines and the travel sites hold out the hope that it is there by having a place to check for 62+ but it is a fable. Don't know about Air France. Discounts are available in France on the rail lines.

mikemo

"All" of the senior fares on the cruise lines I have been investigating were higher than the internet discount fares this week.
M

jody

I've checked the airlines using the senior fares and the regular adult fares and they almost always are the same. MCO to London for Dec are all coming in at about $600.. On AARP and AAA the same itinerary comes in at 575..so that's less than 5% off.

HowardR

There definitely are senior fares. AA offers them. UA at the very least has a special program seniors can sign up for.
Naturally, the first step is to ask about them when you make reservations!

Patrick

Howard, how long has it been since you've seen an AA senior fare? I've tried for Lee on all the AA flights in the past three years or so, and they never apply -- before that they always applied.

BTilke

My parents have never been able to find senior fareas. I know that when searching flights on Expedia (both Expedia.com and Expedia.co.uk, because the UK version lets you start with flights originating outside North America) it has a box you can check for 65+. I've tried comparing the rates I could get for my mother checking the box and leaving it unchecked. They were ALWAYS the same.
I'm now convinced the 65+ box on Expedia is just an in-house tool for tracking users over 65.

HowardR

Patrick, I just got one a month or so ago for my wife and I for a trip this coming weekend to St. Louis. After having an frustrating experience online, I did it via phone directly to AA.