Is "Senior Fare" for flights a fiction?
 

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?

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 !

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

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%.

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.

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.")

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.

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.

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Although the article is considerably out of date by now, it has some interesting historical details about the discontinued discounts.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

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.

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

Air France offers senior fares in some markets.

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."

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Maybe that explains it. I used to book online and then call and they issued the discount. The last couple times I tried that they said "that is the senior fare" which was the same as the lowest fare online. So unless they lowered the lowest fare, I think they just seem to be saying that the senior fare is the same as the lowest regular fare -- at least that's been the case with us. Online if you click senior, it shows the same as regular fare, but even calling them couldn't get it any lower for me.

Patrick, all I know is that my daughter and her family booked the flight and they are paying more!
I find online booking extremely frustrating, which is why I prefer talking to real person!

It would be nice if the airlines and/or some of the booking sites could come up with something like the features offered by the paradors in Spain, where seniors are offered a deal for low-travel periods at selected paradors, which might en they would otherwise be underbooked. Something like the flexible fares option I always use at Travelocity, which shows the cheapest rates over a considerable time period that doesn't depend on departure/arrival on a specific date or at a specific time.

HowardR -" I just got one a month or so ago for my wife and I for a trip..."

Please give particulars.

Is it based on your lower fare compared to your daughter's? This may be invalid since they may have booked at a different time, and we all know that fares can change by the hour.

In the past few years, I have never found a lower 'senior' fare when searching for both at the same time.

When all else fails, call and find out. I just spoke to an AA rep. The bottom line -- "yes, sometimes there are senior discounts available, depending on the market, and they are usually either 5% or 10% off". But then she told me she can't remember the last time she actually found one, as they are "few and far between". When I discussed I hadn't gotten one in ages, she mentioned that Florida is generally NOT in the market area for senior fares (figures, or they'd be giving them to half the population here). I had her check our last three flights and none are in "senior market areas".

Oh, I left out the most important thing. She did say to always call. And even if you book online, they can change to the senior fare at no extra cost. Since AA now charges $8 for doing a ticket by phone and it's free online. That $8 can eat up a good portion of a 10% discount on a cheap flight.

UA has something called Silver Wings, which you have to join to qualify for senior discounts. Whether it's worth it or not I don't know.

Jed, it was definitely a lower senior fare. First of all, When I initially checked on line, I was shown a lower fare when I check the senior option. Secondly, I was told this by the agent on line. Thirdly, my daughter checked at the SAME TIME and got a got a higher fare.
In response to Patrick's comment about the saving being eaten up by the booking-by-phone charge, the senior savings was a lot more than the phone service charge.
When you checked on line with American, there is the option to checkoff for the senior fare.
I booked the trip via phone, because I found doing it on line to be very, very slow and frustrating. It was worth the few dollars for my piece of mind and time saved!

Howard, maybe that's part of the difference -- if you're talking about higher cost flights. My three most recent ones which didn't have any senior discounts were $126 round trip Ft. Lauderdale to New York, $ 116.00 round trip Ft. Lauderdale to Chicago, and $325 round trip Ft. Myers/Seattle and Reno/Ft. Myers -- all including all taxes. While 10% on the last one would have been nice ($30) although again there was no senior discount on that one, the others would have only been $9 to $10 based on before tax prices.

But Howard, while you and I agree on the online booking mess for Broadway tickets (phone being better), I'm curious what problems you have on AA. I do it all the time and it is so easy and quick. I also have the option of having choices listed by fare price or by schedule so it's easy to compare ALL the options.

M_F,
Amen, the 35% senior (60 yo) discounts in the Pousadas and Paradors were wonderful "gifts".
M

Delta.com says senior discounts are not on the web but you must "contact reservations"

Regarding the pousadas and paradors -- our best deal was in Scandinavia with the SAS hotels during the summer. They offer your age off in percentage if you're a senior -- my partner was 65 at the time so we got 65% off on all their hotels. Now that's a savings! If you're still traveling when you're a hundred -- all their hotels are free -- yes, they really do that. That was a few years ago, not sure if they still run the same deal.

Depends on airlines. On Continental, I've never seen a senior discount even though you book as "senior", which is 65+. Same fare for discount classes, full fare economy, first/business, international or domestic.

So, to answer the original question, it is definitely a fiction on Continental.

Patrick, when I get a $100-$110 fare (which hasn't happened in quite a while, I might add), I don't bother nitpicking to save a dollar or two!
As for booking on line, I usually don't feel comfortable and/or confident that I am definitely getting the best price. At least on the phone, I can easily ask questions. Also, as I previously said, it seemed to take forever.