Getting old has few benefits, but the occasional senior travel discount is one of them. Senior travelers can enjoy a wide range of discounts, but both availability and value vary substantially among different travel sectors and in different parts of the globe.
Typically, senior status starts at age 65 in the U.S. and at 60 in the rest of the world. Here’s where to look for a senior travel discount, and what you’ll get.
Airline Senior Travel Discount
Only two large airlines offer discounts to senior travelers: Southwest and British Airways.
Southwest offers senior fares on most flights for those 65 and over—but some senior fares can still be much higher than the cheapest ones available to travelers of any age. On a sample Sacramento to Chicago flight two months in advance, for example, the cheapest ticket available to travelers of any age is $169, compared with the $287 senior travel discount fare. But, for flights just two days in advance, the senior fare is still $287, while other travelers’ cheapest option is $348. Southwest’s senior travel discount is a good deal for airfare booked closer to departure.
Related:11 New Air Routes That Promise Cheap Flights
British Airways offers round-trip senior travel discounts of $65 in economy and premium economy and $200 in business class to AARP members who book through the AARP website. Both are available to anyone age 50 or over. The $60 discount on an economy ticket is fairly attractive, but it’s worth noting that British Airways is known to have an inferior business class compared to its major competitors.
Rail Senior Travel Discount
Amtrak offers 10 percent discounts to senior travelers for coach travel on most trains, but the discount does not apply to sleeper travel, business class, or most trips on Acela. Seniors get bigger discounts on some flash sales, and routinely get 50 percent discounts for Downeaster trains between Boston and Portland, Maine.
VIA Rail Canada offers 10 percent senior discounts to travelers 60 and over on most trains, including sleeper service. Often, however, the cheapest any-age ticket is less expensive than the lowest discounted senior fare.
In Europe, only Belgium and Portugal seem to offer senior travel discounts to those 60 or over on individual tickets for some trains. A senior travel discount is also available on first-class British and French rail passes, but any-age passes in second class are cheaper. Rail systems in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain sell annual railcards that offer discounts of 15 percent to 50 percent on individual tickets to seniors age 60 or over. Rail pass prices can vary greatly, but the Italian card is free to seniors age 75 or over. You typically can’t buy European rail cards online in
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