Many seniors often hesitate to travel due to the high costs associated with flight tickets. Fortunately, there are ways where seniors can secure significant price cuts on their flight bookings. Moreover, many airlines have recognized the importance of making travel accessible to seniors and have established special provisions and senior-friendly discounts tailored to their needs. Older adults can familiarize themselves with these options to get their hands on super cheap flight tickets for their trip.
Tried-and-tested ways to get discounts on flights
Certain actions make it easy for older travelers to get discounts on flight tickets.
Booking flights online
Airlines normally want their customers to make flight bookings on their website instead of going through the traditional telephonic customer service channel or the reservation desk at the airport. This boosts the online traffic for their site and bolsters their presence on the internet. This is the main reason why airlines provide exclusive deals for bookings made online. This may not be a senior-specific tip, but older travelers can save a lot of money by buying their tickets on an airline’s official website and taking full advantage of these exclusive deals.
Being flexible with the travel dates
Travelers generally book flights by the dozen during the weekend to get going with all of their holiday plans. Airlines follow dynamic pricing like every other company involved in retail, travel, or hospitality. This means that flight ticket prices tend to be generally low on weekdays and higher on weekends as the demand for tickets is exponentially high around that time. Being flexible with one’s dates is a viable option for bookers to get cheap flights with baggage included. By choosing to fly out on a Tuesday morning instead of a Friday evening, seniors can get themselves discounted prices on flights.
Signing up for travel newsletters and deal alerts
Airlines often advertise a new deal or discount many weeks and months in advance before customers can avail them. Usually, the airline’s newsletter, email alerts, or SMS alerts carry this message to subscribers. To know about incredible deals and discounts well in advance, signing up for these periodic alerts can be a beneficial strategy for future travel plans.
Using online travel websites
An airline’s website is not the only place on the internet where one can make flight reservations. Several travel websites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, offer incredibly reasonable deals and discounts on airfare. Elderly people can contact the customer service department of these companies to know if they offer any special senior discounts on top of their regular flight booking discounts.
Booking well in advance
Flight prices for a given route tend to be at their lowest right when they are announced several months (or, in many cases, even a year) before the actual flight is scheduled to take off. Seniors can take advantage of these low prices by going online to make flight reservations during this early phase.
Also, senior flight discounts tend to last for very short periods. This is why it makes sense for the elderly to make their reservations at early stages rather than opting for last-minute bookings.
Calling the airline’s customer service for information
Many airlines do not openly make announcements or display information about senior-friendly discounts on their websites. This is why older adults need to contact customer service representatives from an airline company and check if they offer deals and discounts specifically catering to the elderly.
Booking flights during festive seasons
Like other industries, even airlines target festive occasions to boost their sales and revenue. Most of the best deals and discounts on flight tickets are available during the festive time. The elderly who wish to fly for their holidays or work-related purposes can contact the customer service department of airlines to find out if there are any further special discounts available on flight bookings for seniors over 60.
Airlines that offer senior discounts
Many companies simplify the process of getting great deals and discounts. Older flight users need to know the airlines that do so.
American Airlines
While American Airlines does not explicitly mention senior-friendly discounts on its website, passengers aged 65 and older frequently receive perks on flight reservations. The airline is also known to offer such discounts on some international destinations. While making reservations online, clients need to click on the “Advanced Search” option. Under the “discounts” dropdown menu, one can choose the “Senior” option. If a senior citizen discount is available on the flight selected by the booker, then the discount will be automatically applied. One can proceed with making a booking on the website in the standard manner.
Apart from this, joining an AAdvantage Loyalty Program is another great way for people to get cheap flight tickets for seniors that can go as low as $49.
Delta Air Lines
On the official website of Delta Airlines, one can select the Special Fares and Discounts section to check whether any senior-friendly discounts are available at the moment.
United Airlines
This airline’s website provides a dedicated section for senior travelers, making it easier for elderly individuals to book flights. They don’t offer senior discounts for all flights. This means that travelers aged 65 and older have the opportunity to explore potential discounts on their tickets. To determine if a senior discount is available on their flight, users simply enter their travel details and select the option “Seniors (65+)” during the booking process. This feature aims to ensure that seniors can easily find and benefit from available offers while planning their journeys.