For many years, travelers 62 or over have been able to take advantage of a top travel bargain: senior airline coupons. With those coupons, you can fly round trip anywhere within the lower 48 states–and to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a few nearby Canadian cities–for no more than $298. That’s a great bargain for most long-haul trips, and a good deal for some trips as short as 1,000 miles each way.
All the big U.S. lines sell senior coupons. A book of four costs $596 on American, Delta, Northwest, United or US Airways, $579 on Continental, $549 on America West, and $548 on TWA. Books of eight coupons are also available on Continental ($999) and TWA ($1,032). Despite the recent ups and downs of ticket taxes, those selling prices for senior coupons have remained remarkably stable.
Coupons work in about the same way on all airlines. Each coupon is good for a one-way trip on the issuing airline and its affiliated commuter lines. You’re allowed to make connections, but not to stop over at the connecting point. For a confirmed seat, you have to reserve at least 14 days in advance but, except on America West, you can also travel standby. You don’t need to travel round trip, so you needn’t stay at your destination over a Saturday night. And you earn frequent-flier credit.
Some lines let you fly to Hawaii or Alaska by using two coupons each way. However, that’s not a good deal for West Coast seniors: from there, you can usually buy a cheaper regular ticket, on which you can get a 10 percent senior discount as well. And you can’t use senior coupons for travel to Europe or Asia.
As with other promotional fares, senior coupons entail some restrictions. Airlines limit the number of seats they allocate to travelers on senior coupons (a little flexibility in scheduling usually gets around that limitation). A couple can’t share a coupon book–the only allowable sharing is on US Airways, where grandparents can use their coupons for accompanying grandchildren. Only TWA sells coupons for companions of any age who travel with a qualifying senior ($648 for four, $1,132 for eight). And, obviously, you can travel only on the airline that sold you the coupons.
Although coupons are a great deal, they aren’t always your best bet:
– If you don’t take at least two long-haul round trips on one airline during the year, you may not be able to use all four coupons in a book before they expire.
– If you fly mainly on short trips, you may find cheaper tickets some other way–on a low-fare airline, for example, or on a big airline during one of the many airfare “sales.”
Late last year, Delta introduced a new senior program that made short-haul senior travel more attractive. Instead of paying one price for any round trip, regardless of distance, senior travelers who’ve joined Delta’s “Senior Select” program can buy tickets at prices based on zones. The longest-haul ticket for travel within the lower 48 states is priced at the same level as ordinary senior coupons; shorter trips cost less.
Right now, Delta says that membership in “Senior Select” is full, and it isn’t selling any more memberships. However, if the program proves successful, you can expect other lines to copy it.
