The Status of Status Fares

Airlines don’t offer deals like they used to. But trains still have some perks to look for.

Travel deals. Dreamstime/TNS

“Status” fares for transportation are based on who you are, not on timing of purchase and travel or level of demand. Back in the heyday of rail travel, railroads used to post special fares for various sorts of customers, including deals for the clergy. With the advent of sophisticated analytics and greater control over inventory of capacity, status fares have changed. But you still find some.

For the most part, remaining status fares concentrate on seniors and youth. Otherwise, the only similar deals I know are contracted government and corporate fares—deals that aren’t available to the general public, either directly or through discount agents.

Airfares

A few decades ago, most big U.S. airlines had great deals for seniors. Seniors didn’t usually get a straight discount on individual tickets, but senior coupons and senior “clubs” such as United’s Silver Wings afforded great deals on main cabin fares and easy upgrades.

No more. Although some lines still ask for your age during a fare search, I have been unable to find any meaningful senior airfare deal since Southwest abandoned its senior program in 2019.

The same finding goes for foreign lines, too—I haven’t seen anything useful for close to a decade. I remember back in the ’80s I once flew from Athens to Amsterdam on a ticket I bought from an Athens discounter at a fare designed for “merchant seamen rejoining their ships.” As far as I know, those days are gone—at least as far as tickets ordinary folk can buy. When an airline asks your age, you might as well enter it, but don’t expect any great deals.

Railroads

Railroads still cling to some status fares—most notably seniors and youth. In the U.S., Amtrak offers a bunch of them:

• Senior: Ten percent discount for travelers age 65 or over except on cross-border travel with VIA Rail, where the minimum age is 60.
• Disability: Ten percent discount for travelers with disabilities and traveling companions. Children: One child age 2 to 12 travels for 50 percent off with an adult age 18 or over.
• Military: Ten percent discount for travelers on active duty and their spouses/dependents.
• RPA: Ten percent discount for members of Railroad Passengers Association.
• Veterans: Ten percent discounts for veterans.
• Student: Students age 17 to 24 get 15 percent off.

These discounts may require ID and one- to three-day advance purchase; they typically do not apply to non Acela business class, sleeper accommodations, or the Canadian potion of cross-border trains, although upgrades are available with some

As far as I can tell, Brightline does not offer any senior fares, but it does have 25 percent discounts for teachers and university students. ID is required.

In Europe, discounted Eurail Passes are available for seniors 60 or over and youths 12 to 27. For individual tickets, most lines require annual discount cards. These cards can cost anything from nothing (Italy senior card for travelers age 75 or over; €30 for travelers 60 or over) to £30 (about $37) in the UK. Similar cards are available for youth, although some youth deals are arranged through student status. Here’s (https://minimalist.travel/transport/trains/senior-discounts-europe-trains/) an excellent rundown of current senior deals, and ( https://thetrainhacker.com/eu/youth-train-discounts/) a summary of youth deals.

Japan Rail Pass does not offer senior or youth passes, and I found no senior or youth discounts on individual tickets.

Public Transit

In the U.S., most big transit systems offer senior discounts—typically half or near-half price—and a few are experimenting with free travel for youth/students. Transit systems in Pennsylvania offer free rides to seniors. Several big systems, however, including Boston, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., require that seniors obtain a local general-purpose senior ID before they can buy senior tickets. I can’t begin to cover all the details for the many big U.S. systems. If you have a young person or youth in your travel party, check out transit service in any city where you plan to spend time.

Big senior discounts seem to be a specialty of U.S. cities. Most European cities do not offer senior deals. But always check.

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