In the travel industry—and the marketplace, generally—some discounts depend on who or what you are rather than what or where you buy. Over the years, age-based status discounts have perhaps been the most common, but you find others as well. In researching an old rail timetable, for example, I once noticed special fares for clergy, and an Athens discount agency once got me a ticket on an airfare for “sailors rejoining their ship.” But those occupational discounts are now rare; status discounts are down, overall, and most current deals are for seniors and youth.
Airlines
These days, the world’s airlines offer almost no status discounts. Although U.S. airlines once offered a variety of senior deals—some really attractive—today’s seniors are left out in the cold. Youth, too: Whether you’re 8, 18, or 80, you want a seat, you pay the full price. The only widely available senior discount I know is the AARP senior discount program on British Airways round-trips: $65 off economy fares, $200 off business class.Rail
In the U.S., Amtrak may be the status-discount champ. It offers 10 percent discounts to seniors 65 or over, disabled travelers, members of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, active military, and veterans. Most require advance purchase up to three days; most exclude sleeper services, business class, and many do not apply to promotional fares. Senior discounts up to 50 percent are currently available on some Downeaster runs, and seniors get 15 percent on some intra-California trains, but any-age promotional fares are sometimes better. One child, 2 to 12, accompanied by an adult, gets 50 percent off. You don’t have to suss out the details; enter your data and Amtrak’s website does the math.Brightline doesn’t have any senior details, but has run promotions for kids.
