Isn’t one of the benefits of getting older cheap deals? I bought a book for a friend of mine called Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re over 50 and browsed through it thinking of all the neat discounts heading my way.
According to consumer travel writer Ed Perkins, I should think again and not count on a bargain when I’m AARP age (50). As he points out in “Senior Discounts Going by the Wayside,” the cheap deals for older travelers came about because older travelers happened to have the time, but not the money. Since the travel industry is more about making money than giving an older person a great time just for the heck of it, now that more people who are younger are traveling, the pressure is off to fill up spots. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any good deals to be found, but the 50 and older crowd isn’t going to be able to count on a discount due to age alone. They’ll have to scramble for cheap seats and accommodations just like everyone else.
For the travel bargain shopper, Perkins suggests heading to Priceline and Hotwire and bundle air and hotel reservations together. But, here’s a bonus to getting older. If you’re retired, when the last-minute deal shows up, you’ll probably be in a better position to hop on a plane or take that cruise since you won’t have to put in for vacation time.