How United Airlines' Senior Citizen Discount Makes Travel More Affordable

 

United Airlines' article describes how the senior citizen discount for its airline can help. Various fares are discounted especially for senior citizens, but only when you know the method to avail these discounts can you really enjoy the benefits. Eligibility and How Discount Functions The United Airlines senior fare is given only to those who are 65 years or older at the time of his/her flight. This discount is one benefit for which there are no established procedures; no membership fee is required, nor an obligatory card; the fare is kept in a special, lower-fare bracket particularly for passengers aged 65 and above. It is not a coupon later attached to a ticket to give the senior travel discount. Except for some internationally loaded routes, the fares apply to practically all routes by United. Important to note: The fare may be booked by the travelling passenger only. Thus, the senior ticket cannot be bought for another passenger travelling along with the senior. The senior citizens also must participate in the itinerary to claim this special fare. Stepwise Processes on Booking Booking through a senior fare follows a different procedure. United Website or App: Start the flight search on united.com or via the United App. Select Passenger Age: Ensure that the traveler's age is noted prior to searching. A Senior (65+) box or passenger type should appear. This selection is important; it allows the sales engine to consider searching for senior fare inventory. Compare Rates: When the search completes, fares displayed should include those having any senior discounts, if there are any. Even so, it does not hurt to compare. Sometimes, a regular sale or promotion may provide a fare lower than the senior fare in question. To see fares for the general public, unselect the senior box and search again. Should you wish to book through United, you may call United Airlines Reservations.   Things to Know Before You Book Some senior fare requirements must be understood before booking. Identification: At the airport, the traveler must provide a government ID (with picture) showing the date of birth, such as a driver's license or a passport. Fare rules: Like any other airline fare, there are terms and conditions on changes, cancellations, and refunds with regard to senior fares. At times these conditions might just be a tad more flexible than those of a regular economy fare. Please review all your fare conditions before you click that buy button. Earning Miles: Passengers booking senior fares can still keep earning MileagePlus miles for their flight, which count towards their qualification for elite status. Elite Benefits: This is amazing. If you have United Premier elite status, you will have all the elite benefits on the senior discounted ticket. These include free upgrades (subject to availability), priority check-in and boarding, free checked bags, and bonus miles. Final Goodies for Senior Travelers to Make Their Journey To enhance every experience, here are a few tips worth trying. Be flexible. Flexibility with travel dates or connecting flights will increase your chances of discovering an available senior fare. Book in advance. These fares sell out quickly due to their limited number. Also, take total costs into account: Senior fares do provide a discount for the ticket, but do look into your needs concerning seat selections, bags, and flexible itineraries. In short, United Airlines senior discounts represent another option for older travelers today facing air travel costs. The trick is simply direct booking, putting in your travel dates into the ticket-searching engine, and having some knowledge about fare rules, then the senior discounts can be truly put to work, and one can enjoy traveling at cheap rates. So be sure to have an ID beforehand and have a great time traveling!