by chandra orr
copley news service
Age has its privileges. The minute you turn 50 and get your official AARP membership card in the mail, you qualify for a host of special savings and discounted deals.
From reduced airfares to early bird specials at the local diner, senior discounts are everywhere. They key is, you have to ask.
“You have to ask because very often, they won’t tell you,” said Joan Rattner Heilman, author of “Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re Over 50.”
“They aren’t going to ask if you’re a senior. You really have to do your own research.”
Airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruise lines and even commuter train lines — they almost all offer some sort of perk for those who’ve paid their dues. “Senior discounts started because hotels and airlines needed to fill beds and seats at odd times,” Heilman explained. “Someone realized that seniors were more flexible … and they could fill up those beds and seats.”
Now, senior discounts are standard practice — you can get great deals on everything from national parks admissions to university courses.
The quickest way to find out about senior discounts and deals is to call the establishment directly. Don’t rely on Web sites or 800 numbers. If the discount is through a franchise or chain, some individual locations may not offer the savings advertised by their parent company.
Also, watch the newspaper. Restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and clothing retailers regularly offer senior savings, which range from early bird dinner deals to senior shopping days with a percentage taken off the final bill. Movie theaters, department stores, gyms, dry cleaners, mechanics and beauty salons routinely offer senior discounts.
Be sure to check with your bank, as well. Many financial institutions want your business, and they’re reaching out with offers of free checking, no minimum-balance checking and free safe deposit boxes for those 55 and older.
When in doubt, just ask. With so many establishments catering to the senior crowd, you can find a deal virtually anywhere you go — but you have to ask. “Don’t be bashful,” Heilman said. “Many people, when they turn 50, they don’t want to say that they’re a senior, but you have to get over that.
“You’re getting what’s coming to you. They’re giving you this good deal because you’ve lived so long.”
There are a few caveats to taking advantage of senior discounts, though. Senior discounts are often limited to certain seasons or certain days of the week, so be prepared to be flexible. From limited travel times on airlines and cruise ships to senior meal specials at restaurants, deals often come with restrictions and have special rules regarding cancellations and refunds. Get the details up front. Inquire about any discounts before you place an order or make a reservation.
“You have to make the deal ahead of time,” Heilman said. “Make sure you’re getting the senior price upfront. If you wait until the bill is due it could be too late.”
Don’t take the discount without shopping around. Sometimes, the senior deal isn’t the best deal.
“Everybody has sales, promotions and special deals. Sometimes those can be better than the senior discount, which is usually off the regular published rate,” Heilman explained.
“You have to do your research and see which one is better. On car rentals, for example, the senior rate is rarely the best deal, but it’s better than nothing.”
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California