Travel Deals for Retirees

You’ve ditched your job, you’re ready to travel, but you need to mind your money: these travel deals for retirees can get you on the road, in the air, and on the water.

Unencumbered by a demanding job or limited time off, many retirees are eager to indulge their wanderlust. About 40% of leisure travelers are 60 or older, according to 2023 data from SquareMouth, a travel insurance aggregator. But the flip side of freedom from the 9-to-5 – and the paycheck that goes along with it – is that you may have to manage your budget more carefully. Luckily, many travel vendors offer deals for older adults, who can take advantage of the savings to substantially lower travel expenses. Here, we’ve rounded up discounts and special programs for older travelers.

Top discounts and travel deals for retirees

Road and rail

You can get deals on car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, hotels, rail tours and travel planning with an AARP membership. The annual fee is $20, and adding a secondary member in the same household is free. By booking your travel through the AARP Travel Center, powered by Expedia, you can easily access discounts and deals. Visit www.expedia-aarp.org or call 800-675-4318 for assistance with bookings.

Some of the steepest AARP discounts are for car rentals. You can get up to 30% off select car rentals through Expedia, up to 35% off the base rate (the standard charge for a rental car before taxes and fees) with Avis and Budget, and $20 off an annual membership with car-sharing service Zipcar, which typically costs $90 per year for gas, insurance and up to 180 miles per day. AARP members earn extra points when they link their AARP membership to the ExxonMobil Rewards+ program. Every 100 points that you earn equals $1 in savings that you can redeem on fuel, car washes and store purchases.

Rather travel by rail? Amtrak offers a 10% discount on rail fares to passengers 65 and older who book directly through Amtrak. And AARP members can access discounted train tours through Vacations by Rail.

More bargain travel ideas: Take Advantage of Shoulder Season Travel

Airfares

Most airlines don’t offer a blanket discount on airfares for older adults. But you may be able to get deals for certain flights. American, Delta and United airlines, for example, offer discounts to passengers who are 65 or older on fares for select travel destinations. When you book a flight online, check whether you can choose a senior traveler classification or discount (such as “Senior 65+” with United). To get a discount on certain Delta itineraries, you can call the airline’s customer service line at 800-221-1212.

Travelers 55 and older were eligible to get 55% off base fares on select flights with Frontier Airlines during a promotion earlier this year. Keep an eye out for more promotions of this kind at www.flyfrontier.com.

If you book a flight through the AARP Travel Center at the same time you book a hotel or car rental, you’ll get a $50 Visa prepaid gift card. AARP doesn’t provide direct discounts with most airlines, but AARP members who book a flight with British Airways online can get anywhere from $65 to $200 off round-trip fares.

Hotels and resorts

Many large hotel and resort chains — as well as smaller, independent hotels — offer discounts to older guests. For example, Hyatt has been providing discounts of up to 50% for guests who are 62 and older at participating hotels in the continental U.S. and Canada. Omni Hotels & Resorts offers discounted rates of up to 15% to guests who are 55 or older at participating locations. Look for senior discounts at checkout when you book online, or call the hotel directly and ask about senior discounts before making your reservation. When you check in, you will typically be asked to present identification to verify your age.

Here, too, an AARP membership can save you money. AARP members get 5% to 10% off at most major hotel chains, including Best Western, Choice, Hilton, La Quinta, Marriott and Wyndham. When room availability allows for it, many hotel brands, including Hilton and LXR Hotels & Resorts, offer late checkout (until 2 p.m.) for AARP members. And you can get a 20% discount if you book a stay at one of more than 150 resorts throughout the U.S. and Mexico through the Extra Holidays rental platform. To make a reservation, call 800-428-1932 and mention your AARP membership. Or book at www.extraholidays.com and use promotion code 8000000048.

Many all-inclusive resorts offer deep discounts of up to 50% to AARP members. For example, a springtime stay at Secrets The Vine Cancun, an adults-only resort in Mexico, was recently available starting at $908 per night for AARP members, compared with the standard rate of $1,396 per night. Finest Playa Mujeres by The Excellence Collection, a family-friendly resort in Mexico, recently offered AARP members springtime stays starting at $759 per night, down from $1,459 nightly. You can find a complete list of all-inclusive resort stays with discounts for AARP members at www.aarp.org/travel/vacation-ideas/all-inclusive.

Cruises

Cruises are particularly popular among retirees. Nearly 25% of all cruise passengers are 65 or older, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises offer discounts to older adults. The discounts are typically available to travelers 55 and older and hover at about 10% off. Some are available only for last-minute bookings. You usually must enter your date of birth while booking a cruise online, and when you check in, you may be asked to provide proof of your age with a government-issued ID.

On select cruises that you book through the AARP Travel Center, you can get up to $100 in credits for meals, spa services and other onboard expenses. AARP members can also get up to $200 in onboard credits with select Holland America cruises.

Emma Patch is a senior writer at Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine.For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.