Senior Discount air fares for international flights

[EDMOND LONG]

I have my pensioner visa, and wish to travel back to the US for three weeks and return. I can not seem to locate an airline who honors the Seniors discount so often said to exist. I sent an inquiry to the US Embassy in Quito who said they could not provide any information.
Does anyone know which airline honors the Ecuador Senior discount for international travel, and how to actually purchase the ticket ahead of flying? By the way, I do not live in Quito or Guayaquil, so a quick trip to the airline ticket counter is not an easy option, but if there is no other option, I will do it if I can actually get the discount. NO offense to anyone, but I need to hear from someone who has actually purchased a senior discount ticket and flown internationally, and not “I heard”…..etc.

Muchas gracias.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Have you tried a travel agency? The problem is that they will add a transaction fee and that’s why it is best to go to the airline office.

I have not done this myself, as I am not officially a “senior” and therefore don’t qualify for this benefit. I know you don’t want anecdotal information, but here is what I’ve heard from others:

You must be 65 and have your resident visa. Travel must initiate in Ecuador. The discount will be given on the fare portion only (not on taxes or other fees). Most airlines only extend the discount on the initial flight (say, from Ecuador to your US hub) and not on any consecutive flights… for example if you are flying on from that hub to Detroit or Denver, etc.

The exception is LAN, and they will give the discount on consecutive legs, which is great if you are traveling in South America, but I don’t believe they offer any flights past US hubs.

For Delta and American, I’m told you must visit the airline office… perhaps you can do it by phone, I am unsure about that. All airlines are required to honor the discount rate and that discount “should” be given on sale fairs.

I wish I could be more help. Please report back about your experience with this?

[EDMOND LONG]

Thank you Susan for your input.

I can report that I have managed to work my way through my question\problem with positive results to book my flight, with discount, on United Airlines. Hopefully the steps are the same with the other carriers.

The key element appears to be, to book your travel reservation through the “Ecuador” office of the air carrier you wish to travel on. Let them know you wish to book using your senior discount benefit, AND have your resident visa. Your travel must begin and end(return to) in Ecuador. I can not speak for the other airlines, but United provides the discount for the complete round trip to destination and return, not just to the US hub, or first US stop of the airline. In my case, from Quito, to Houston, to San Francisco, and return from San Francisco, to Houston, to Quito. It is important to note that you can book a reservation with any United reservations office, or book online with no assistance, but those methods will not be able to provide the senior discount on the amount calculated and charged for the cost of the ticket. They will tell you they know nothing about the discount. To receive the discounted fare, you must call or go to one of the carriers Ecuador offices, where you must present your current\valid Ecuador ID card, before actually purchasing the ticket. I was able to book my reservation with discount calculated by calling the United Quito office, then providing when I would appear in the office to complete the purchase with payment. There may be airlines which may allow you to fax a copy of your ID to the ticket office, but I preferred, at least for this first purchase, to be there with any possible required document in my hand, and walk away with my ticket receipt. I was also able to leave a copy of my cedula with the United Ticket Office in Quito for future use. One additional thing worth mentioning, always ask if there are any current fare promotions being offered by the airline, because your discount can be applied if purchasing those promotional fares. Untied provides the telephone number and locations for Ecuador ticket\reservations on their website so I will not post it here.
I do not currently live in Quito, Guayaquil, or Cuenca, but on the Manabi coast, so I made a 6 hour bus ride, one way to Quito to complete the advance purchase of my ticket. That meant another 6 hours on the bus to return to the coast, but the amount of the fare discount I received made the journey worth it. I should also restate, as Susan posted, that the discount is on the cost of the fare, not the taxes and fees added to the cost of the ticket. (Who knows, maybe I will move to Quito in the future.)
I hope this learning experience for me, will benefit others who may find themselves facing the challenge of how to take advantage of the air travel discount available to seniors who have established residency in Ecuador.
Buena suerte.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Thanks, Edmond, for sharing this valuable information!

[EI EXPERT – EDD STATON]

I’ve got great news for your future travel, Edmond. I discovered in booking multi-destination flights from Guayaquil to Santago, then Buenos Aires back to Guayaquil (my wife and I are going on a cruise in March) that on both Orbitz and Expedia you can get the senior fare without any of that hassle. There is a tab for adults and another one for seniors. My wife’s ticket was $717; mine was only $484. This apparently applies to international travel only. I had to visit the local Tame airlines office to get the senior discount on the roundtrip from Cuenca to Guayaquil and back.

[EDMOND LONG]

Thanks Edd.

Have fun on your cruise and visits to Santiago and Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is next on my list of cities to visit in South America. So far, I’ve checked off the cities of Belo Horizonte and Rio in Brasil, and Medellin, Colombia.
The Orbitz and Expedia age option category is an option for international travel, but somehow it did not yield the same amount of discount I received directly from United prior to making my reservation through the Quito office. It is possible I screwed something up when filling out the online request for flights. I have discovered that on many sites, if I do not click on the page after making a category selection, and then use the down arrow so see more of the page, the prior selected category choice may change. Ugh!! I think for me, the major frustration was\is the lack of a consistent, or standard way, for accessing or applying the discount benefit for any flight you would book that originates from Ecuador. And yes, I already know not to hold my breath waiting for “standard” governmental guidelines to be issued to all the airlines flying from Ecuador and within the country.

There was an additional benefit of my booking through the local United Quito office, and why I mentioned to inquire about special promotional fares that may not be available through only online booking with Orbits or Expedia. My economy fare through the local United office, Quito to San Francisco, went from about $1100.00 to $662. Being a 6 footer, with that amount of savings, I immediately inquired about Economy Plus seating for the additional legroom all the way to SF and return. In the past, I would only purchase an Economy Plus seat for the longest leg of the trip. That prompted finding that United had a Business Class, aka “First Class”, fare promotion for the complete round trip that would cost only a few dollars more than upgrading to Economy Pus seating for the entire round trip….and still save myself hundreds of dollars less than the $1100 standard economy fare. That meant more leg room, food, beverages, more baggage weight, and usually bonus miles added to my United MilagePlus membership.

I am not saying that this very fortunate for me promotion will exist for my next visit to the SF Bay area. I’m simply saying that it may be worthwhile not to leave stones unturned that you now know exist, that are possibly easily accessed via a telephone call and some personal interaction. Then again, I know it is an additional hassle, but if “additional hassle” easily deterred any of us ex-pats living here, we would not be here.

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