April 14, 2003 -- Summer vacation is coming up, so why not take the kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa? Or vice versa, bring them to you. ATA and America West are both running sales on seniors' fares, and ATA has a sale for kids as well.
ATA's sale covers 43 destinations across the US, Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean. If you're not familiar with ATA, they've been flying for more than 20 years and are based in Chicago and Indianapolis; you may have to change planes in Chicago for longer flights. They've got a great safety record, although they're notorious for delays.
This is a good airline for visiting-family trips, because they often offer discounts on the many smaller, mostly Midwestern markets they serve -- places like Flint, MI and Cedar Rapids, IA.
The kids' fares on this sale are pretty good, though we found other airlines undercutting them on various routes. Anyway, they don't apply to unaccompanied minors, so you're stuck paying an adult fare as well. The real sale here is on the senior fares, because the major airlines aren't trying as hard to compete.
ATA defines seniors as over age 62 -- and nowadays, that describes many people in the prime of their lives. People over 62 who don't feel like doddering oldsters can use this sale to lock in some great fares to holiday destinations throughout the summer and fall.
(Since September 2001, all of the major airlines have gotten rid of their senior discounts. United and US Airways still offer senior coupon-book programs, but the prices on the couponed tickets are often higher than regular fares. Alaska, America West, ATA, Frontier, Hawaiian, Midwest and Southwest airlines have all kept their senior discounts. This sale goes well beyond the usual 10% off you'd find with a senior discount.)
Great senior vacation fares in this sale include Chicago to Aruba for $298 plus tax; Chicago to Cancun for $258; Indianapolis to Cancun for $238; Minneapolis to Cancun for $318; Chicago to Las Vegas for $138 or 10 other cities to Las Vegas for $158.
Other senior fares that are at a more-than-usual discount: Des Moines, Flint, Grand Rapids and Moline to Orlando for $138; Philadelphia to Phoenix. San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle for $218; and Chicago to Dallas for $138. Find the full list of fares at www.ata.com/sales/general/sonny_chair030407_pg1.html.
To get these fares, purchase at www.ata.com by April 21. Blackout days and restrictions vary by destination, but generally, these fares don't apply to flights on Fridays-Sundays and are good for flights through September 30.
Finding the great senior fares on America West can be very difficult, as they've made searching for fares on their Web site quite confusing. Still, they match the ATA fares on routes such as Boston to Seattle for $218 and Milwaukee to Las Vegas for $158. We found their fares higher than ATA's on some other routes. For instance, America West flogs flights from Phoenix to Des Moines for $198, whereas on ATA's senior sale it comes in at a cool $158.
Just like the ATA fares, these tickets are available only to folks 62 and over. A seven-day advance purchase is required, there are various blackout dates, and these fares are good for flights on or before August 28. Purchase by April 21 at www.americawest.com/specials or, better, call 800/235-9292 and ask about their senior sale fares.
