Senior Discounts Archives

It’s always a pleasure to see a show at the local theater, especially when there is so much choice available. There are over 2,500 regional theaters across the USA, hosting a huge variety of shows every year including major tours like Jersey Boys, to classic ballets like Swan Lake. Making theater tickets accessible
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for seniors to book their tickets for these productions. If you are a wheelchair user or otherwise restricted in your movement, you may have noticed that there is very little accessibility information available online when booking tickets. In fact, only 2 in 10 live entertainment venues offer online booking for access customers. Making theater tickets accessible
Most of the time, patrons with access requirements will have to pay to call up theaters just to find out whether or not they will be able to see the show. Should customers have to field these costs just to find out if they can go to a theatre? Making theater tickets accessible
If you’ve found yourself struggling to buy tickets for a show or an event, you’re not alone. This matter was recently raised in the UK, and in December 2016 the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers met for the first time about online accessibility requirements. Led by Nimbus Disability, attendees shared their understanding of accessible requirements in ticketing and outlined what steps need to be taken to improve the online experience for disabled and elderly ticket-buyers.
The workshop concluded that lots more needs to be done to both improve the quality and quantity of access content available online, and also to allow customers to book online free of charge. Sadly, many customers still aren’t aware of the access facilities available to them at venues, which is preventing them from booking.
Fortunately some organisations are leading the way in providing accessible information to theater-goers. Ticketmaster have introduced online ticketing for access customers, whilst start-up companies like SeatPlan are providing detailed accessibility guides online like this one.
If you’re finding you cannot get the information you need online to buy your tickets, be sure to let venues know about it. You can also enquire about concession or access discounts over the phone or via email, as these are not always well advertised online. This should enable you to see shows for less, whilst encouraging venues to make changes that will help you in future.
By Cameron Lund, SeatPlan

Bargains for Travelers over 50
Empty nesters, retirees and busy baby boomers can all take advantage of travel deals to plan a great getaway. If you’re over age 50, there’s a bargain for you. Bargains for Travelers over 50
National Parks. The America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – Senior Pass. For $10, U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over can get a lifetime pass to any federal recreation site, which admits the pass holder and all car passengers in for free. It also provides a 50 percent discount on some fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming and boating. The pass can only be obtained in person at the park. Visit www.nps.gov for more details.
Educational Tours
Don’t let the name fool you – Elderhostel offers nearly 8000 educational tours in all 50 states and in 90 countries around the world. Their Web site, www.elderhostel.org, showcases many tours under $600 including:

A three-night Napa Valley winery trip
A five-night service trip in Maryland to help build a Heifer Global Village
A one-night Dine Like a Critic experience in Cambridge, MA
A three-day digital photography class in Raquette Lake, New York

Cruises
There are cruise deals aplenty these days. Talking with a travel agent and searching online can turn up some significant savings. If you are interested in a specialty cruise for seniors only, visitwww.cruisecompete.com, a cost comparison site. Searching under the seniors category will list offerings from various cruise lines and lets you compare features and pricing. Cruises for the end of 2009 and well into 2010 are listed.
Active Vacations
If sitting around the pool is too tame for you, look into the many active vacations available. The travel site www.away.com lists the Top 10 Active Baby Boomer Vacations. Affordable options include biking in Vermont, birding in Alaska,
trekking the Appalachian Trail in Maine, horseback riding in Wyoming, hiking in Colorado.
There is also Passport in Time, a volunteer archaeology and historic preservation program of the USDA Forest Service. Work with professional archaeologists and historians on archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts. You must submit an application, be chosen, and be ready to pitch a tent or pay for accommodations nearby. Find out more at www.passportintime.com.
GENERAL MONEY-SAVING TIPS

Joining AARP nets discounts on hotels, rental cars, vacation packages and more. At www.aarp.org, they also have a Trend Tracker that lets you evaluate the least expensive hotel and flight prices for the time of year you want to travel.
Combining air fare, hotel and rental car costs under a package deal can often save quite a bit of money. Do some homework, however, and compare the package price with the total cost of booking each element separately to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Sign up for promotional emails from several hotel, airline and travel sites, such aswww.expedia.com, www.orbitz.com and www.travelocity.com. You’ll receive alerts on special promotions and fare reductions. Sites such as www.transitionsabroad.com have helpful travel tips and resources that can save you time and money.