More Savings Packages for Seniors

American and United Airlines are expanding the services and features of their respective senior travel clubs, both of which are built around the straight 10% across-the-board discount on air fares for those 65 years and over.

American has announced additional travel discounts to members of its Senior SAAvers Club of 15% off regular room rates at TraveLodge and Viscount hotels through Dec. 15, 1986. The program already includes discounts ranging from 25% to 50% off at participating Sheraton hotels worldwide.

Other new discounts and special offers for senior club members include 20% off regular rates on Caribbean and Mexico cruises offered by Norwegian Caribbean Lines and Princess Cruises, in addition to similar savings on Princess Cruises’ seven-day sailings to Alaska.

Special Prices

In addition, American’s Senior SAAvers Club members are offered special prices on Hawaiian condominium vacations at Aston Hotels and resorts, beginning at $130 per person for eight days and seven nights at a Waikiki studio suite. Also offered are special 10% discounts on a variety of Las Vegas tour packages between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31 of this year.

Membership in the carrier’s Senior SAAvers Club has an annual fee of $25 since the special charter membership fee of $25 ended July 1. Still offered is the $100 Companion Option, which allows a companion of any age the same 10% discount on travel with the mature traveler. Unlike some senior travel clubs offered by other carriers, such as Republic and Western, the American program allows for a different companion on any flight.

United Airlines’ Silver Wings Plus, also for seniors 65 years and older, is similar in prices and scope with hotel/motel, car rental, cruise and tour discounts.

United, however, is close to an agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for the carriers’ participation in the senior club.

This would open up discount fares to Europe, expected to be 10% through KLM, which once had its own senior discount but dropped it for 1986. Silver Wings senior members would also be offered KLM’s many European tours at special prices as well. Exact details are being settled and the announcement is expected soon.

For information on American Airlines Senior SAAvers Club, call (800) 433-7300. For United Airlines Silver Wings Plus, call (800) 232-4400.

There has been a resurgence in late summer and fall travel to Europe, led mostly by mature and senior travelers, according to industry reports by two major tour operators catering to the mature market.

Trafalgar Tours, a London, England-based tour operator that attracts many mature tourists for its lower-priced motorcoach tours of Europe, says its business has increased 20% in the last few weeks and “the Americans are coming back.”

Saga International Holidays also reports a substantial increase in the number of over-60 American customers signing up for European vacations.

Jerry Foster, Saga’s president, said bookings by Saga passengers have grown significantly over previous sales of the last six months and bookings from its new fall brochure are going very well.

“The resurgence of our customers . . . is consistent with the general current trend showing a steady rise in the number of European-bound American travelers,” Foster said.

Saga, which does not sell through travel agents, only through mail and toll-free calls, features escorted tours of France, Spain and Portugal, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia and Switzerland among its fall travel offerings.

New for Saga this fall is an Open House program which offers mature American visitors to Great Britain the opportunity to meet and share a meal with British Saga travelers in their own homes. Cost is $100 per person, which includes two nights’ hotel stay plus the home visit. Saga plans to match interests, backgrounds and, hopefully, professions of guests and the hosts. The Open House program is just one of several add-on holidays to any Saga European tour.

For more information on Saga Holidays fall offerings, which also include new domestic tours to the Great Smoky Mountains and other mid-South sites, the American Southwest and adventure travel programs to the Far East, Australia, South America and Kenya, call toll-free (800) 343-0273.

SST Tours (Senior Silver Travel) of El Toro, which caters to senior travel through several senior clubs and organizations, has an 18-day “Down Under Discovery” for those 60 years and over.

The tour visits Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and costs $2,549 per person from Los Angeles. Included are top hotels, a buffet breakfast daily and several special dinners, one in the Sydney Opera House. A late November departure is scheduled.

For the name and phone number of the senior travel club or organizations closest to you, call Silver Senior Travel at (800) 672-9922.