How to use AARP discounts

If your upcoming family vacation ideas include a multigenerational trip with one or more seniors, or a grandparent-grandchild skip-gen vacation, chances are you’re already familiar with AARP.

The organization, once known as the American Association of Retired Persons, caters to people 50 years and older and has touted special membership travel deals for decades. AARP discounts can be a useful option if you can’t find a better deal somewhere else.

The best AARP discount that almost anyone can use is its hotel discounts program. AARP has winnowed its list down to four giant multinational chains plus two large independents. But those four giant chains – Choice Hotels, Hilton, Radisson and Wyndham – together operate more than 50 individual brands that cover the complete price spectrum, and AARP discounts can come in handy when booking with them.

Also participating in the AARP discounts program are Best Western, Motel 6, Studio 6, and Extra Holidays. The deal is generally up to 10% off the usual rate and 15% percent at a few.

Other organizations, notably AAA, get the same kinds of travel discounts, and many other hotels give similar discounts to any seniors. This AARP discount is a classic fallback option that’s useful if you can’t find a better price some other way.

In the past, many U.S.-based airlines offered helpful senior discounts on flights, but the days of cheap flights for seniors are long gone. AARP’s only current airline deal is a discount on British Airways’ round-trip flights: $65 off in economy class, $200 in other classes.

AARP’s rental car discounts are with the Avis family – Avis, Budget and Payless – and these same AARP discounts are generally available elsewhere. However, the AARP discount with Avis and Budget does include a waiver of the extra-driver fee and a discounted GPS, so you could potentially save more money with an AARP car rental discount than through other discount offers.