REMEMBER special airfares for children, seniors, the military and the bereaved?
They're still available, but in fewer numbers and places than they were 20 or even five years ago. Such fares save you money -- or not. And you may need a detective to find them.
Holdovers from a kinder, gentler era of flying decades ago when airlines were trying to drum up business, many special fares must be researched and booked the old-fashioned way, by telephone. Airlines' websites often reveal little.
For instance, Delta's website, www.delta.com, in one place says, "Children ages 2 and older must have a seat and pay a standard fare." In another, it states: "In some cases, we have discounted fares available for your infant or child under 12 years."
What to make of this?
When I asked Delta spokesman Anthony Black about special fares, he responded, by e-mail, "Delta may have fares for the select groups you mentioned, but in many cases the fares are specific to route, flight or season. They can only be acquired by calling our reservation number, (800) 221-1212."
It's almost as if the cash-strapped airlines don't want you to know about these deals.
"These are all revenue-diluting fares," said Kathryn Sudeikis, president of the American Society of Travel Agents, which is based in Alexandria, Va. "They have been disappearing for several years."
At one airline, there is none.
JetBlue Airways doesn't offer any deals for special groups -- not for children, seniors, the bereaved or even the military. That's been the low-cost carrier's policy since its founding in 2000, said spokesman Brandon Hamm.
"Traditionally, we have lower fares in most of our markets," he said. So presumably, there's no need for special discounts.
In fact, a low-cost carrier's walk-up fare may be cheaper than another airline's bereavement fare. But not always. And a "discounted" child fare may cost more than an airline's lowest adult fare.
Such are the eccentricities of special fares. Some are deals, but sniffing them out can require dogged research.
Or you could save time by hiring a professional, especially when trying to land a last-minute fare to attend a funeral or visit an ailing relative.
"Travel agents are very resourceful," Sudeikis said. "You've got to be creative."
