Business Class for Seniors

It is worth saying plainly, because a great deal of writing on this subject implies otherwise. A handful of carriers have run senior fares over the years, almost always in economy and usually on domestic routes, and where they survive they are regularly matched or beaten by a normal promotional fare available to anyone.

In long haul business class, age based pricing is essentially absent. Nobody is holding back a cheaper flat bed for travelers over sixty five. Anyone suggesting otherwise is describing a discount that comes from somewhere else and attaching an age to it.

That is not bad news. It simply means the route to a better price is the same as it is for everybody: which airlines compete on your route, when you travel, and whether the fare is bought on the published channel or a contracted one.

Direct aisle access is the specification worth paying attention to above all others. In a layout where every seat reaches the aisle without climbing over a neighbour, getting up in the night is a non event. In an older cabin without it, a window seat means either waking someone or not moving for eight hours.

Bed length and firmness matter more than seat width for most people, and both are published if you check the aircraft rather than the airline. A cabin with adjustable mattress firmness is genuinely more comfortable for anyone whose back objects to a flat hard surface.

The lavatory position is rarely discussed and frequently decides how comfortable a long flight is. A seat immediately beside one is noisier and busier all night; a seat at the far end of a small cabin can mean a longer walk than you want in the dark. Neither shows up in a fare comparison.

Connection time is where most difficulty actually arises, not the flight itself. Published minimum connections assume a brisk walk and no queue. On a long journey it is worth deliberately choosing a longer layover, and if a hub is large, asking which terminals are involved before booking rather than discovering the distance on the day.

Airport assistance is free, underused and needs booking in advance, usually at least forty eight hours before departure. It is not only for wheelchair users: it covers long distances, connections and immigration queues, and requesting it does not affect your seat or your fare in any way.

Overnight direction is worth a thought too. Eastbound transatlantic flights are short nights that land in the morning; westbound returns are long days. Travelers who sleep poorly on aircraft often do better spending on the daytime leg, where the seat gets used awake, and treating the overnight as the cheaper one.