Among the benefits of AARP membership are $400 off British Airways First and Business Class fares. There’s no age requirement to join AARP (membership is just $16 annually and can be had instantly).
Four hundred dollars is not a lot of money, which is why FCF stopped covering this deal, which has been around for a long time. However, with British Airways increasing expansion into EasyUp fares, which start at $1,400 round-trip between the U.S. and Europe in Business Class, knocking off another $400 can bring the ticket down to the cost of coach. That’s worth doing, and the program has just been extended for another year.
The discount also applies to the new 2-to-8 Business Class fares. Combining the current 2-to-8 fare and the $400 AARP discount nets a 50-day advance Business Class Boston-Madrid ticket for $1,877 (see screenshot to the right). The discount also applies on BA code-share flights to Europe (American and Iberia). AARP membership can also reduce hotel prices, rail tickets, cruise, and more.
What We’re Seeing BA Do More Of: Compete
The most recent example of such savings is a $1,616 Business Class fare BA offered from Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, DC to London. Add in the $400 discount and the fare dropped to an unbelievable $1,216 round-trip.
For perspective, that’s up to $250 less than the cash surcharge American and United require to upgrade from Business to First Class with miles. You’re also saving 40,000 to 50,000 miles if you snag one of these new fares.