Options include variety of packages, discounts

Travel agents, tour companies and airlines are well aware that a large portion of the traveling public is made up of seniors. Many tour packages are targeted specifically to the retirement-age traveler, although discounts aren't always particularly allotted to that age group.

Most airlines offer an across-the-board 10 percent discount to people 62 and older, and there are often published discounts on certain destinations that provide even deeper cuts in fares for seniors, said Melissa Dumler, travel agent with Carlson Wagonlit Travel-McDaniel Travel.

Many airlines also offer coupon books for travel within the contiguous United States, Dumler said. The coupon booklet, ranging in cost from $550 to $596 for four coupons, comes with certain stipulations. The traveler must use the coupons within a one-year period and book flights at least 14 days in advance. Round-trip tickets usually require two coupons. The value of the coupons depends upon the destination chosen.

Hotel and car rental agencies may also offer discounts for seniors age 50 or 55 and older, but these are usually tied to membership in an organization, such as the American Association of Retired Persons, Dumler said.

To save on some package tours, seniors can make use of off-season rates. This often results in discounts, according to Linda Strait, owner of House of Travel.

"They can take advantage of the nice spring and fall weather, and avoid the summer crowds while saving money," Strait said.

If the senior has a flexible schedule and doesn't mind whirlwind planning, it is not uncommon to find highly discounted cruises or charter flights that haven't booked up, but sometimes the trick is to get to the appointed area quickly.

From the Midwest, it is hard to get anywhere without flying, and at the last minute this can prove expensive, Strait said. People who want to shop price should rely on a travel agent, she said.

"We have the resources to find what they want, they just have to tell us what they are looking for," Strait said.

Many grandparents are traveling with their grandchildren. Special tours are available that offer things of interest to both age groups, along with time apart to give the senior a break during the trip.

Theme vacations are available with trips centering around national parks or a trip to Disney World with special activities, such as a week of study with a top chef, Strait said.

Many trips and travel discounts are advertised the Internet, but seniors should be wary beforedisclosing credit card numbers, said Linda Overend, owner of Ozark World Travel.

It is still wise to have a travel agent look at what they are planning, she said, because "not all that is out there is for real." Overend advises seniors to plan major trips well in advance and give themselves time to read up on the places they will visit, buy clothes and get ready. "Half the fun is in the anticipation," she said.

Travel agents agree that Alaska is a popular destination for seniors, and a variety of trips are available on both land and sea.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel-McDaniel Travel has three Alaska cruises scheduled for the summer of 2000. Two will be in July and one in August.

Sunnyland Tours has also scheduled an Alaska tour for the fourth year in a row beginning in late August, said Sara Carr, tour director at Sunnyland.

The tour includes a five-day land package, with a trip to pan for gold at the El Dorado Gold Mine and a train ride to Denali National Park. The balance of the trip will be spent on a cruise ship with shore excursions at the ports of call, Carr said.

And faraway places are not the only attractions. Sunnyland will start its Branson day-trip season for 2000 with a dinner theater trip to the Baldknobbers' opening show March 4. The $55 fee includes transportation, dinner and the show, according to Carr.

One of Sunnyland's top-selling air trips is scheduled in May of this year, Carr said. Titled Broadway and The Big Apple, the trip includes a sightseeing tour of New York plus a visit to the popular Broadway play "The Lion King."