How to Use the British Airways AARP Discount to Save Up To $200 on Flights

Updated February 27, 2017

One of the greatest, consistent ways to save on flights us via a very unsuspecting source – AARP.

As an AARP member, you’re eligible to save…

• $65* off for travel in World Traveller (economy)
• $130* off for travel in World Traveller Plus (premium economy)
• $200* off for travel in Club World (business class)
• $200* off for travel in First

Now, I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not 55+? Yes, I know – probably most of you aren’t. But the fact is that anyone can join. I’m in my twenties and a proud, card-carrying AARP member.

In general, the flights you book need to be marketed and operated by British Airways (or marketed by BA, but operated by AA), not be intra-Europe, be only round-trip (no open jaws, etc.), and are only available online, for the AARP member only. Those are some fairly easy rules to abide by, so don’t let any of that freak you out.

An AARP membership will only you set you back about $15 a year, but the savings will outweigh these costs more than you can imagine.

STEP 1: Login into British Airways and AARP

Head to British Airways’ dedicated AARP discount page, and login using your AARP credentials.

Your login ID will be verified and you’ll be directed to a specific British Airways AARP booking page.

STEP 2: Search for Flights

Plug in your preferred flight details just as you would normally.

STEP 3: Select your Flights

On the next screen, you’ll see a listing of the flights available as well as the discounted costs, highlighted in red. You can search for economy, premium economy, business or first class fares. On this sample JFK to LHR routing, you’ll notice a one-way economy ticket is $370, which is very good for this route. Even Business Class is pretty cheap for these random dates I selected.

STEP 4: Book Your Flights

Once you have your flights selected, you’ll go through the normal booking process, where you’ll be able to select seats (for a fee) and enter your credit card details. If you are a British Airways VISA cardholder, enter the code “CARDOFFERU” to receive 10% off your purchase.

The AARP discounted prices are reflected when you search, so the price you see on the final page is the price you’ll pay.

Is this legal?

Of course. Anyone can become an AARP member, so this is a perfectly legitimate discount. It’s just like using your AAA membership to receive a cheaper hotel rate.

Will I earn miles and status credit for my flights?

Yes.

Can I cancel, change or refund my ticket?

That depends on the fare rules of the ticket. Like most cheaper tickets, you can’t make any adjustments beyond the 24 hour “cooling off period.”

I have multiple people traveling with me who aren’t AARP members. Can they receive the discount too?

No, only the AARP member can. That said, at only around $15 a year, there’s no excuse as to why they can’t be AARP members, too.

Is this discount a scam? Is it only available on the third Thursday of the month on leap years when the full moon is out?

It’s a very real, and very available discount. You’ll find multiple opportunities to use it during the year where sales price our itineraries at less than $2,000 for round-trip Business Class, which is outstanding. In many cases, you’ll be able to come close to $1,000 for these trips. If you’re an economy traveler, you’ll save as well.

Did you know about the AARP discount and how it can save you up to $200 on British Airways flights?