I’m over 60; where are my travel perks?

There was a time when I could walk through an airport almost on autopilot. After spending 23 years as a flight attendant and decades traveling around the world, airports became familiar territory. I knew the routines. I understood the systems. I knew how to move through a terminal efficiently and what was happening behind the scenes when other passengers were trying to figure it all out. Then life changed. I had brain surgery. Today, I travel with a brain implant. I am also over 60. These two realities have changed the way I think about travel—not because I’ve suddenly stopped wanting to see the world, but because I have learned that being an experienced traveler doesn’t mean I have to make travel unnecessarily difficult. In fact, one of the smartest things we can do as we get older is learn what help, protections, discounts, and accommodations are already available to us. And some of them are FREE.

I Don’t Feel Like a “Senior Traveler”

Let’s start there. I don’t suddenly feel incapable because I’m over 60. I still want beautiful hotels. I still appreciate first class. I still want cultural experiences, good food, beautiful destinations, and a little luxury along the way. But I also know my body differently now. Brain surgery taught me the difference between being able to do something and needing to prove I can. I don’t need to exhaust myself walking through a massive airport to say I did it independently. I don’t need to struggle silently through security if I have questions about how my medical circumstances may affect screening. And I certainly don’t need to turn down a discount because somebody decided to call it a “senior discount.” If I qualify, I’m asking. After all, I earned these years. So here are a few travel benefits and protections worth knowing about.

1. TSA Cares: One of the Best-Kept Secrets at the Airport

I spent more than two decades working on airplanes, yet services like this have taken on an entirely different meaning for me now. TSA Cares is a free program for travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, and other circumstances who may need additional assistance during security screening. Travelers can contact TSA Cares before traveling to ask questions about what to expect at the checkpoint. You can also request assistance from a Passenger Support Specialist. TSA recommends making that request at least 72 hours before your flight. This isn’t about being incapable of getting through security. It’s about removing unnecessary uncertainty. When you have a medical condition or device, knowing what to expect can be as important as the assistance itself.

EbonyTravelers Tip: Don’t wait until you’re standing in the security line feeling anxious or trying to explain something complicated. Find out what you need to know before you leave home.

2. Airport Wheelchair Assistance Isn’t Something to Be Embarrassed About

I want to say this especially to my fellow independent travelers: Stop thinking that requesting assistance means you’ve somehow become less capable. For qualifying passengers with disabilities, airlines must provide airport assistance, such as wheelchair or guided assistance. Depending on your needs, that assistance can include getting through the airport, making connections, and reaching baggage claim or the pickup area. There is no prize waiting at the gate because you walked two miles through a terminal when your body was telling you otherwise. Sometimes saving your energy for the destination is the smarter travel decision. I understand that much better now than I did when I was the flight attendant watching passengers come aboard.

3. You May Be Entitled to Preboard

Here’s another benefit travelers sometimes hesitate to use. Passengers with disabilities who identify themselves at the gate as needing additional time or assistance to board, stow accessibility equipment, or get seated must generally be allowed to board before other passengers. Again, this isn’t a special privilege simply for being over 60. It’s an accommodation based on need. And if you legitimately need it, use it. Boarding early can mean less rushing, less navigating around other passengers, and more time to get settled safely. My younger self might have thought, “I’ll be fine.” My over-60 self asks a different question: Why make this harder than it needs to be?

4. Know the Rules for Your Medical and Assistive Devices

Traveling with a medical device changes things. That’s why I no longer believe in simply arriving at the airport and hoping everything goes smoothly. Before flying, I want to know how my particular medical circumstances may affect screening. I want documentation readily accessible when appropriate. I want to know the airline’s procedures. And if I’m traveling internationally, I want to understand whether anything changes at my destination. For qualifying passengers with disabilities, assistive devices can be carried onboard free of charge, subject to applicable safety requirements, and they don’t count toward the normal carry-on limit. That can include certain medical devices and medications. Do your research before travel day. A medical device that is familiar to you may not be familiar to every airport or airline employee you encounter. Knowledge helps you advocate for yourself calmly.

5. Learn These Three Letters: CRO

Here’s one I suspect many experienced travelers have never heard of: CRO — Complaints Resolution Official. If you believe an airline isn’t properly addressing a disability-related accommodation issue, ask for the airline’s CRO. Airlines must make a CRO available during operating hours, either in person or by telephone, at no cost. This person is specifically trained to handle disability accommodation issues. That doesn’t mean every inconvenience warrants demanding a CRO. It means you should know your rights before you need them. That’s informed movement.

6. At 62, America Becomes One Big Travel Discount

This one I absolutely plan to claim. U.S. citizens and residents age 62 and older can purchase an America the Beautiful Senior Pass. There is an annual pass, but the one that caught my attention is the Lifetime Senior Pass. It currently costs $80 for life. The pass covers entrance fees and standard day-use fees at participating federal recreation lands, including National Park Service sites, and may also provide discounts on certain amenity fees. If you’ve been putting off exploring America’s national parks, perhaps your 60s are the perfect time. Being a senior suddenly isn’t sounding so bad, is it?

7. Ask for the Senior Discount

This may be the easiest travel hack on this entire list. Ask. Hotels. Trains. Museums. Attractions. Public transportation. Tours. Restaurants. Rental cars. The qualifying age isn’t universal, and not every business offers a senior rate. But I have learned that we sometimes leave benefits on the table simply because we don’t ask. My new question is: “Do you offer a senior rate or discount?” It costs nothing to ask.

8. Don’t Confuse Independence With Doing Everything Yourself

This may be the biggest travel hack I’ve learned. Before brain surgery, I looked at travel through the eyes of someone who had spent much of her adult life moving. I worked airplanes. I crossed continents. I raised children overseas. I lived internationally. Travel was simply part of who I was. Then something happened that reminded me that our bodies can change even when our curiosity about the world hasn’t. I haven’t lost my independence. I’ve changed my definition of it. Independence is knowing what I need and being confident enough to ask for it. There is power in that.

For Travelers of Color, Knowing the System Matters

Another reason I believe this conversation belongs on EbonyTravelers is this. As travelers of color, many of us have learned to enter unfamiliar spaces prepared. We think about how we may be perceived. We pay attention to rules. We sometimes prepare ourselves for additional questions or scrutiny. Add aging, a disability, or a medical condition to that experience, and preparation becomes even more important. Knowing what you’re entitled to doesn’t mean entering an airport expecting a problem. It means entering informed. Know the policy. Know what assistance you’ve requested. Keep important medical information accessible. Know whom to ask for when something isn’t being handled appropriately. And most importantly, don’t allow embarrassment to keep you from using a service that exists to make travel safer or more accessible.

My Travel Has Changed. My Desire to Travel Hasn’t.

I am over 60. I have survived brain surgery. I travel with a brain implant. And I have decades of travel experience behind me. Those aren’t competing identities. They are all part of the traveler I am today. I may move through an airport differently now. I may give myself more time. I may ask more questions. I may accept assistance I once wouldn’t have considered. And yes, I’m going to start looking for every legitimate senior discount I can find. Because traveling smarter isn’t admitting that you’re getting old, it’s recognizing that experience should teach us something. I spent years learning how to travel. Now I’m learning how to travel for the woman I am today. And perhaps that’s the greatest travel perk of getting older: You finally stop traveling to prove that you can—and start traveling in the way that takes the best care of you.

Before Your Next Trip

Check the official TSA and airline requirements for your individual medical circumstances before you travel. Assistance programs and disability accommodations aren’t simply “senior perks,” and eligibility depends on the service and your individual needs. Then ask yourself one question: What could I do differently on my next trip that would make the journey easier on me? I’d love to hear your answer. Because at EbonyTravelers, I believe travel isn’t just about where we’re going. It’s about learning how to move through the world informed, prepared, and confident at every stage of life.