Seniors’ Discount Fares

Question: How can I find which airlines offer senior citizen discounts?

Answer: Travel agents and individual airlines are the only reliable sources of this constantly changing information. Be careful, however, even when checking with them, not just to specify that you are looking for senior citizen fares because in some instances airlines offer special excursions and super-saver fares that are cheaper than their senior citizen discount.

Q: What precautions should I take to avoid re - entry problems when traveling abroad with my foreign-made camera and hunting guns?

A: Carry documents proving prior possession such as a bill of sale, insurance policy or customs registration certificate. Guns can be registered at customs or at a field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Find out beforehand if countries you’re visiting allow you to carry firearms.

Q: How can I select the seats I want when an airline assigns them at time of booking?

A: Ask to see a seating plan for the aircraft. If you are a nonsmoker or have long legs, pay particular attention to the closeness of smoking zones and emergency exits that often have more legroom. Airline Seating Guides, P.O. Box 888, Los Alamitos, Calif. 90720, show seat plans for all domestic ($29.95) and international carriers ($34.95).

Q: I’m driving to Mackinac Island in Michigan. What’s to see and do?

A: You must leave your car at either St. Ignace or Mackinaw City and take the ferry. Transportation on the island is by horse, buggy or bicycle. Among attractions are a colonial fort and Americana exhibits. Among hotels is the Grand, a major resort offering tennis, golf and other recreation.

Q: As rail buffs, we’d like to ride to Canada’s Hudson Bay. What’s the service like?

A: First-class trains, including a dining car, run between Winnipeg and Churchill on Hudson Bay. The trip takes two days. Your travel agent or Via Rail Canada, 2 Place Villa Marie, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2G6 Canada, has details.

Q: I would like to do some shopping in Europe. How can I find out what stores to visit, appropriate prices and what type of merchandise to look for?

A: Many airlines have shopping tips for the destinations they fly to that may give you some ideas. Also, most foreign tourist offices have free brochures on this subject. You’ll also find this information in the travel guides available at bookstores or public libraries.

Q: We’ll be traveling to some tropical regions. Is there still a serious risk of malaria?

A: Malaria-bearing mosquitoes are found in about 100 countries with varying degrees of risk. For details contact the International Assn. for Medical Assistance to Travelers, 736 Center St., Lewiston, N.Y. 14092.

Q: Where is there a resort hotel in the Caribbean that lets you do your own cooking and teaches you to prepare native dishes?

A: The Sugar Mill Hotel on Tortola, British Virgin Islands, has a cooking class for guests. Jinx and Jeff Morgan, two food and wine writers, are the instructors. Contact International Travel & Resorts, 25 West 39th St., New York 10018.