Air Deal Includes Canadian Cities

Air Canada will repeat its off-season “Freedom Flier” coupons for travelers 55 years and older on routes in North America between Oct. 11 and Dec. 15.

The program offers three trips to multiple destinations served by its own planes or connector carriers.

One is $499 per person for one trip with up to four stopovers, another is $599 for a trip with five to eight stopovers, and a third is $699 for a trip with nine to 12 stopovers.

For example, on the $499 fare, a participant could fly from Los Angeles to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary before returning home.

A companion of any age can accompany the mature traveler, providing that they travel together on all portions of the trip.

This year, people taking advantage of the Freedom Flier program will find a new wrinkle that allows the option of ground travel.

In exchange for one of the Freedom Flier coupons, mature travelers can obtain a seven-day pass on Greyhound Lines of Canada. But the offer is only good out of Winnipeg. The pass is good for any Greyhound motor coach between Winnipeg and Vancouver or Winnipeg and Montreal.

There is a 14-day advance booking requirement for the Freedom Flier fares, and a minimum travel period of seven days. There is also a $75 fee for a change in itinerary or a cancellation.

Air Canada has nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Toronto and Calgary with access to other Canadian cities.

For more information, contact a travel agent or call Air Canada at (800) 776-3000.

Here’s an update on SecondWind, the new club for mature travelers launched by the Senior Travel and Recreation Activities Council (STRAC).

For the past 10 years, STRAC has been helping California senior groups and associations plan trips, tours and cruises. SecondWind will do the same for individuals age 55 and over.

The number of companies who have pledged discounts or special rates to SecondWind members has grown from 65 to more than 100. They include major California theme parks, theaters, resorts, hotel chains and other sightseeing and entertainment services.

The Delta Queen Steamboat Co., which operates the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen on the Mississippi River, has just become a SecondWind member, as has Continental Airlines.

A club newsletter has started to alert members to new companies and discounts. Now in operation is a hot line for discounts.

Membership is $8 annually, $5 a year for a spouse who must be 55 or older. For more information, write SecondWind, P.O. Box 1142, Redondo Beach 90278.