Bereavement Fares

All About Bereavement Fares

Sadly, we all have or will ourselves in situations where we need to travel last minute due to a death or serious illness in the family. Most airlines offer discounts and open ended tickets for these situations called bereavement fares or compassion fares to those traveling to be with family. In most cases, these fares are available only for death, serious illness, hospitalization, or imminent death and are only for immediate family members (including grandparents, but not aunts, uncles, cousins or close friends).

Discounts vary by airline as well as by market and seat availability, but most range from a modest 15% upto 70%. Most airlines bereavement fares average about 50% off the lowest unrestricted fare available. If you are not accustomed to paying full-fare, you may well find that you can find a better deal elsewhere. Try or at least compare Priceline fares to the airlines bereavement ticket price.

What You Will Need to Provide
In addition to the your travel information (city pairs, dates, et cetera) you will need to provide the airline with the following information if you are flying on a bereavement fare:

In the case of a death in the family:
The full name of the deceased
Your specific relationship to the deceased
Name, phone number and contact for the funeral home
In some cases, a death certificate

In the case of a serious illness in the family:
The full name of the ill relative
Your specific relationship to the relative
The name, address, and phone number of the hospital or hospice program
The name of the attending physician

Alternatives
You should be aware that because you are paying based on the "unrestricted" or "full coach" fare when you purchase a bereavement ticket, it may very well be cheaper to opt for a discount airline or an online booking engine like Hotwire or Priceline for a bereavement fare. Try to compare the bereavement fare you were quoted to other last minute airfares and airfare bargains offered online and off. In some cases the airline itself may offer a cheaper fare on the same route due to a sale in that particular market, so always ask.

Restrictions & Caveats
Ask your airline about restrictions that apply to these bereavement fares before you book them. Some airlines place time restrictions on this type of travel. For example: you may find they are only available within 24 hours of death. In addition, many airlines will not offer bereavement discounts on international flights, some will require a death certificate in addition funeral home information, others will require you to let them know a few days in advance of your travel.

As mentioned above, a bereavement fare may not be your best bet in many cases; whenever you can, shop around. But keep in mind that if you do find a cheaper last-minute fare, it's probable that it will not be open-ended or changeable without a substantial fee. If you think your travel plans may change, you may find that having flexibility on your return date is invaluable.

Dealing with travel plans in the face of the death or illness of a loved one is incredibly difficult, and understandably many people in their haste do not think to ask for a bereavement or compassion fare. Many airlines will refund the difference of your ticket if you write to them and provide the appropriate details and paperwork even after you have returned home.