Full Answer
Which airlines still offer bereavement fares?
Bereavement Fare Policy. While fares offered under the bereavement policy vary in price, the additional flexibility may be beneficial to accommodate unexpected changes in your travel plans. This policy, however, can only be applied by calling Delta Reservations at 800-221-1212 for domestic flights or 800-241-4141 for international flights.
Does any airline offer bereavement fares?
Airlines that offer discounted bereavement fares today include Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa and WestJet. These airlines all require that the passenger is an immediate family member , and is able to provide details of the person who has passed on, and the funeral arrangements.
How to get a bereavement airline fare?
You also must be a SkyMiles member and be prepared to provide the following information:
- Deceased person’s name
- Customer’s relationship to the deceased
- Name and phone number of funeral home, hospital, or hospice
- Name of doctor (if applicable)
Can you get Bereavement flights?
Bereavement flights used to be a common offering, but now, only two U.S. airlines still offer them: Delta and Alaska Airlines. In respect to this, can you get a discount on airfare for a funeral? Bereavement fares, so-called because they offer some form of discounted travel if you are suddenly called to a relative's funeral , were once a common ...
Does British Airways offer bereavement flights?
Airlines With No Bereavement Fares These include: American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. United Airlines has discontinued the bereavement discount, but will refund change fees on flights affected by unplanned events.Nov 2, 2017
What qualifies for a bereavement flight?
In order to qualify for a bereavement fare, you may have to provide the airline with information about the person who died, including: The name of the person who died. The passenger's relationship to the person who died. The name, phone number, and address of the funeral home.
How much of a discount is a bereavement fare?
Bereavement fares do offer a discount, usually around 50 percent, but only off the highest unrestricted fares, which are often exorbitantly priced. Even at half price, these fares may still be quite expensive.Sep 14, 2009
Do airlines give discounts flying for a funeral?
While many carriers have traditionally offered discounted bereavement fares to those traveling to a funeral, those fares are largely a thing of the past. American and United have discontinued bereavement fares, and newer carriers like Southwest never even offered them.Mar 28, 2019
Which family members are included in the purpose of bereavement fares mention 4 of them?
*For the purposes of bereavement travel, family includes: Brother/sister (including common law, in-law, step) Child (including common law, in-law, step) Executor. Grandchild (including great-grandchildren)
What does bereavement mean?
Bereavement is a period of mourning or or state of intense grief, especially following the death of a loved one. Bereavement is often a process that includes going through several stages of grief. Bereavement can also be used more generally to mean the state of having lost something very dear.
Does American Airlines do bereavement fares?
Unfortunately, American Airlines do not offer bereavement fares on their flights. If you are traveling due to a death in the family, you will only be entitled to book the fare to your destination airport with no additional discount.Apr 19, 2019
Does Frontier offer bereavement fares?
Frontier does not offer bereavement fares. However, they offer refunds or waived change fees if travel was impacted by a qualifying event. Therefore, if you flew out to attend to a sick family member and there was a death, you could switch the date and apply for a waiver of the fee here.Jun 27, 2019
Does Allegiant Air offer bereavement fares?
In an effort to keep our fares low for all passengers and to stay competitive, Allegiant does not offer bereavement discounts or exceptions to any policy.
Can you cancel a flight due to death in family?
If a customer experiences the death of an immediate family member before travel, in most cases our Customer Support team will waive the cancel or change fee. If the customer is exchanging for future travel, the customer may be required to pay the difference in air fare.Jul 1, 2014
Can dogs fly on flair?
All Aboard! Luckily, Flair Airlines is pretty straightforward with its regulations. Small dogs and cats are welcome in the cabin. Larger pets, unfortunately, can't fly with this airline.Sep 15, 2021
Does JetBlue offer bereavement?
Under its bereavement fares policy, JetBlue Airways offers a 15% discount on the published fare and includes one free checked bag. The bereavement fare can be booked only over the phone and is available for immediate family members such as father, mother, brother, sister and child, and not uncles and aunts.
What airlines offer bereavement flights?
Delta Airlines. Delta bereavement flights are offered in the event of the passing, or imminent passing, of immediate family. However, they vary in price, and are subject to availability. When you are able to book one, though, it will offer some flexibility on the best published fare on your route. Plus, if you need to make unexpected changes ...
Why are there no bereavement flights?
First, though: the reason many airlines give for no longer offering bereavement flights is that their everyday low-cost fares and deals are actually cheaper than their old bereavement discount.
How long does it take to get a discount on Air Canada bereavement flights?
Air Canada bereavement flights offer a discount when traveling during a time of family emergency, but your journey must begin within seven days of booking for international travel, or ten days for domestic travel ( ie, within North America).
Which airlines offer discounted funeral fares?
Airlines that offer discounted bereavement fares today include Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa and WestJet. These airlines all require that the passenger is an immediate family member, and is able to provide details of the person who has passed on, and the funeral arrangements. These details are taken by a customer service rep ...
Does JetBlue offer bereavement discounts?
No, JetBlue does not offer a bereavement discount. Your best bet with this airline might be to buy a refundable fare, so that if your travel plans change, you don’t get hit with more costs. Be sure to read their terms and conditions on refundable fares before making this decision, though.
Does Lufthansa offer special fares?
Special fares in the event of a loved one passing are offered for Lufthansa flights that take off from the US and Canada. As with all the other carriers, you’ll need to call their reservations line to find out whether you qualify, and exactly how much of a discount is offered.
What airline offers bereavement fares?
Delta Air Lines. As one of the three legacy US carriers, Delta is the largest carrier to offer bereavement fares in the event of the death or imminent death of an immediate family member (using the same, broader definition as Alaska noted above). You can only book these fares by calling Delta Reservations at 1-800-221-1212 for domestic flights ...
Can you cancel a flight over the phone?
Airlines still permit their staff to exercise some amount of discretion over the phone, and this may be extended to passengers who are traveling for a funeral. For example, you could ask to have telephone booking fees or last-minute award booking fees waived. And if you’re calling to change or cancel an existing ticket due to a last-minute death in the family, you could try asking for any applicable change or cancellation fees to be waived.
Does Alaska offer a discount for family members?
Like Air Canada, the discount is available to immediate family members, though Alaska uses a slightly broader definition (to include aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews). Tickets must be booked by calling 1-800-252-7522, and it only applies to Alaska-operated flights.
Is a flight full within a week?
Flights are likely quite full within a week of departure, and last-minute business travelers tend to be less price-sensitive than others. While many carriers have traditionally offered discounted bereavement fares to those traveling to a funeral, those fares are largely a thing of the past.
Does WestJet offer funeral fares?
The final airline on the list is another Canadian discount carrier. WestJet offers bereavement fares but only by calling 1-888-937-8538. It also extends its offer to immediate family and includes aunts/uncles and nieces/nephews. Even more interesting, the carrier also offers civic funeral fares that are available to anyone traveling to a funeral for firefighters, police officers, military personnel and emergency services personnel who have died in the line of duty.
What airlines offer bereavement flights?
Keep reading to learn more about these airlines policies for bereavement fares: 1 Delta Airlines. When booking with Delta Airlines, you need to be traveling within seven days of the death of a family member. You may also benefit from discounted fares due to family emergencies involving imminent death. These special airfares are only available when you book directly with Delta Reservations. 2 Westjet. Westjet provides bereavement airfares to the guests and immediate family members of those attending the funerals of firefighters, police officers, members of emergency services, and members of the armed forces. Contact the airline if you believe you qualify for discounted tickets. 3 Air Canada. Bereavement fares booked with Air Canada (including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express) to destinations within North America must take off within 10 days of the flight’s booking. The flight must also be one-way. International flights must take off within seven days of the flight’s booking. International flights must be round trip in most circumstances. 4 Lufthansa. Lufthansa, the largest German airline, provides bereavement fares on flights that begin in North America. However, to book a flight with a bereavement fare, the flight needs to be round-trip.
How long does it take for an international flight to take off?
International flights must take off within seven days of the flight’s booking. International flights must be round trip in most circumstances. Lufthansa. Lufthansa, the largest German airline, provides bereavement fares on flights that begin in North America.
How long do you have to travel to Delta when you die?
Delta Airlines. When booking with Delta Airlines, you need to be traveling within seven days of the death of a family member. You may also benefit from discounted fares due to family emergencies involving imminent death. These special airfares are only available when you book directly with Delta Reservations. Westjet.
Can you book a flight with a bereavement fare?
However, to book a flight with a bereavement fare, the flight needs to be round-trip. Remember that bereavement fares don’t always give you the cheapest available flight. For instance, you may have to pay fare differences when changing the dates or times of your tickets with Delta airlines even though they waive service fees. ...
Do airlines still offer bereavement fares?
Unfortunately, most airlines no longer offer bereavement fares to their passengers. Even so, these special fares are still available with a select few airlines.
Does Air Canada offer bereavement tickets?
Air Canada also stresses that its bereavement fares are created to offer grieving passengers greater flexibility. That means their bereavement tickets don’t always offer the cheapest possible flight to the destination. The cheapest airfare available to you may very well be an average round-trip plane ticket.
How to book bereavement fares?
To book bereavement fares, you should call the airline directly. Applicable to immediate family members. Discounts offered on select round-trip and one-way flights when booked within seven days of traveling internationally or 10 days of traveling in North America.
What is the bereavement fares on Delta?
Bereavement fares apply in cases of death or, for international travel, imminent death. Bereavement fares offer added flexibility in case of changes in your itinerary. Fares can only be booked by calling 800-221-1212 (domestic travel) or 800-241-4141 (international travel). Please note, fares under Delta’s bereavement policy are subject ...
What is the number to call for bereavement fares?
Bereavement fares are available in case of death for journeys starting in the U.S. or Canada. For information and to book, travelers should call 1-800-645-3880. WestJet. WestJet offers bereavement fares to those who have had a death in their immediate family and to guests traveling to funerals for firefighters, police officers, ...
Is it cheaper to fly late in the evening?
Take a red-eye or connecting flights — Red-eyes (or late evening flights in general) are generally cheaper than flying at a peak time. A general rule to remember: Fly when most people would rather be eating or sleeping. Similarly, for more savings, consider a flight with a connection instead of a direct flight.
Do airlines offer bereavement fares?
While several airlines still offer bereavement fares (also known as compassion fares), policies and potential savings vary significantly from airline to airline. Generally speaking, when you can find them, bereavement fares are typically open to immediate family members only.
How long do you have to book a bereavement flight with Air Canada?
You must book the flight within seven days of travel when flying internationally or within 10 days when traveling within North America to get the discount.
Which airlines do not offer funeral fare?
These include: American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. United Airlines has discontinued ...
What airlines offer compassion fares?
Emily Manthei, Leaf Group Updated October 16, 2017. Many legacy airlines in the U.S. offer "compassion fares" for the immediate family and closest relatives of a person who has passed away or is in a serious medical emergency.
What to do if an airline representative is unwilling to give you a discounted fare?
If the representative seems unable or unwilling to give you a discounted fare – regardless of the airline – ask to speak to a supervisor to see if you can work something out. While not all airlines are willing to be flexible on their policies, a little bit of true "compassion" does sometimes show through. References.
What to do when a family member passes away?
Travel arrangements are the last thing anyone wants to deal with in the midst of grief, but it's often necessary to hop on a plane quickly when a family member or close friend passes away. That can mean facing steep last-minute airline fares, especially if you need to fly during a holiday period or over a weekend.
Is compassion a discount?
Compassion fares are usually unrestricted tickets that allow passengers to change dates and flight times without a change fee and fly on short notice. However, as the fare discount is usually just a percentage off the full-fare ticket, sometimes it is cheaper to just look at the lower-priced discount fares.
Do airlines have bereavement fares?
Low-cost airlines and some of the smaller national carriers may not have bereavement fares, but their prices may be priced so much lower than the "legacy" carriers that it is worth checking out their flight prices for last-minute fares before calling an airline for a bereavement fare.
How long does it take to get a discount on a bereavement flight?
Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines offers a 10 percent discount on their lowest fare for bereavement flights. You can purchase within seven days of the flight.
How to get a better discount on a flight?
Don’t choose the first flight you find. Making a phone call to a few different airlines is the best way to land a better discount. If you don’t even have time for that, visit the airport directly and check multiple counters.
Does Hawaiian Airlines waive bereavement fees?
To apply for this fee waiver, you’ll need to submit an application on their website. Hawaiian: Hawaiian Airlines does offer a special bereavement fare, but it is only for travel between the Hawaiian Islands.
Does Southwest Airlines offer bereavement flights?
Southwest: Southwest Airlines does not currently offer bereavement flights. However, if you already have an existing flight, they might waive any fees for last-minute changes due to a family emergency. Spirit: As a low-cost airline, there isn’t much wiggle room in price or policy with Spirit.
Is push and pull from airlines worth it?
This isn’t something you want to deal with at a time of crisis. While some airlines do offer discounts for those facing an emergency, it isn’t always worth it. Looking for other discounts and deals outside of bereavement might be your best option.
Is there a low cost flight for bereavement?
This is up to the discretion of the airline. In general, it’s much easier to get approved for a low-cost ticket for a domestic flight than an international flight. The same is true for flights within the same continent, such as the U.S. and Canada.
Do you have to travel to the funeral after someone passes away?
Nobody wants to think about the planning and organization needed after the death of a loved one. When someone you love passes away, you often need to fly to attend the wake or the funeral. Since these are unexpected flights, you’re not able to plan your travel in advance.
How to contact Delta for bereavement?
This policy, however, can only be applied by calling Delta Reservations at 800-221-1212 for domestic flights or 800-241-4141 for international flights.
How long do you have to travel to the airport after death?
Tickets must be purchased with travel commencing within seven days of the death or imminent death of the immediate family member. Required documentation is subject to verification. Ticketing penalties are waived, however, fare differences may still apply. International tickets are subject to additional restrictions.
How many infants can you have on a plane?
The first infant without a seat under the age of 2 is at no charge, the second infant must purchase a seat. There is a 2-infant maximum per ticketed adult. The infant must be accompanied on all flights in the same compartment by an adult. Reservations must be ticketed immediately.
Can you travel to Delta at the last minute?
In the event of a death or imminent death (for international travel) in your immediate family, you may have to travel at the last minute. We offer a bereavement policy, which offers additional flexibility on the best published fare for your itinerary when last minute travel is required. Call Delta Reservations at 800-221-1212 to book a bereavement fare.
Is Skymiles valid for death?
This program is valid for SkyMiles Members needing to travel due to death or imminent death of an immediate family member. If you are not currently a SkyMiles Member you may enroll immediately to qualify.
Can you purchase bereavement tickets on Delta?
You cannot purchase bereavement fares on delta.com, and Delta bereavement fares are subject to the following restrictions: Tickets under the Bereavement policy are subject to availability and may not be available at time of booking. Delta’s Bereavement policy provides flexibility to the outbound and/or return portion of your trip by waiving service ...
Does Delta offer bereavement service?
Delta’s Bereavement policy provides flexibility to the outbound and/or return portion of your trip by waiving service fees; however, fare differences may still apply. Lower promotional fares may be available on delta.com or through Delta Reservations and may serve as a better option in some markets. Additional guidelines and restrictions apply.
