Bereavement fares are offered by airlines to help offset the cost of emergency travel due to a death in the family. They may also be offered for terminally ill family members. The price is not always cheaper than other tickets, but they offer flexible travel plans. To qualify, the family member must be immediate or adopted family, and proof is required. For international travel, airlines may require paperwork and offer a refund upon return. Mourning fees may also be offered for shipping a body.
A bereavement fare is a promotional fare offered by many airlines to help offset the cost of emergency travel due to a death in the family. It is also sometimes referred to as a “compassionate fare” and, depending on the airline, may also be offered to people traveling to see a terminally ill family member. Typically, some verification information is required, but once the situation is confirmed, the airline will offer a discount on a regular ticket and an open-ended return ticket to allow the consumer to take care of any arrangements that need to be made.
The price of a bereavement fare is not always cheaper than tickets on sale or last minute bookings. Using a travel agency or online fare search site can result in a cheaper ticket price for consumers who have the time to do so. However, the bereavement fare can be booked last minute and includes flexible travel plans, which many discount or discount tickets do not.
To qualify for a bereavement fee, the family member usually has to be from your family. This includes uncles, aunts, parents, children, siblings, half or half siblings, grandparents, spouses, adopted and immediate family, nephews and guardians. For distant relatives, some airlines will offer a bereavement fare, while others will not. Generally, a bereavement fee will not be extended in the case of a long-term partner if the couple is unmarried.
If you are terminally ill, the airline typically requests the name of the relative along with your relationship, the contact information of the hospital or care facility where they reside, and the name of the patient’s doctor. If the patient is outside of the country the consumer is flying from, the airline usually requires that they return with paperwork so the airline can offer a discount, but they won’t extend a bereavement fee upfront. Checking the situation internationally can be difficult and airlines try to protect themselves from fraud.
If a consumer seeks a bereavement fare to attend the funeral of a deceased relative, the airline requires the name of the deceased, location and time of services, your relationship, funeral home information, and, in some cases, a copy of the death certificate. In the case of international travel, the airline will offer a refund upon the return of the traveler with verifying information. Typically, if you’re shipping a body by air, the airline will offer a mourning fee to the person accompanying the body, if it’s an immediate family member, along with a discounted transportation fee for the deceased.
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