The Myth of the Bereavement Fare

Imagine yourself in this scenario – a family member is critically ill or has passed away in a distant city or town. You want to get there as quickly as possible, but you’ll soon find that last minute airfares are exorbitantly expensive. You’d like to take the time to shop around for the best deal, but most likely you are far too distracted to focus on making inquiries. Many airlines attempt to address this situation by providing what is known as a bereavement fare.

A bereavement fare is a discount provided to family members who are traveling for the death or terminal illness of a loved one. They sound like the perfect solution for emergency travel, but that fact is that a full price ticket bought with a bereavement discount will usually cost more than a sale-priced ticket. According to Rick Seaney of ABC News, the average bereavement discount from one of the major airlines like United or Continental is only 10% off a full price ticket. In addition, discount airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest don’t offer any type of bereavement fare.

Before buying a bereavement ticket, it pays to inquire about available sale-priced and discount tickets for your destination. Another way to save money on emergency airfare is find out if there are vacation packages available. A package offering airfare plus hotel and car may end up costing less than a bereavement fare. Bottom line, it pays to consult a travel agent to help find an airfare that’s cheaper than a bereavement fare. This will allow you to focus on your feelings and on preparing for your trip.

Catie W.
May 10, 2010