Bereavement fares don't always help

When you get a call that a family member has suddenly fallen gravely ill or died in a distant location, the last thing you need to worry about is spending hours researching airfares. Supposedly, that's why airlines introduced "bereavement" or "compassionate" fares—reasonably priced tickets, with no advance-purchase rules and flexible return dates. Sadly, as with so many other niceties of air travel, bereavement fares aren't what they used to be. And bereaved travelers are often better off looking for good deals available to anyone.

This column was suggested by a report from a reader in Burlington, Vermont, who suddenly had to get to Raleigh, North Carolina, because of an illness in the family. She made immediate reservations with a legacy line and paid a bit over $500 a person for three round-trip tickets. She said she asked for a "bereavement" fare, but claimed the airline did not offer one. She now believes she was seriously overcharged and wonders what she should have done.

Sadly, hindsight is easy. What my reader should have done was drive (or have someone driver her) to either Albany or Manchester, New Hampshire—in each case, about a three-hour trip—where she could have taken Southwest. At this writing, Southwest's top one-way, no advance-purchase fare on those routes is $137—about half of what my reader actually had to pay. Depending on circumstances, she might have done even a bit better.

A few years back, all of the big lines offered bereavement fares for travelers suddenly called by a family member's sickness or death. Often, those lines published either specific fares or fare formulas, such as 50 percent off the unrestricted coach fare. Now, given the airlines' financial woes and dramatic overall reductions in unrestricted fares, some of those airlines have dropped bereavement fares entirely and others are de-emphasizing them.

As I read the data on various websites, I conclude American, Continental, United, and US Airways still offer unpublished bereavement fares, at least on some routes. Delta's website says bereavement fares are "no longer necessary" because its regular fares are so low. Websites for Alaska, America West, JetBlue, Northwest, and Southwest have nothing at all to say about bereavement or compassionate fares.

Given those circumstances, when you face a sudden call because of illness or death, you should first call any airline that serves your local airport and flies to your destination.

If that list includes American, Continental, United, or US Airways, call each airline and ask about a bereavement or compassionate fare. You have to call because no line offers bereavement fares online. Determine your best deal and ask the airline to specify exactly what it needs in the way of paperwork—a letter from a doctor, death or funeral notice, whatever. If the price looks reasonable, take it.

If that list includes a low-fare line such as AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest, or one of the smaller lines that don't offer bereavement fares, determine the best regular fare for which you qualify. If that's better than the best bereavement deal, take it.

If no low-fare line serves your community, and if the best bereavement fare you can find is still too high, consider driving to or from alternate airports where you can catch a low-fare line. That applies at either end—or even both ends—of your trip. Locate other possible low-fare options by checking out the various lines' route maps.

As one more alternative, think seriously about a travel agent. A good agent presumably knows which local airlines offer decent bereavement fares and which don't, and also which low-fare lines are best. Given that you're probably under a lot of stress already, paying an agent $25 or $35 to handle your travel for you might be the best possible use of your money and your time.