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M$10 May 18, 2009 11:09 PM

How can I get a bereavement airfare?

Had a recent death in the family (grandmother) and I need to fly to the funeral that's occurring on Sunday.

Anyone know how I can get a deal flying from SFO/OAK/SJC to KOA (non-direct is fine) leaving Thursday 5/22, Friday 5/23 or Saturday 5/24 and returning on Monday 5/25?

Of course, this is very important.
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May 18, 2009 11:54 PM
Sorry to hear about your loss @drmatt. Hopefully you find the airfare you're looking for. First you should be aware that not all airlines offer bereavement airfare, so with that being said you should do your homework before calling any airline. Also, not everyone qualifies for a bereavement airfare.

Here's a recent article posted March 2009:

BEREAVEMENT FARES: The Best Airlines for Compassion Fares
http://windowseatblog.com/2009/03bereavement-compassion-fares-travel-tips

Here are some facts you should know first:

-They are not always the lowest fare, but can be booked up until departure time.
-They are only for family members traveling to a funeral.
-They can be offered when a family member is gravely ill.
-Bereavement fares are usually very flexible, permitting free changes and stays of up to 30 days with no minimum stay requirements.
-Discounts can be anywhere between 10 and 75 percent off of full fare.
-Most discounts are 50 percent off full fare.
-The discount usually applies to only one airline. So, if you're flying multiple airlines, you might need to buy separate tickets.
-Bereavement airfares may not be available for your destination.
-Bereavement fares are usually not offered on international flights.

Tips on getting bereavement airfare:

1. You need to call the airline directly as these fares are not available on the Internet.
2. You might want to research online sites (ie. low budget airline), as you might find a deal on a bargain site for a lower price than the bereavement airfare. Sites such as Hotwire or Travelocity.
3. Have the information on your grandmother (ie. the date of the service, phone number and address of funeral home). The airline representative might need this when you book your ticket.
4. You must have a copy of the death certificate for your return flight. Most bereavement airfares let you have an open return flight, which allows you to stay up to 30 days.
5. Many low budget airlines usually do not offer bereavement airfares as their prices are already so low.

Here are some airlines you may want to check into:

American Airlines:
http://www.aa.com/content/agency/Booking_Ticketing/Fares/Compassion_breavement.jhtml

• American Airlines. Compassion fares can be booked only by calling the airline. Tickets can be issued by travel agents, all changes must be made by American. Call 800-433-7300, press 0 to bypass.

Continental:
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/specialneeds/compassion/default.aspx

*Continental Airlines. ts bereavement discount policy: 5% off round-trip fares up to $499.99; 10% off round-trip fares up to $999.99; and 20% off round-trip fares of $1,000 and up. As for change fees, Continental states: "All rules of the fare that is being discounted apply. Some fares allow the waiver of penalties due to documented illness." Call 800-784-4444, press 00 to bypass.

Delta:
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/bereavement/index.jsp

*Delta Air Lines: Delta no longer offers bereavement airfare within the 48 contiguous states. In addition, the international discounts are not published on Delta's site, and in fact they're not available online; all such bookings must be made through reservations. Call 800-221-1212, press 0 to bypass.

United Airlines:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,50991,00.html

*United Airlines: You cannot obtain these fares on united.com and must call United Reservations at 800-864-8331, and press 0 to bypass.
Source(s):
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Find-Bereavement-and-Family-Emergency-Airf...
http://www.hotwire.com/bereavement.jsp
http://www.ehow.com/how_2087405_get-bereavement-airfare.html
http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/tp/bereavementairlineticke...
http://www.drvoyageur.com/bereave-tips.html
http://www.wickedgoodtraveltips.com/?p=273
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/Bereavement-fares.html?id=323904
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/mcgee/2008-09-30-bereavement-fares...
http://windowseatblog.com/2009/03bereavement-compassion-fares-travel-tips

Asker's Rating:
• As usual, @easyeboy has a thoughtful, thorough answer.

Turns out, bereavement fares are pretty much non-existent.

(End of story... I wasn't able to find an affordable fare. That's how it goes sometimes. On a more positive point, my family had already scheduled a vacation in Hawaii in a month, so I'll pay my respects then.)


Tags: airlines, bereavement, airfare

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May 18, 2009 11:44 PM
These links have solid info on exactly what you need to do.

Looks like you need to call the airline reservations and explain the situation.

I'd think American or United would be your best bet.

http://www.wickedgoodtraveltips.com/?p=273

http://www.airtimetable.com/airfares_emergency.htm

Sorry for your loss @drmatt.

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May 18, 2009 11:57 PM
Please accept my condolences as well, @drmatt.

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May 19, 2009 12:17 AM
First I'd like to say "I'm sorry for your loss". It's hard to make last minute travel plans.
Working in the travel field (in the distant past) I have booked bereavement fares and the rules within each carrier can and has changed from time to time.
My first thought was Hawaiian Air since they will have non-stop comfortable flights from the Bay Area. I was told that they no longer offer a bereavement airfare, but if you mention it while booking, you can change your itinerary without a penalty. (wow...that's no good unless you have $$ to throw away)

Most airlines only offer compassion fares to immediate family members and they're limited to death or medical emergencies. And they typically require the name of the deceased or ill family member and the contact information for the funeral home or doctor. You may also have to mail in a copy of the death certificate, which could be a painful and annoying errand.

Also, the carriers that do offer bereavement fares are basing it on a full fare price (nobody pays a full fare nowadays). So 40% off of a full fare in many instances would still be more than just booking your regular discounted flight. Even purchasing a flight tonight, you would not be paying a "full fare".

I would recommend that you pick your airline and flight (do you really want to stop over in SLC?!) since you'll need to get on the phone with the airline and book directly to get any kind of compassion discount.

I just didn't want to throw some funky itinerary at you, since there may be more options talking with the airlines directly.

•US Airways 800-428-4322
•JetBlue 800-538-2583
•Delta Airlines 800-221-1212
•Continental Airlines 800-525-0280
•American Airlines 800-433-7300
•Northwest Airlines 800-225-2525

Have a safe trip!
http://buyinflatables.com/shared_images/IG-prodimages-sm/B-30002-sm.jpg

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Helpful: dannyjohnson

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May 19, 2009 02:08 PM
That's "SJC"... San Jose, California.

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May 19, 2009 02:58 PM
When I was researching Delta flights from OAK to KOA, they were showing layover options of...I kid you not! PDX (Portland) or SLC (Salt Lake City). The prices didn't look worth the torture.
http://www.bunnyphuphu.com/bunnyphuphu1.JPG

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