How to get Bereavement and Emergency Fares

Sometimes a strange situation might just happen with the sudden death of loved ones. This is really shocking and puts a person into undue stress. Now, what should a person do if he/she is living in a distant land quite apart from the family! The obvious concern would be rushing to the airport and seek bereavement/emergency fares from the airlines. Such kinds of last minute fares which are taken by persons in extraordinary situations like the death of their loved ones or to be with a dying person are usually referred to as Bereavement Fares. The airlines have a policy of offering air tickets, usually at discounted rates, to such persons who are taking flights in case of bereavement in the family.

Booking flights at the last minute is simply not a joke as sometimes it becomes quite difficult to buy airline tickets at the last moment. However, in such emergency situations the passengers have some options before them. The can book bereavement fares in which the airlines offer plane tickets at special fares to the relatives of the dead person or one who is dying. There are many airlines that now have the facility of booking bereavement fares, but the fares may vary from one to another. However, the passengers should check the terms and conditions for booking bereavement tickets because sometimes such tickets turn out to be more expensive than the regular ones. The passengers can get airline discount of up to 50 percent of the original fare by some of the airlines, but sometimes the bereavement fares also turn out to be more expensive than regular last minute fares. The observation has mostly been that such discounts are offered on the highest unrestricted fares that are often exorbitant. However, after checking out the bereavement fares policies of the different airlines the passengers might just be able to book bereavement fares at cheap rates.

The bereavement fares policies usually vary from one airline to another. When booking with the United Airlines, the passengers are offered a 10 percent discount on bereavement fares on tickets sold within six days of travel. The bereavement fares vary with the type of tickets when booking with the Continental Airlines. Besides, there are many other airlines such as Delta Air Lines etc that provide this facility, though the policies may differ. There are some airlines that allow such facility on the death of immediate relatives only, while there are others that may offer bereavement fares in case of death of friends and close associates. There are some airlines that offer tickets to step relatives and foster relatives, whereas some issue tickets to the closest ones only. The best way to book bereavement fares would be to call up the airlines and inquire about their terms and conditions regarding this facility. Knowing about the bereavement fares and its policies will prove to be useful in case if it is ever needed.