Bereavement Fares: 6 Airlines That Offer Discounts

Losing a loved one is a deeply personal and oftentimes a profoundly painful experience. Yet many of us must set that grief aside while we deal with logistics: How do I get home? What flight gets me there the fastest? How can I afford last-minute ticket prices?

If you’re trying to save money on this type of unexpected travel, a bereavement fare may help. Here’s what to know about bereavement fare benefits, including which airlines offer them and tips for navigating urgent travel after a family member’s death.

What are bereavement fares?

Bereavement fares (also called compassionate-travel or emergency fares) are discounted flights offered to passengers whose immediate family member has recently passed away or is near death.

These special fares originated before the era of online booking, when arranging last-minute travel was both difficult and extremely expensive. Over the past few decades, however, many major airlines have discontinued their bereavement fares for several reasons:

Low-cost carriers have reduced airfare prices overall.

Basic economy tickets can now be cheaper than traditional bereavement fares.

Verifying eligibility can be time-consuming for customer service agents, who must obtain documentation proving the death or imminent death of an immediate family member. (This idea of “conning” an airline for a better fare was even spoofed in a 1993 episode of Seinfeld.)

Despite these shifts, some airlines still offer bereavement benefits for travelers dealing with the loss of a loved one. It’s important to note, though, that these fares don’t always result in steep savings—discounts may be modest, and the primary advantage is typically flexibility, such as waived change fees or easier last-minute booking, rather than a significant price reduction.

Airlines that offer bereavement fares

Participating airlines set their own requirements for booking bereavement fares.

Alaska Airlines

If you need to travel within seven days due to the death of an immediate family member, Alaska Airlines may offer a bereavement discount. Eligible travelers (generally members of their Mileage Plan frequent-flyer program) can receive 10 percent off the lowest available rate fare. Passengers must book their ticket by phone to get the discount.

Delta Air Lines

For members of Delta’s SkyMiles program, Delta may offer special bereavement-fare options. While bereavement tickets are subject to availability, Delta may be able to waive certain service fees for one or both legs of your trip—but this does not guarantee a discounted fixed rate. (Lower promotional fares sometimes appear on delta.com.)

Bereavement fares must be booked through a representative, and passengers will need to provide the name of the deceased, their relationship to the deceased, and the name and phone number of the funeral home, hospice, or hospital involved.

Air Canada

Air Canada does offer a bereavement (compassionate travel) policy, but the rules are somewhat nuanced. Travel must begin within 10 days of booking, and fares must be booked through a representative rather than online. For travel within North America, Economy Basic fares are not eligible; for international travel, they are.

Passengers must provide documentation—including the name and relationship of the deceased and the funeral home, hospital, or physician involved—and email proof within a week of returning from travel. While this policy can offer flexibility, it doesn’t always guarantee the lowest fare compared with standard or promotional tickets.

Hawaiian Airlines

For passengers needing to travel between Hawaiian Islands due to the hospitalization or death of a close family member, Hawaiian Airlines offers a special “Neighbor Island Emergency Travel” rate.

Passengers book their ticket as usual and, after travel, submit an emergency fare request with the required documentation. If approved, they are refunded the difference between the original ticket and the discounted rate.

WestJet

WestJet offers special bereavement fares for WestJet Rewards members. These rates apply to Econo and EconoFlex fares and must be booked through a customer representative over the phone. Travel must occur within 30 days of booking.

Qantas

Qantas provides a discounted compassionate airfare program for travel within Australia and internationally. Passengers must contact a Qantas service agent to inquire about eligibility and book the fare.

Other ways to save

If a bereavement fare isn’t available for your trip, there are other ways to save money on last-minute flights.

Look for flexible tickets that don’t charge fees if you need to change your dates of travel.

Consider booking with an airline that doesn’t charge change fees, such as Southwest.

Use miles or credit card points to cover your flight.

Leverage membership programs such as AAA, which can offer discounts on other time-sensitive travel needs, such as rental cars and hotels, too.

Consider travel insurance when booking your last-minute travel. Policies with “cancel for any reason” coverage can help if you need to extend or alter your trip.

Finally, it never hurts to call and ask about bereavement fares. For instance, I recently had to change a flight from Maine to Iowa after my grandfather’s unexpected death. Even though I had booked with a major airline that doesn’t have an official bereavement policy, the customer representative waived the change fee after hearing my situation.

While this may not happen for everyone, it’s proof that there is still some compassion in the airline industry—and it’s always worth asking.