Bereavement Fares are also known as compassion fares and usually those who need to travel at the last minute are the ones using them. All airlines seem to always be changing the policies for the bereavement fares. It is ideal to try and stay informed on any changes, but this is a mission impossible. These are a few things you should know if you have relatives living very far away, or even abroad.

These fares are usually discounted, but you need to prove the person’s death and your kinship to them. Sometimes this is a difficult task, especially if it’s an aunt or grandparent. The discount can be between 10 and 70%, however the most common discount is of 50%. The discount applies to the highest unrestricted airfare. Other benefits of buying airplane tickets with bereavement fares is their flexibility, being fully refundable, or allowing the passenger to change the date of the flight while not paying anything extra.

These advantages are actually a double edge sword. There are many other tickets that may be cheaper than 50% off, that can be bought even at the last minute. You might find cheaper tickets if you search online. It is best to look for tickets and hotel room because there might not be enough room to sleep at your relatives. Don’t be surprised if the airline will refuse to sell their bereavement fares, because usually only direct family members get them. Additionally these fares are only given for death and medical emergencies, therefore reaching your sister’s wedding is not possible with these fares.

There are airline companies who don’t even offer bereavement fares. Some of them are: Virgin America, US Airways, JetBlue, and AirTran. American Airlines seem to have the best offer for compassion fares as all routes has its own fixed reduced ticket fare.