If you are not familiar with the term 'bereavement' in the context of flights, we are here to sort it out for you. It refers to the need for a passenger to purchase urgent and last- minute travel due to the death or imminent death of a close family member. To alleviate the financial and emotional stress of these unplanned journeys, some airlines offer bereavement fares, also known as compassion fares. These are special discounted or flexible tickets designed to provide relief compared to the generally high cost of standard last-minute tickets. Details are given below.

What is Bereavement Flight?

• A bereavement flight is an airline ticket sold under a compassionate policy that offers the travelers one or both of the following benefits.
• They can get discounted bereavement flight fares, which are lower than the standard, full-price fare for last-minute travel.
• And they will also experience increased flexibility, such as the cancellation of change fees and more favorable rules for the return portion of the ticket, including a more extended maximum stay.
• The primary purpose is to provide relief to travelers who cannot take advantage of advance purchase discounts and need to travel urgently due to a family tragedy.

How Do These Flights Work?

• The bereavement flight fares are not usually available through the airline's standard online booking engine; they are processed as follows.
• The passenger must call the airline's reservation or dedicated support line.
• The passenger also provides details about the deceased or critically ill family member, including the funeral home or hospital contact information.
• If eligible, the airline agent searches for and offers the bereavement flight fares. This fare may be the lowest available fare, a fixed discount off the full fare or a fare that includes the fee waivers.
• The passenger must also agree to provide required documentation, such as a death certificate or a funeral home letter, to the airline, usually after the trip is completed. Failure to provide proof can result in the travelers being charged the difference between the airline's bereavement fares and the full standard fare.

Who are Entitled People?

• Eligibility for the bereavement fare discount is extremely limited to the immediate family of the deceased or severely ailing person. The definition of immediate family varies by airline, but typically includes the core family members: spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild.
• Many policies also include extended family, such as in-laws, step-relatives, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
• Some airlines require the passenger to be a member of their frequent flyer program to qualify, and enrollment is usually free and can be done during the call.

What Documents are Needed for Bereavement Flights?

• The airline's bereavement flights require documentation proving the necessity of emergency travel, and the requirements vary, so you must be prepared to provide it.
• At the time of booking, give the full name and relationship to the travelers of a patient or deceased person.
• Also, provide the name and phone number of the funeral home, hospital or attending physician.
• Also, provide travel details, such as preferred travel dates and city pairs.
• And, after booking under the bereavement fares for flights, you need official proof of death to submit, like a copy of the death certificate, a funeral director's statement or the official registration of death.
• You might also need proof of relationship, which is rarely requested but may be required if the last name differs for airline bereavement fares.
• If you want to process the discount or verify the waiver, the ticket or booking reference can also be needed.

Airline Bereavement Fare Documentation Requirements

What airlines offer bereavement fares?

• The trend among major US airlines has been to phase out formal bereavement fares, replacing them with more flexible low fare options. However, as of 2025, a few airlines continued to maintain explicit bereavement policies, such as Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, and WestJet. These airlines offer bereavement fares.
• Delta requires loyalty program membership and offers airline discounts on funeral fares and waives service fees for changes and cancellations on eligible domestic and international flights. The primary benefit focuses on discounts and flexibility.
• Air Canada offers reduced fares on most fare classes, excluding basic economy, in North America. It requires travel within 10 days of booking and allows return within 60 days. It also focuses on discounts and extended flexibility.
• Alaska Airlines offers a stated 10% discount on plane tickets for funerals, applied to the lowest available fare for travel within 7 days of the death. It also requires a frequent flyer membership, and it offers direct discounts.
• WestJet requires reward membership and offers compassionate fares (also known as Econo fares), as well as waiving change fees. They uniquely offer post-travel refunds if you paid a higher last-minute fare. They focus more on flexibility and post-travel refunds.
• Other major airlines, such as American Airlines, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit, do not offer such fares. They recommend that passengers look for affordable plane tickets online. Their usual pricing structures are flexible enough to offer last-minute deals in case of emergencies. The primary focus is just on providing general flexibility.

How to Book Such a Bereavement Flight?

• The initial step is to gather the name of a dead person, your connection with them and the contact information for the hospital that is needed for airline bereavement policies.
• Then, dial the aircraft's direct booking line and briefly state that you need to book a flight due to a death in your family and ask about the bereavement fare policy.
• Crucially, ask the agent for two prices: the bereavement fare prices or the lowest available public fare for your dates, since the bereavement fare is often a discount off a higher, flexible fare class.
• Ask the agent exactly what documentation is required and what the submission deadline is.
• Once you are sure that the bereavement fare is a better option, book the flight and make the payment immediately.

How Much Discounts Can be Expected from Bereavement Fares?

• The expected discount is often modest and sometimes misleading. But airlines like Alaska offer a simple 10% off the published lowest fare.
• The discount is often a percentage off full fare flexible ticket. Since full-fare tickets are inherently costly, the discounted bereavement fare might still be more expensive than a regular non-refundable last-minute economy ticket available online.
• The most significant value is not always the lowest price, but the flexibility. Bereavement fares often waive change fees, which can be over $200. It also allows for a longer travel window, accommodating the unpredictable nature of funeral dates and family affairs. Hope you're clear now about what bereavement fares are.

What if You Cannot get the Bereavement Discounts?

• If your preferred airline does not offer a bereavement discount or if the provided bereavement fare is more expensive than an online ticket, then there can be some alternatives.
• Use the flight search engines like Google Flights to find the absolute lowest published fares for your emergency dates. Due to dynamic pricing, the non- refundable economy ticket at the end may actually be cheaper than the official compassionate fare.
• After booking the cheap ticket, call the airline and explain the situation. Even without a formal discount, many airlines will waive your change fee for your return flight or provide a full flight credit if you need to cancel last-minute airline tickets for funerals due to the circumstances.
• Also, use the frequent flyer miles or points to book the last-minute tickets. Award travel is often the most cost-effective way to book urgent flights, and the value per mile is usually maximized on expensive and last-minute trips.
• If you have travel insurance, you need to carefully review whether it covers emergencies or provides assistance with last-minute flights due to death.

Do Low-Cost Airlines Offer Bereavement Fares?

Most budget airlines do not offer bereavement fares because their fares are already low.

• Spirit Airlines – No bereavement fare
• Frontier Airlines – No bereavement fare
• JetBlue Airways – No bereavement fare
• Southwest – No, but flexible fares are available

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