Some U.S. airlines offer bereavement fares for travelers. Discounted flights can be booked to attend a funeral or to reach the hospital of a terminally ill patient. Bereavement discounts and booking guidelines vary by company. Airlines establish restrictions on the number of bereavement fares allowed during a single trip. Bereavement fares are also commonly referred to as "compassion fares" by airline staff. The boarding agent might ask to see a copy of a death certificate before the purchase of last-minute or discounted fares.
Delta allows bereavement fares for immediate family, in-laws, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, stepchildren and parents. Passengers must present the phone number of the funeral home, hospice or hospital where the loved one is located, their relationship to the deceased or injured party, and, if possible, the name of the attending doctor.
US Airways requires passengers to provide the name of the funeral home or hospital for verification to receive a bereavement discount or seat on a booked plane. The discounted seat is permissible for immediate family, stepparents, stepchildren, in-laws and siblings-in-law.
Continental Airlines offers bereavement fares within the continental United States only. The booking staff requires the name and phone number of the funeral home before travel. Bereavement fares are permissible for immediate family only; aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and cousins are excluded. Continental also will issue discounted tickets for terminally ill patients when the health information can be verified.
