Making assumptions about airline rules could be a bad idea because you could stand to lose some money. It is best to know the exact rules before buying tickets so you know which rights you have.
A cancellations at any time ticket may not be what it seems. Regardless of what the ticket says, there still is a change fee that needs to be paid if tickets are changed.
Even if a passenger dies before a trip, one airline only offers a refund after a $50 return fee has been changed. A proof of death may be required for the refund.
Although some tickets say that the person holding the ticket has a year to reuse it if it is canceled, it should be realized that the owner of the ticket has a year from the original purchase date to book a new flight, not a year from the day the previous ticket was changed.
Although some airlines still offer bereavement tickets, the people the airlines consider "family" may differ from what you consider family. Under some airline rules, brothers and sisters are not part of the bereavement ticket program.
A person who attempts to change destinations after the first leg of a flight is required to cancel the previous ticket, pay a cancellation fee, and purchase new tickets.