What is a bereavement fare?

When you are facing the loss of a loved one, flying last minute to say goodbye to someone who is dying or to a loved one’s funeral can be a financial hardship. To help alleviate the costs of such a plane ticket, certain airlines offer “bereavement fares”: discounted tickets for those whose immediate family member has passed away.

This discount can make an already difficult time a little easier but, be careful, the discounted fare isn’t often the cheapest fare available for your destination. The discount amount will vary by airline and only applies to the cost of the ticket. The ticket holder must still pay any standard baggage fees. Other airlines or even an airline’s online search may also offer a cheaper ticket without the bereavement fare. It is always a good idea to check around before making your final purchase.

Who qualifies for a bereavement fare?

You qualify for a bereavement fare if someone in your immediate family has passed away or are facing imminent death, including your spouse’s family. (See the list below for the types of qualifying relationships.) Bereavement fares are not for the loss of friends, co-workers, or cousins. If you are wondering if your situation qualifies, call the airline to check if it falls under their policy.

• Spouse: domestic partner, husband, or wife
• Parent: mother, father, step-father, step-mother, legal guardian
• Child: daughter, son, offspring, step-child, step-daughter, step-son
• Sibling: brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister
• Grandparent: grandmother, grandfather
• Grandchild: grandson, granddaughter
• Parents’ siblings: aunt, uncle
• Sibling’s children: niece, nephew, sibling
• In-laws: mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

If you have children flying with you, kids under the age of two fly for free and those over two qualify for the same discounted airfare as you.

Which airlines offer a bereavement fare?

There are several major airlines offering bereavement fares. Each airline has a different set of policies around bereavement fares such as the travel window available in relation to the person’s death (see below). For specific information on days of travel, proof of death required, and what kinds of discounts they offer, check their websites or call their customer service lines.

• Delta – Travel must occur within seven days of the person’s death
• Alaska Airlines – Travel must occur within seven days of purchasing the ticket
• Air Canada – Travel must occur within ten days of the person’s death and travel can last no longer than 60 days
• West Jet – Travel must occur within thirty days of purchase for both the outbound and return flights
• Lufthansa – Lufthansa will discount a round trip from the US or Canada to Europe

Not all airlines offer bereavement fares. Over the last decade, some airlines have discontinued their programs and discount airlines such as Southwest and Frontier have never offered bereavement fares. Before calling an airline and purchasing your ticket, make sure you check a variety of airlines for a regular ticket price. Many times, an airline’s regular ticket may be cheaper than another airline’s bereavement fare.

How do I get the airline’s discounted bereavement fare?

To obtain a bereavement fare, you must call the customer service line of the airline you want to fly with to speak with a customer service representative directly. Bereavement fares are never offered online, they are only sold over the phone with proof of your loss.

While bereavement fares are open to the public, some airlines only sell them to members of their reward programs. To sign-up (all programs are free to join), simply login to the airline’s website and sign up for free. You can then call the airline as a qualifying member. Each person flying over age 18 needs to have their own member number.

What should I do before I call the airline?

Before you call an airline to purchase a bereavement fare, there are several steps you need to take to make sure you are getting the best deal:

1. 1. Pick your route: Decide what airports you can fly into and out of to get where you need to go.
   2. Check other fares: Search online on third party websites and a variety of airlines including the one you want to call that are flying that route to know the cost of their tickets. There could be a lower price somewhere else, or the airline might be having a sale to the city you’re going to. Bereavement fares aren’t automatically the lowest price on offer and a few extra minutes of research can pay dividends.
   3. Choose which airline to call: The airlines offering bereavement fares each have different policies and cities they fly to. Evaluate which airline offering these fares would best fit with your travel plans and route and make sure you check their page for their lowest price before you call.
   4. Gather proof of death or imminent death: Gather the required information to relay to the customer service representative so you are ready to make the purchase with as little trouble to yourself as possible. Some airlines require this information upfront while some require the paperwork after your trip. Check the specific airline for details of what their requirements are. Depending on your situation, the needed information may include:
      • The name of the deceased person
      • Your relationship to that person
      • Death certificate
      • The name and phone number of the funeral home, hospital, or hospice service
      • The name of the doctor if the information is available
   5. Join the airline’s rewards program: If you are not already a member of the airline’s reward program and they require membership to purchase a bereavement fare, go online and sign-up for free before calling the airline.

What do I do when I call the airline?

When you call the airline, explain your situation to the representative and they will walk you through what you need to do to qualify. They will then look up the route and time in question and they will be able to tell you the offered cost of the bereavement fare. When deciding if you want to purchase the fare offered, consider fees and taxes associated with the cost of other tickets available. Some fees may be removed for bereavement fares that you’ll have to pay with other purchases. At other times, tickets available on that airline’s website or through other discount airlines will be the better option.

What do I do if I have to cancel a trip?

If you have to cancel airline tickets you’ve already purchased due to someone in your family passing away, it may be worth it to call the airline directly to ask if they would be willing to refund your ticket without any cancellation fees. Some airlines, even if they don’t offer bereavement fares directly, may cancel or change your flights without charging extra fees due to a death in your family. Before you call, be prepared with the same information as you would need in order to apply for a bereavement fare including proof of the family member passing away or of their imminent death. Customer service representatives may have leeway in such cases, and it never hurts to ask.

Check out your options before flying

Traveling due to a bereavement isn’t easy. When you add the unexpected cost of a last-minute trip, the option of obtaining a bereavement fare can help financially during a difficult time. However, bereavement fares may not be the best option for you depending on other available ticket prices. Spending a couple of extra minutes researching your options can help alleviate your stress and financial impact during already emotional days.

Our staff at Bio SoCal are often called to scenes for biohazard cleanup after the police have received a request for a wellness check. These checks often lead to the discovery of an elderly person in distress, the body of someone who has passed away, or a crime scene. They are a vital way to check on our loved ones when we suspect something is amiss.

What is a wellness check?

A wellness check is when one or more police officers go to a person’s location, usually their residence, to check on their mental or physical health. This is most often done when a friend or family member has a reason to be concerned for a friend or loved one or they haven’t been able to get a hold of them for a while.
Examples of why you might call the police for a wellness check include:

• A friend who is having thoughts of suicide
• An acquaintance you believe is being hurt
• An older neighbor you haven’t seen in some time and who doesn’t answer the door or answer their phone
• Family members you haven’t been able to get a hold of

During a wellness check, police are not allowed to collect evidence nor are they allowed to use a wellness check to enter a property to make an arrest.

How do I request a wellness check?

Get in touch with the police department where the wellness check will need to be conducted. You can do this either by calling 9-1-1 if you believe the person is in immediate danger or the non-emergency line of their local police department.

Before you call the police for a wellness check, make sure you have a good reason to suspect the person you are calling about could be in serious danger. It is not an action to be taken lightly. When you call, the police will ask you questions about the person, your relationship with them, why you think a wellness check is warranted, and any recent conversations you had with the person in question. This will help them determine whether a wellness check is needed and if it is an emergency situation.

What happens during a wellness check?

When the police arrive at the location in question, they knock on the door and announce their police identification. If no response is forthcoming, they can force their way into the building. Police are only able to legally enter the premises of a person’s home during a wellness check if they have reasonable grounds to believe someone is in danger. In cases where someone is unconscious or otherwise unable to respond, this action enables police or other first responders to then administer life-saving aid.
What happens after a wellness check is conducted depends on what the police find once they get there.

• If the person is found safe and is doing well, the police will simply notify you of the outcome.
• If the person is found injured, sick, or is found deceased, the police will call you and, if you are in the area, will wait until you arrive at the scene.
• If the person is injured or deceased due to criminal activity, the police will initiate an investigation and will contact you to let you know what is going on.

Bio SoCal is here to help after wellness checks

Our team at Bio SoCal often helps families by cleaning up blood and other bodily fluids found during a wellness check. We recently helped a family work through a difficult time after they received a disturbing letter from an out-of-state family member. Unable to get a hold of their loved ones, they then contacted the police to request a wellness check. When officers arrived, they found the couple in question deceased. Bio SoCal then arrived on scene once the investigation was complete to remove the biohazards and restore the property to safety so family members could enter the property.

Call the police for a needed wellness check

Every day we see how important wellness checks can be in the health of a loved one. Whether a person is in medical distress, in serious danger, or has passed away, the police can be of immeasurable help in discovering how the person is doing.

If you need the police to conduct a wellness check for your friend, neighbor, or family member, call 9-1-1 or locate the non-emergency police phone number for their location.