# Have Bereavement Fares All But Vanished? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912 "2009-04-21T23:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912/21 "2009-04-22T22:26:14Z")
If you can schedule your travel over a weekend, check out the last minute travel rates over at travelocity. When my aunt died several years ago, I was able to book 2 very cheap rates, by including a car, because our travel would be over the next weekend. Be sure to take a look at the rates if you include a car or a hotel. Often I find it cheaper to get air+car then just air through the last minute packages. Right now, Houston to Boston for next weekend, I’m seeing: Leave Houston Thursday, return Tuesday - car plus airfare, $395 - hotel + airfaire, $458 Other travel days have different rates. Those are just the cheapest for this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912/22 "2009-04-22T22:44:42Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Why do airlines charge more for last minute bookings? The plane is going to take off whether every single seat is filled or not. Doesn’t it make more sense to put as many paying customers in the seats as possible? Airline prices are weird. They are trying to sell every seat on the plane for as much as they possibly can. But they know different travelers have different travel needs. If you absolutely positively have to travel on a particular day, the airlines would like to charge you a lot of money because you have no choice. But if you can fly any time then you can wait until a cheap seat becomes available. They especially like to charge business travelers more because they often have to travel on an inflexible schedule, they want to get back home as soon as possible, and the company is paying for the flight. But it’s also true that it would make sense to sell an otherwise empty seat for a low price, because otherwise they get nothing. So they’re constantly trying to figure out ways to force people to pay more while simultaneously trying to sell every seat. And so airline pricing is schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912/23 "2009-04-23T02:08:08Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > \A death in the family is a terrible thing, but the world doesnt owe you anything on that day. Sorry. The planes still need fuel, taxes need to be paid, and employees still need their paychecks. Also, its funny how we only expect special treatment from the airlines. Why not a free rental car, hotel, or even a free funeral? It’s not about getting something for nothing. If they want to offer a bereavement fare, then do it and make it worthwhile. If they don’t want to offer a reduced fare, then don’t offer an empty gimmick. I don’t have an answer for the abuse factor. I would like to see the airline offer the seat for the lowest price they can for the bereavement fare, but I can’t fathom a system that would not encourage abuse. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912/24 "2009-04-23T02:11:10Z")
\>The plane is going to take off whether every single seat is filled or not. For every bereavement person who wants a free fare there’s 5 guys on standby who have paid (late for previous flight, quick change, etc) or will pay a standard fare. ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912/25 "2009-04-23T05:24:35Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > So that I don’t come off like a _complete_ SOB, thanks for making the effort **snowmaster** , I wouldn’t mind having you as a nephew myself! > Bill Cheers to you to **Quasi** , everybody has their personal crises, but when we choose to aire them here, I think we all ought to remember that this is a body politic of public debate. As for me, I’d much rather people spoke their mind and gave the opinion (especially and experienced one) and others would go out of their way not to get offended by it. Your comments and everyone else’s are welcome. Emotionally, we’re not having too hard a time with her passing. It’s been expected some, sh smoked all her life, and she is in pain so to prolong her life would be worse. Also, she’s been emotionally abusive to all of us since well before I was born. Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that her son needs to be here. Funny you should all mention Southwest, my Uncle usually won’t fly anyone else. But time is short and apparently, they have nothing from Houston to MHT on Thursday. He ended up with US Air, who quoted a bereavement fare well above the $500 something available on all the travel websites. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-bereavement-fares-all-but-vanished/493912.md?page=1)