Tweet
Airlines phasing out bereavement fares
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Airlines phasing out bereavement fares
Cost-cutting measure affects passengers' flexibility; the old tickets were easily changed.
The Wall Street Journal
Bereavement airfares – those discounted tickets for people who need to fly to a funeral or to visit a sick relative – are quietly disappearing.
The special fares are the latest casualty of the airline industry's troubles. Eliminating bereavement tickets is part of a wider cost-cutting strategy by airlines that has led to the disappearance of everything from in-flight amenities such as meals and blankets to other discounted fares such as those for seniors, students and children.
But while taking pillows and pretzels off planes may annoy travelers, yanking fares aimed at helping grieving passengers strikes some as particularly harsh. Still, some airlines – and even some travelers – say that because fares have dropped so low in recent years, the bereavement deals are no longer needed. Indeed, they are often more expensive than last-minute fares available on discount airlines or travel Web sites.
In the latest move, Continental Airlines in May replaced its old 50 percent bereavement discount on full-fare tickets with a 5 percent discount on fares under $499 one-way and a 10 percent discount on fares over $500 one-way. US Airways eliminated all bereavement fares in January. Northwest is now requiring travelers who request bereavement fares to sign up for its WorldPerks program on the spot. Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, has reduced the discount it gives to 25 percent from 50 percent off full-fare walk-up tickets.
All this started when major carriers started copying the fare systems of low-cost airlines over the past couple of years. Delta Air Lines eliminated domestic bereavement fares last year as part of an overhaul of its fare structure. Air Canada, owned by ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., also abandoned them last year because of lack of demand, a spokesman said.
With the disappearance of bereavement fares, travelers are losing not only potential discounts but also flexibility. Bereavement tickets typically allow passengers to change the time and dates of their flights as often as they wish with no penalty. That kind of flexibility is particularly crucial for travelers who don't know when they need to be someplace for a surgery or funeral. Without bereavement fares, travelers who need to change their tickets multiple times can be hit with steep fees. At UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, for example, the cost to change a ticket is $100, plus the difference in the fare.
Other major carriers are making it harder – and more expensive – for last-minute travelers to trade in their miles for an emergency trip. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in December began charging a $100 "expedite fee" for members of its frequent-flier program who want to redeem miles for travel in fewer than six days. (On American, there still are bereavement fares, but they can't be booked online and thus incur a $10 telephone booking fee.)
United announced that it will be adding a similar $75 mileage expedite fee starting this fall for travel ticketed six days or less before departure.
Airlines phasing out bereavement fares
Airlines phasing out bereavement fares
Cost-cutting measure affects passengers' flexibility; the old tickets were easily changed.
The Wall Street Journal
Bereavement airfares – those discounted tickets for people who need to fly to a funeral or to visit a sick relative – are quietly disappearing.
The special fares are the latest casualty of the airline industry's troubles. Eliminating bereavement tickets is part of a wider cost-cutting strategy by airlines that has led to the disappearance of everything from in-flight amenities such as meals and blankets to other discounted fares such as those for seniors, students and children.
But while taking pillows and pretzels off planes may annoy travelers, yanking fares aimed at helping grieving passengers strikes some as particularly harsh. Still, some airlines – and even some travelers – say that because fares have dropped so low in recent years, the bereavement deals are no longer needed. Indeed, they are often more expensive than last-minute fares available on discount airlines or travel Web sites.
In the latest move, Continental Airlines in May replaced its old 50 percent bereavement discount on full-fare tickets with a 5 percent discount on fares under $499 one-way and a 10 percent discount on fares over $500 one-way. US Airways eliminated all bereavement fares in January. Northwest is now requiring travelers who request bereavement fares to sign up for its WorldPerks program on the spot. Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, has reduced the discount it gives to 25 percent from 50 percent off full-fare walk-up tickets.
All this started when major carriers started copying the fare systems of low-cost airlines over the past couple of years. Delta Air Lines eliminated domestic bereavement fares last year as part of an overhaul of its fare structure. Air Canada, owned by ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., also abandoned them last year because of lack of demand, a spokesman said.
With the disappearance of bereavement fares, travelers are losing not only potential discounts but also flexibility. Bereavement tickets typically allow passengers to change the time and dates of their flights as often as they wish with no penalty. That kind of flexibility is particularly crucial for travelers who don't know when they need to be someplace for a surgery or funeral. Without bereavement fares, travelers who need to change their tickets multiple times can be hit with steep fees. At UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, for example, the cost to change a ticket is $100, plus the difference in the fare.
Other major carriers are making it harder – and more expensive – for last-minute travelers to trade in their miles for an emergency trip. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in December began charging a $100 "expedite fee" for members of its frequent-flier program who want to redeem miles for travel in fewer than six days. (On American, there still are bereavement fares, but they can't be booked online and thus incur a $10 telephone booking fee.)
United announced that it will be adding a similar $75 mileage expedite fee starting this fall for travel ticketed six days or less before departure.
Airlines phasing out bereavement fares
I often gift airline travel and hotel/timeshare stays to family and friends, but never to the ones constantly bothering me to find them the best deal. 
Comment