Thank you for your thoughts people.

Yes, bereavement fares are a touchy issue and one that could be discussed on this forum.

1) Some agents have no idea bereavement fares and are ill-informed.(although Industry discount fares tend to be cheap if you can waive the restrictions in a case like this)
2) PNR are a good way to make a trip a little easier IF IT IS USED SPARINGLY. The more requests an airline gets, the greater the likelihood something like this could slip through. (My wife and I were not upgraded but we were given the exit row seats with a space between us - 747-400B on what was a full flight.)Frankly, we were just happy to get a seat with no notice.

Cheers all.

Dave Stevenson