Originally Posted by
mattspod
Plead with the airline, tell them it's a breavement, technically this is something insurance should cover but you may find some of them are willing to accomodate you. The staff at the airport would be more open than the call centre.
The staff might requires a death certificate, which the OP will be unable to provide. Said staff might see through the lies and be less sympathetic to OP afterwards. I would suggest this is not a good idea.