Have a friend w/ an RDU-LHR trip planned next week and a family member is very sick and not expected to make it home from the hospital.

I'm an AA flyer so I'm not familiar enough with the CO bereavement policies to give her good advice. Can someone enlighten me as to their experiences with CO on a non-refundable ticket in the following circumstances:

a) Her family member passes prior to departure and she needs to cancel/postpone her trip.

b) His condition improves so she leaves for the trip but he psses while she's away (will they charge her a change fee to return early under these circumstances)

c) He is still with us but unimproved at the time of her scheduled trip so she cancels/postpones the trip so that she can be with the family when he does pass.

Any information would be appreciated... Thanks in advance.

pt

ptsailor,

Do you know the fare basis code? Where was the ticket bought is it a published fare or a consolidator ticket?

The lowest published fare right now on CO for DUR-LON has the standard phrasing that I've found for most published fares on major airlines - they will waive the penalties on changes or cancellations due to (substantiated) illness or death of a passenger's relative.

I think there can be complications with consolidator or other contract fares, because IIRC the airline does not exercise sole discretion regarding changes on these fares, so the ticket may be worthless if not used as booked.

Below are the rules for the cheapest CO fare (ULXANE) in the market:

CHANGES ANY TIME CHARGE USD 200.00. WAIVED FOR ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - 1.CHANGE FEE DOES NOT APPLY TO INFANTS NOT OCCUPYING A SEAT PAYING 10 PCT OF THE ADULT FARE 2.ILLNESS/DEATH WAIVER MUST BE SUBSTANTIATED BY A VALID MEDICAL/DEATH CERTIFICATE. 3.A.RESERVATION CHANGES MUST BE COMPLETED ON OR BEFORE THE TIME OF THE APPLICABLE SCHEDULED/ TICKETED FLIGHT. TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RES/TKTG PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE TICKETED FARE BUT NO LATER THAN THE TIME OF THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED/TICKETED FLIGHT AS SHOWN ON THE FLIGHT COUPON BEING PRESENTED FOR CHANGE - WHICHEVER IS EARLIER. EXCEPTION- ITINERARIES MAY BE REBOOKED UP TO ONE YEAR FROM ORIGINAL TICKET ISSUE DATE PROVIDED THE PASSENGER CANCELS THE TICKETED FLIGHT RESERVATION PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME. B.TICKETING CHANGES ARE NOT PERMITTED AFTER THE DEPARTURE TIME SHOWN ON THE APPLICABLE FLIGHT COUPON AND THE TICKET HAS NO VALUE TOWARDS FURTHER TRANSPORTATION. 4.A.CHANGES TO OUTBOUND TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT- THE ITINERARY MUST BE RECALCULATED USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS PRESENTED FOR REISSUE AND MUST MEET ALL RULE PROVISIONS OF THE REVISED FARE USED- I.E. ADV PURCH/MIN STAY/MAX STAY/BKG CODE ETC B.CHANGES TO FLIGHT/S OTHER THAN THE OUTBOUND TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT- FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF ORIGINAL TICKET ISSUE MUST BE APPLIED AND THE NEW ITINERARY MUST MEET ALL RULE PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINAL FARE TICKETED. EXCEPTION- ADVANCE PURCHASE PROVISIONS MAY BE DISREGARDED FOR CHANGES TO INBOUND FLTS. 6.IF THE NEW ITINERARY MEETS THE PROVISIONS OF NOTE 4 ABOVE BUT RESULTS IN A HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE IN FARE PLUS THE USD 200 CHANGE FEE WILL BE COLLECTED. 7.IF THE NEW ITINERARY MEETS THE PROVISIONS OF NOTE 4 ABOVE BUT THE FARE RECALCULATION RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES MAY BE APPLIED TOWARDS PAYMENT OF THE USD 200 CHANGE FEE. ANY ADDITIONAL REFUNDABLE AMOUNT WILL BE REFUNDED IN THE FORM OF A NON-REFUNDABLE MCO OR TRAVEL CERTIFICATE VALID FOR FUTURE TRAVEL VIA CO SERVICES. 8.IF CHANGES REQUESTED BY THE PASSENGER DO NOT MEET THE PROVISIONS OF NOTE 4 ABOVE REFER TO -CANCELLATIONS- BELOW 9.STANDBY PROVISIONS- A.PASSENGERS HOLDING CONFIRMED RES/TKTS MAY STANDBY AND WILL BE ACCOMMODATED ON ANY AVAILABLE EARLIER OR LATER FLIGHT ON THE DATE OF THE APPLICABLE SCHEDULED/TICKETED FLIGHT FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN THE SAME ORIGIN AND DESTINATION CITIES AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE PROVIDED THE FARE CHARGED IS APPLICABLE TO THE NEW FLIGHT/S/ AND ROUTING. B.STANDBY IS ONLY PERMITTED FROM THE TICKETED DEPARTURE CITY SHOWN ON THE TICKET OR FROM THE FOLLOWING SAME POINT CITIES UNLESS RESTRICTED BY THE FARE CHARGED- ORD/MDW OR IAH/EFD OR EWR/JFK/LGA OR IAD/DCA OR LGW/LHR. CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE. WAIVED FOR ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - 1.ILLNESS/DEATH WAIVER MUST BE SUBSTANTIATED BY A VALID MEDICAL/DEATH CERTIFICATE. 2.TICKET UPGRADE - PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM ORIGIN- A.FULL AMOUNT PAID FOR ORIGINAL TICKET MAY BE APPLIED TOWARDS PURCHASE OF A NEW TICKET OF EQUAL OR GREATER BUT NOT LOWER VALUE UPON PAYMENT OF THE USD 200 CHANGE FEE PLUS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL AND RECALCULATED FARES. ALL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW FARE MUST BE MET. B.RESERVATION CHANGES MUST BE COMPLETED ON OR BEFORE THE TIME OF THE APPLICABLE SCHEDULED/ TICKETED FLIGHT. C.TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RES/TKTG PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE TICKETED FARE BUT NO LATER THAN THE TIME OF THE APPLICABLE SCHEDULED/TICKETED FLIGHT AS SHOWN ON THE FLIGHT COUPON BEING PRESENTED FOR CHANGE - WHICHEVER IS EARLIER. D.TICKETING CHANGES ARE NOT PERMITTED AFTER THE TIME SHOWN ON THE APPLICABLE FLIGHT COUPON AND THE TICKET HAS NO VALUE TOWARDS FURTHER TRANSPORTATION. E.THE ORIGINAL NON-REFUNDABLE AMOUNT PAID FOR THIS FARE REMAINS NON-REFUNDABLE. THE REISSUED TICKET AND ANY SUBSEQUENT REISSUES MUST BE CLEARLY ENDORSED AS -NONREF-. 3.TICKET UPGRADE - AFTER DEPARTURE FROM ORIGIN- THE PROVISIONS OF NOTE 2 ABOVE APPLY BUT IN ADDITION THE NEW FARE MUST ALLOW RETROACTIVE APPLICATION AS PRESCRIBED IN THE RULE APPLICATION/TITLE PARAGRAPH OF THE NEW RULE. 4.EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR IN NOTES 2 AND 3 ABOVE THE ORIGINAL TICKET HAS NO VALUE TOWARDS FURTHER TRANSPORTATION.

Compassion fares usually only affect the return portion of a trip. (When booking compassion your return leg is usually booked as an open segment) In other words, if you are going to cancel the trip or change the outbound, you will have to pay whatever changes fee and additional fare that is required under your fare basis.

Your friend should call reservations; they have staff there who specifically deal with these sorts of trips.

I work for CO, but have been working in emergency medicine while on leave of absence - I worked with one of the res agents at length several months ago. Our situation was different as we were trying to get a patient to Houston so that a particular procedure could be performed - but she and I did speak at length about what CO offers during family emergencies/deaths and the like. I don't recall the details, but there are people in reservations who may be able to help you.

Good luck..

I've had to cancel a trip when a relative became ill. CO noted my PNR and allowed us to reschedule. When we went to the airport to do so, we brought a doctor's note and they took care of the changes without any fees. I believe we did have to pay the fare difference as it was a different season when we eventually took the trip.

Your best bet is to call CO and ask about this!

THanks for all the replies... Did call CO and was told that, as long as the trip was cancelled/postponed/modified prior to departure, that CO would waive the fees in this case... doctor's note (illness) or funeral home information (death) would be required to substantiate the circumstances. The res agent was very helpful and understaning, and noted the PNR to speed the process should it become necessary..

Thanks again-
pt