Need a quick ticket for a funeral
Oct 1, 2006 | 1:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Posts: 51
Need a quick ticket for a funeral
Hey everyone,
I need to fly lax-pbi for a funeral this week. I still don't know when the funeral will be. Do airlines still give rebates for fights like this? If so, what would i have to provide as proof? Thanks for any information!
John
I need to fly lax-pbi for a funeral this week. I still don't know when the funeral will be. Do airlines still give rebates for fights like this? If so, what would i have to provide as proof? Thanks for any information!
John
Oct 1, 2006 | 3:13 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MSP
Programs: SPG Gold;NWA gold;Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,458
NWA will give you the 21 day advance purchase price for a funeral. Call the reservation line and have the name/number of the funeral home handy, and the name of the person. They will call and verify, then give you the discount. No rebate required.
Oct 1, 2006 | 3:57 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EP, OZ Diamond, WS Plat, Avis CHM, Hertz PC, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 917
No rebates, but rather, airlines call it a "compassionate fare" or something of that sort. Had to do it once with AC, they required documentation of the funeral service or they will verify. The fares ended up to be around 50% of the lowest bucket at that time.
Oct 2, 2006 | 12:00 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Posts: 51
Thanks MileageAddict, the funeral arrangements are still being made, i will probably know something Monday or Tuesday. The morning before i heard the bad news, i booked a flight back to my hometown plus an extra leg to Chicago, then back to LA all for like $400, 3 wks out. The lady at Delta was amazed at how good of a price i got. Jeez.
Oct 2, 2006 | 12:07 am
#8
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Seattle
Programs: Ephesians 4:31-32
Posts: 10,690
Compassionate fares are not really very good. When my Mother died, it would have cost $10,000.00+ for five of us to fly SEA/SRQ on a coach compassionate fare. 
Fortunately, we were able to get five award seats on NWA, using AS miles, IIRC.
Fortunately, we were able to get five award seats on NWA, using AS miles, IIRC.
Oct 2, 2006 | 7:59 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 20,405
Probably don't need to say this, but don't limit your searches to just LAX and PBI...even though it may be an inconvenience, it could be scores cheaper if you considered SNA, LGB, ONT and FLL, even MIA. 
FLL could be key, because I believe WN flies there. Not sure about PBI.
FLL could be key, because I believe WN flies there. Not sure about PBI.
Oct 2, 2006 | 7:59 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Many, slipping beneath the horizon
Posts: 9,859
Breaved My Wallet!
Originally Posted by JohnOdd
Hey everyone, I need to fly lax-pbi for a funeral this week. I still don't know when the funeral will be. Do airlines still give rebates for fights like this? If so, what would i have to provide as proof? Thanks for any information! John
Bereavement fares are but a slightly more modest violation sans lubricant than full fares, so this is one of those occasions when Priceline might be worth a try. MY last go-round of this sort got me there and back for $200, only requiring an extra night along the way and a circuitous route, $200 vs. almost $1,000 for an over the counter seat.
Oct 3, 2006 | 5:52 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Posts: 51
Found a $389 RT on 24 hrs notice with 2 stops on the departing, and 1 stop on the return. Can you co-mingle United miles with US Air/America West miles? Last time i flew US Air i was 8 years old.
BTW, my friend died in a car accident on the way home from the sleaziest strip club in West Palm Beach. He wouldnt have wanted it any other way, he would also want me to tell everyone that that's how he died, hence this paragraph that has nothing to do with airline travel.
The last time i flew was 3 days before the liquid incident. Let's see what happens tonight in terms of security.
BTW, my friend died in a car accident on the way home from the sleaziest strip club in West Palm Beach. He wouldnt have wanted it any other way, he would also want me to tell everyone that that's how he died, hence this paragraph that has nothing to do with airline travel.
The last time i flew was 3 days before the liquid incident. Let's see what happens tonight in terms of security.