In the last few months I have been witness to an alarming number of sudden and unexpected deaths in my friends’ families. I have begun to wonder if it is that I am getting older and simply more aware of the fragility of life, or is it that the number of deaths from diseases such as cancer and heart disease are truly on the rise.

Whatever the reason may be, the death of a family member or friend is an incredibly difficult time in one’s life. Suddenly years of planning are unraveled in a matter of days. In some religions funerals take place within 48 hours of the death. Often this leaves you with little to no time to deal with all the bereavement arrangements that you have to take care of: leave of absence from work, making sure that bills are paid while you are gone, arranging for someone to take care of your pet, getting in touch with long lost family members, and sometimes the most frustrating process of all- taking care of your travel arrangements.

It is important that if you are going to be traveling due to a death of a family member that you request a bereavement airfare rate. Unfortunately it is not that simple…there are a list of steps and rules you must follow to ensure that you will qualify for the bereavement rate. Below are a few of the most important items for you to keep in mind before you book your bereavement travel.

Follow this Check List:

• Call the airline directly or have your travel agent do it. Bereavement airfares aren’t available over the Internet. Most bereavement airfares amount to roughly half of an average last-minute airfare, which can save you a lot of $$. For example a friend who recently lost a family member was going to travel to NYC for the funeral. Without the bereavement fare her last minute ticket was going to cost her $1,245.00. However, with the bereavement discount her flight would cost $550.00.

• Remember to research last minute bargain airfares that might be available through the various airlines on the Internet. Some last-minute Internet airfares can be less expensive than bereavement airfares. Try websites like Expedia or Kayak.

• Gather basic information about the deceased, the date of the funeral service and the phone number and address of the funeral home. The representative may need this information when you purchase the ticket to issue you a bereavement fare.

• Remember that you need a copy of the death certificate or other documentation upon your return to send to the airline. Most bereavement fares give you an open return flight, which allows you to stay up to 30 days at your destination.

• It is important to mention that discount airlines like Southwest Airlines do not offer bereavement airfares since their regular prices are so low. If you occasionally use a low priced carrier, you may try their websites for a cheap last-minute fare before checking with other airlines. However, their last minute rates are sometimes much higher in price than a bereavement fare on another airlines.

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