Airfare For Funeral

airfare for funeral
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I need last minute airfare to get to a funeral in Florida Sat. Any ideas to get it under $200 from Albany?

A close friend passed away and his service is Sat. at 2 p.m. I am a nanny and I don’t have any paid time off, so the least amount of time I take off the better. I am also dead broke but really need to attend this service. I can fly out of Albany, NY, Newburgh, NY (SWF is code) or anywhere within 1-2 hours of Saratoga, NY and into Orlando, Sanford (SFB), Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm or Tampa bc I have friends and family all over. I have heard I could go to airport and request standby for under $100 but I’m nervous bc I’ve never done it except when I had a ticket and missed the flight, and I was also told if I call they make exceptions for funerals, etc. Please help!

I’m sorry for your loss. Here is some information (not all good news), and I hope it will help:

1.) All airlines differ in their prices for bereavement fares, and usually you are to pay full price up front and then submit the “evidence” of the death in the family (because a lot of people take advantage of the lower fare) to get a refund.

When you call the airlines, inform them that there is a death in the family and you would like the bereavement fare.

To get this discounted fare most airlines will ask for:
* The name of the deceased (or soon to be)
* Your relationship to that person
* The name, address and phone number funeral home (when you are submitting for a refund after completing air travel)
* Date of the service (when you are submitting for a refund after completing air travel)
* A copy of the death certificate (when you are submitting for a refund after completing air travel)

Please note that with most airlines you are only eligible for this fare if you are a parent, grandparent (including step-parent and in-laws), spouse, child, aunt/uncle, sibling (including step-siblings/in-laws), and niece/nephew. Most airlines (but not all) also include same sex domestic partners and legal guardians as eligible family members.

Most airlines that offer bereavement fares will waive last minute restrictions and allow you to book using your frequent flyer miles as long as there is frequent flyer space available for the flights, and provided you give the airline the information outlined above.

Sometimes you may not be able to get all of the above details before you travel. Hold onto receipts, boarding passes, and obtain a copy of the death certificate and provide the details mentioned above. Submit these items to the airline as soon as possible after you have completed travel (many airlines have time limits for obtaining refunds). Keep a photocopy of the items that you have given to the airline. This is essential in obtaining your refund for the value of the discount after completion of travel.

Not all airlines provide bereavement fares. Again, bereavement fares are not always the least expensive option out there, but quite often they are. If you are applying for a refund after completing your travel, do make sure that the airline you are using does offer a bereavement fare prior to travel. Bereavement fares exist to offer you travel options for when you need to travel at the last minute because of imminent death or a death in the family.

2.) Most companies don’t sell standby tickets anymore. The usual way to get them is to either be a dependent or employee of an airline, have a buddy pass, or to already have bought a full priced ticket and just wanting to change the day you fly. Standby tickets are not a cheaper fare anymore. The only time you get a bargain is if you volunteered to give up your seat on an overcrowded flight and they upgraded you.

But here is how stand-by works. You have to get to the airport at least an hour earlier than normal because they put your name down on a stand-by list which is first come first serve, per say. There IS an order of priority, such as crew members on a schedule first, bumped passengers or passengers who gave up their seats from a different flight next, crew members and dependents not on business next, those with their airline sky mile accounts, people with buddy passes, etc.

While you wait, I suggest you go look around or bring a book to read or something to do. After they do all their upgrades, seat change requests, and board all the passengers with normal fare tickets for that day, they will start to call out the names of stand-by passengers.

Here’s the thing to be wary of: if the flight is full, you don’t get a seat, so it’s always best to call a day ahead and find out how full they expect the flight to be and to give them advance notice that you DO expect to go on the flight for that day.

3.) Here are some tips for finding cheap fares:

– Sometimes the internet is cheaper, sometimes the phone operators are cheaper, and sometimes travel agents are cheaper. Check out all three to make sure you get the best deal.

– Choose the same airline for all legs of your itinerary whenever possible so you can take advantage of all connecting and round-trip airfares.

– Try to fly on the least popular days: Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

– Remember that Saturday night stays are usually required for most bargain airfares.

– Try to select the least popular flight times: mid-morning or late evening.

– Check with discount airlines for cheaper fares.

– Try to book as far in advance as possible. Generally try to purchase your tickets at least 21 days in advance of departure. Many airlines also have specials requiring three-, seven- or 14-day advance purchase.

– In general, the cheapest airfares are available in the spring and summer.

– If you travel around the holidays, book your departure and return flights a day or more before and after peak travel dates. If you’re flexible, you might benefit by waiting until the last minute to book your flight because major carriers often run special sales. These sales, however, often have a long list of rules, restrictions and blackout dates.

–Consider booking tickets that come with restrictions because they also come with a cheaper price tag.

– Consider using alternate airports near your desired airport. The extra drive can save you hundreds of dollars.

–Be as flexible as possible with your dates.

If I can be of more assistance, feel free to contact me