Is there compassion in bereavement fares?

— -- For all the planning you may invest in booking travel, there are times when life provides you with no advance warning. A serious illness or the death of a loved one can mean you're suddenly at the mercy of the travel industry—and you need to depart now.

That's why the airlines traditionally have offered bereavement fares, sometimes referred to as compassion or compassionate fares. In recent years, however, bereavement fares have been revamped and even eliminated, so best practices have changed.

Having just watched my very large family unexpectedly gather for a funeral in a city where almost none of us live, a key factor struck me: Even the most savvy traveler doesn't have the time, energy or inclination to haggle over a low fare during such a difficult time. Subsequently, there are plenty of blogging cynics who claim most airlines take advantage of these conditions by making their bereavement fares opaque and available only by telephone, and therefore harder to comparison shop.

Even non-cynics, however, would have to conclude that searching for bereavement fares is not easy even under the best of circumstances.

Providing proof

Bereavement fares have a long history in the airline industry, particularly since in the past carriers traditionally charged more for last-minute or "walk-up" tickets. But, as noted in an infamous episode of Seinfeld, compassion fares can be obtained only if you provide proof of illness or death. In many cases, this is impractical at the time of booking, and it becomes an administrative chore to address after the trip is completed.

The standard policy for most airlines is that at the time of purchase, the carrier will require the name and relationship of the relative, in addition to the name, address, and phone number for the funeral home, hospice or hospital. If applicable, the name of a doctor may be needed as well (as if most doctors have the time to respond to calls from airline reservationists). For those who are distraught or grieving, this can seem like a cruel procedure, yet the airlines claim the world is filled with travelers who would take advantage of such policies if proof were not required.

In addition, several carriers require customers to book through their telephone reservations systems rather than online, and the details of the discounts can be hard to obtain without providing specific criteria about your family member's illness or death.

The death throes of bereavement?

As USA TODAY noted in 2005, a few years ago several carriers began cutting back or even eliminating bereavement fares while revamping their pricing strategies. This trend was accelerated after both Delta and Air Canada did away with domestic compassion discounts.