""It's been a year since I got that text, a year since my sister walked into an urgent care in my hometown of South Bend, Indiana, when she called my mom as her partner drove her to the emergency room. A year since she was intubated, my mom caressing her hand, before she closed her eyes for the last time. Her life was then on support, but in reality, her life was gone.""
"Getting to where you need to be in moments of grief and duress and emergency can feel like solving string theory when you're inundated with emotions and other logistics that don't involve planes. Thankfully, I had points and miles. Thankfully, I had a credit card and savings. Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, I could get home. But the one thing I wish I had known at this moment was the existence of bereavement fares."
Flying immediately after the death of a close family member creates intense logistical and emotional challenges. Sudden travel planning during grief can feel overwhelming and like solving string theory when emotions and unrelated logistics intrude. Points, airline miles, credit cards, and savings can make last-minute travel possible. Bereavement fares, sometimes called compassionate fares, are special flexible airline tickets for imminent death or the loss of an immediate family member, often with reduced prices, looser change rules, and the option to book very last-minute without usual penalties. Not every airline offers bereavement fares; Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, and WestJet are among those that do.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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