Mrs Madmac

Sorry about this one but.......

Just a side note - if anyone needs to visit the UK because of a bereavement it used to be Air Canada would offer a discount....... not any longer apparently!

Someone I know recently asked about the discount and was told they had lowered all their prices and that was why there was no discount.

However they contacted BA who did offer a good discount.

Not something we like to think about, but something that would be useful to know if you were in that situation - hope that made sense!

Souvenir

According to the AC website, they still offer bereavement fares for non-Canada/US trips.

iaink

Any they will find seats for you on otherwise booked flights if necessary.


I never quite understood why bereavment releaved you of your financial responsibilities anyway. A flights a flight, so it should cost the same regardless of the reason???

Souvenir

Maybe. Then again, some people don't have the money to suddenly buy plane tickets. We took advantage of the policy 3 years ago when my dad died. I wasn't working at the time and my OH's salary just about covered our mortgage and living costs. Buying two TO/London tickets at short notice would have cost us over $4k, which we didn't have. Air Canada gave us discounted tickets, which National Defence largely paid for.

Curiously, AC never asked us to provide proof.

iaink

I appreciate that, it just seems, well, almost socialist in outlook. People choose to live overseas, and this is the kind of thing you can see is likely to happen at some point.

Im glad they do it, but damned if I can see a capitalist business case for doing so, so it surprises me it wasnt cut a long time ago. People would go into debt if it really meant that much to them Im sure.

stepnek

It's an odd one this. At least I was quite surprised when my mother-in-law was able to take advantage of this facility a few years back because I'd never heard of such a thing. It's great of course if airlines are prepared to help out but surely if as individuals we choose to move a long way away from loved ones then we need to be prepared for the worst and the financial implications of that.

Souvenir

It's likely that the system was introduced when airlines were mostly state-owned and the business case was less of an issue. That being said, I would imagine that the number of bereavement tickets issued is very small, certainly in % terms. The bad PR an airline might face from stopping the practice might well outweigh the cost of providing such tickets.

dbd33

It's not socialist but nationalistic, even jingoistic, Swiss Air and now Swiss offer bereavement fares despite being part of one of the world's most brutally capitalist economies. They do it because the national feeling is that if people have to leave the fatherland and go and toil in some foreign hell hole in order to send back money it's appropriate to help them. Bereavement fares are part of a world view which sees us and them; them being the foreigners.

iaink

So bereavment fares are only available on national carriers to nationals of that nationality?

Souvenir

I wasn't Canadian when AC gave me a discounted ticket. They didn't even ask.

dbd33

That's true of Swiss. I thought it to be true for all airlines.

Souvenir

I've just had a look at BA. They state that they do not offer bereavement fares. However, they provide a number to call under such circumstances and say that they will get you the best available fare. Sounds a bit like the same thing to me.

Biiiiink

AC quoted me 800 CAD *more* per person for a bereavement fare than their regular web fare. They were honest enough to start the phonecall with "I know I can't beat the webfare but I'll have a look for you anyway".

I didn't want the hassle or upset of getting the death certificate to provide them with anyway, but I suppose I would have if it had been a big saving. This was for a ten days hence fare, maybe they can actually get a better fare for immediate travel? Dunno.

CDNReturner

I had to look into this a couple of years ago and the price quoted was extremely high, but the benefit is that you get an 'open' return date to be used within 3 months (or something like that). Like Biiink I didn't want the hassle and upset of trying to get hold of the death certificate. In the end I booked a charter with a return date of 3 weeks later, of which I may have had to forgo the 'return' part, but it was 1/3 of the cost. I ended up coming back 3 weeks later to close up my house for an indefinite period of time and took a one-way charter back again (I didn't realise you could get a one-way charter the first time around).

Calgal

I took advantage of this with Air Canada four years ago. The saving was considerable, and I was able to push back the return (and did; three times); but I did have to provide proof of breavement.

It's a shame if they have stopped it. I agree it's something that those of us who choose to move far away from home should take into account - but it doesn't alter the fact that fate has a way of catching you out when you're least prepared for it.

I think "planning" for such a thing may seem morbid to some people, as well as forcing them to face mortality - not only that of loved ones, but their own. That's a big psychological barrier for many; one which is often easier ignored - rather like refusing or not getting around to making a will.