Types

• Discounted fares vary between each airline, and some carriers have eliminated the compassion fares altogether. "USA Today" travel columnist Bill McGee observed in an Oct. 1, 2008, article that some companies, such as Continental, offer sliding-scale discounts depending on how much customers spend. Alternatively, United Airlines offers a straightforward 10 percent discount off of any published fare for tickets purchased within six days of travel. Most airlines outline their bereavement fare policies in the customer service section of their website or provide a phone number to call for inquiries.
  
  

Eligibility

• Before taking advantage of bereavement discounts, passengers must prove their relationship with the sick or deceased person for whom they are traveling. Although what qualifies for the discounted fare is not always clearly defined, visiting immediate family usually meets the guidelines, and some carriers, such as Continental, American and Delta, extend this service to domestic partners, according to "USA Today." When booking a ticket, make sure to double check that your relationship is acceptable.
  
  

Documentation

• Information on the doctor who has treated relatives may be required.lovely doctor 24 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  To ensure travelers are not abusing compassion fares, airlines require documentation that proves the discount is awarded legitimately. Sometimes a death certificate may be required. United, for example, requests the name, address and telephone number of the hospital, hospice or funeral home, or the name of the attending physician who cared for the passenger's family member, according to the company's website. Carriers may allow passengers to produce some of this paperwork, such as the death certificate, retroactively if it's not available when the reservation is made.
  
  

Benefits

• Bereavement fares may allow passengers to change travel dates without extra fees.ticket image by CORRADO RIVA from Fotolia.com
  
  Beyond price discounts, a perk of booking bereavement fares is the flexibility it can provide. For example, American Airlines allows passengers to change travel plans without penalty and keep the return date open, according to a Dec. 23, 2009, article in the "Los Angeles Times." This can prove very helpful if you are not sure how long you will need to be away.
  
  

Considerations

• Before making a reservation with a carrier that offers a bereavement fare, it is worthwhile to shop around because travelers often can find better deals online. The compassion discount often is taken from the full-fare price, also called the "walk-up fare," so searching for discounted airfare through specialized search engines such as Kayak.com or Cheaptickets.com can yield last-minute deals and save travelers money, "USA Today" reports.