Bereavement airfares can reduce financial burdens Chicago Sun-Times | March 9, 1997 | Copyright (c) 2009 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through ProQuest Information and Learning Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to ProQuest Information and Learning Company. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Most travelers don't think much about special emergency airfares until a loved one falls gravely ill. But nine of the 10 largest U.S. passenger airlines offer bereavement fares for travel within North America, and most also offer fares for those visiting critically ill family members. How much do those fares help? Many travelers are startled to discover that their emergency bereavement fare to Minneapolis or Pittsburgh or Atlanta is likely to cost them substantially more than their last vacation flight to the same place. That's because when most airlines set their emergency discount rates,…