Do Airlines Still Offer Bereavement Fares in 2026? A Complete Guide

Updated August 2026

If you suddenly need to fly because of a death in the family, you may still be able to get a bereavement fare. The list of airlines offering them is much shorter than it once was, but they have not disappeared.

As of August 2026, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada and WestJet still publish bereavement-fare policies. American Airlines and Southwest specifically say they do not offer them. United no longer has a traditional bereavement-fare program, while JetBlue handles death-in-the-family changes through its normal fare rules rather than a special discounted ticket.

There is another important catch: a bereavement fare is not necessarily the cheapest ticket available.

Delta, Air Canada and WestJet all warn travelers that lower regular fares may be available. So if you need a flight today, the right approach is to check the normal price first and then compare it with whatever the airline can offer under its bereavement policy.

Which Airlines Still Offer Bereavement Fares in 2026?

Airline	Bereavement Fare?	Important Rule	What To Do
Delta Air Lines	Yes	Travel generally must begin within 7 days; SkyMiles membership required	Call or message Delta before booking
Alaska Airlines	Yes	10% off lowest available fare for qualifying travel within 7 days	Contact Alaska before booking
Air Canada	Yes	Travel must begin within 10 days of booking and can last no more than 60 days	Call Air Canada before booking
WestJet	Yes	Available on Econo and EconoFlex; travel must be completed within 30 days	Call WestJet
American Airlines	No	No emergency or bereavement fare for a new ticket	Compare normal fares; separate refund exceptions may apply to an existing ticket
United Airlines	No	No current traditional bereavement-fare program	Compare normal fares and contact United if an existing trip must change
Southwest Airlines	No	Southwest explicitly says it has no bereavement or emergency fares	Book the best available regular fare
JetBlue	No special fare	Death-in-family changes follow the normal cancellation rules	Check the restrictions of your fare before booking or changing

If You Need a Flight Because of a Death Today

If you are dealing with this right now, I would do these things in this order:

1. Search the normal fare first. Check the route on the airline websites and note the cheapest reasonable itinerary.
2. Check alternate airports. If the funeral is between several airports, the difference can be substantial on a last-minute ticket.
3. If Delta, Alaska, Air Canada or WestJet serves the route, contact the airline before purchasing. Ask specifically about its bereavement fare.
4. Compare the actual price and rules. Do not assume the fare with the sympathetic name is cheaper.
5. Check your miles or points. A last-minute award ticket can sometimes be a better solution than an expensive cash fare.
6. If you already have a ticket that needs to change, explain why. That is a different question from buying a bereavement fare, and some airlines have policies that may help.

When calling, have the deceased person’s name, your relationship to that person and the funeral home, hospital or hospice information available. The exact documentation varies by airline.

Delta Bereavement Fares

Delta has one of the clearest remaining U.S. bereavement-fare programs.

Delta’s program is available to SkyMiles members who need to travel because of the death of an immediate family member. If you are not already a SkyMiles member, Delta says you can enroll and then qualify.

You cannot simply select a bereavement fare on Delta.com. You need to contact Delta through its messaging system or call reservations.

Delta asks for:

• The deceased person’s name
• Your relationship to the deceased
• The name and phone number of the funeral home, hospital or hospice
• The doctor’s name, if applicable

For domestic travel, the ticket must be purchased and travel must begin within seven days of the death or imminent death.

Delta describes the program as offering both discounted fares and additional flexibility. Service fees for changes can be waived, although you can still owe a fare difference.

Before you buy it, compare the price with Delta.com. Delta itself says that lower promotional fares may be available.

Who counts as immediate family on Delta?

Delta’s definition is fairly broad. It includes spouses and domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, step-relatives and a number of in-law relationships.

For more detail specifically about Delta, we have also looked separately at Delta’s bereavement-fare program.

Alaska Airlines Bereavement Fares

Alaska Airlines still publishes a straightforward bereavement discount.

If you need to travel within seven days because of the death of an immediate family member, Alaska says you may qualify for a 10% discount off the lowest available fare for the flights you need.

This makes Alaska’s program somewhat easier to understand than a vaguely defined special fare. There is an actual published discount against the available fare.

If Alaska serves your route and you are buying a last-minute funeral ticket, I would therefore check the normal Alaska price and then contact Alaska about the bereavement discount before purchasing.

Air Canada Bereavement Fares

Air Canada has one of the most detailed bereavement policies still operating.

The policy applies when you need to travel because of the imminent death or death of an immediate family member.

It covers eligible flights on Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express as well as some codeshare travel. It applies to Economy Standard, Flex, Comfort and Latitude fares, along with Economy Basic when traveling outside North America.

For qualifying travel:

• The trip must begin within 10 days of booking.
• The total trip cannot exceed 60 days.
• You must call Air Canada to request the bereavement fare.
• You will need to provide information about the deceased or dying family member and the relevant hospital, physician or funeral home.

Air Canada also requires supporting documentation after the trip. That can include a death certificate, funeral director’s statement, coroner’s statement, registration of death or a physician’s letter in the case of imminent death.

The documentation must generally be submitted within seven days after returning.

Air Canada warns that less-flexible regular fares may cost less, so comparison shopping still makes sense.

WestJet Bereavement Fares

WestJet also continues to offer bereavement fares for a death or imminent death in the family.

The fare has several important restrictions:

• You have to book by phone.
• It is available only on Econo and EconoFlex fares.
• You need a WestJet Rewards account.
• The trip must be completed within 30 days of booking, including the return flight.
• It does not apply to partner-airline flights.
• It cannot be combined with other discounts or companion vouchers.

WestJet is unusually candid about the economics: it says the bereavement fare may not be the lowest fare available. The attraction can instead be greater flexibility if your plans change.

Does American Airlines Offer Bereavement Fares?

No.

American’s own reservations FAQ directly answers this question: American does not offer emergency or bereavement fares.

That means someone buying a new ticket on American should search the regular fares, compare nearby airports and consider using AAdvantage miles.

There is an important separate issue if you already have a ticket.

American publishes a bereavement refund exception policy. Tickets may be considered for a refund after the death of the passenger, an immediate family member or a traveling companion, with appropriate documentation.

That does not give you a discounted ticket to a funeral. It may, however, help if a death forces you to cancel travel that was already booked.

Does United Airlines Offer Bereavement Fares?

No traditional bereavement fare.

United used to offer a bereavement discount, but that program disappeared years ago. United’s current consumer site does not publish a special bereavement fare for purchasing emergency travel.

If United has the best schedule, search the normal fare and MileagePlus award availability rather than expecting a bereavement price.

If a death affects travel you already booked, review United’s current refund and cancellation options and contact the airline about the specific ticket.

Does Southwest Offer Bereavement Fares?

No.

Southwest has a current help page specifically addressing the question and says it does not offer bereavement or emergency fares.

With Southwest, look at the available regular fares and the change and cancellation rules that apply to the ticket you are considering.

Does JetBlue Offer a Bereavement Fare?

JetBlue does not publish a special discounted fare for buying a new ticket because of a death in the family.

It does, however, specifically address death-in-the-family cancellations in its current customer-service guidance.

JetBlue generally has no change or cancellation fee on its eligible fares, but its more restrictive Base fare can carry a cancellation fee. JetBlue specifically says that the Base-fare fee cannot be waived because of a death in the family.

This is worth checking before buying the cheapest fare for emergency travel. Your plans surrounding a funeral or seriously ill relative may change quickly, so flexibility can be worth paying for.

Are Bereavement Fares Actually Cheaper?

Sometimes. But that is no longer the main reason to use one.

Alaska’s program is easy to understand because it advertises a 10% discount off the lowest available qualifying fare. The programs at Delta, Air Canada and WestJet can place more value on flexibility.

Delta specifically warns that promotional fares available online can be cheaper. Air Canada says lower fares with more restrictions may be available. WestJet says its bereavement fare may not be its lowest-priced fare.

That is why I would never call an airline without first knowing the ordinary price of the flight.

If the normal ticket costs $250 and the bereavement fare costs $350, you need a good reason to pay the extra $100. Greater change flexibility may be worth it if funeral arrangements are unsettled. Otherwise, take the cheaper ticket.

Will an Airline Waive a Change Fee Because of a Funeral?

Possibly, but do not confuse this with a bereavement fare.

There are two different situations:

1. You need to buy a new ticket because somebody died. That is where a bereavement fare may apply.
2. Somebody died and you can no longer take a trip you already booked. That is a cancellation, refund or ticket-change question.

The second situation can sometimes have better options even on airlines that do not sell bereavement fares.

American, for example, does not sell bereavement fares but publishes a process for considering refunds after certain deaths. JetBlue explains how its normal change and cancellation rules apply after a death in the family.

If you already have a ticket, call or check the airline’s current rules before simply abandoning it.

What Documentation Do You Need for a Bereavement Fare?

Requirements vary by airline, but be prepared with:

• The full name of the deceased or seriously ill family member
• Your relationship to that person
• The funeral home’s name and telephone number
• The hospital or hospice information, if applicable
• The treating physician’s name, if applicable
• The date of the funeral or memorial service

Some airlines may require formal documentation such as a death certificate or funeral-home statement.

If you are calling while arrangements are still being made, tell the airline that. A death certificate may obviously not exist yet when someone needs to get on an airplane tomorrow.

What If the Bereavement Fare Is Too Expensive?

Try several alternatives before buying an unusually expensive last-minute ticket.

Check nearby airports

A funeral in a smaller city may be reachable from several airports. Driving an extra hour can sometimes save far more than a special airline discount.

Price two one-way tickets

You do not necessarily need to fly the same airline in both directions. If the outbound trip is urgent but the return is predictable, price each direction separately.

Check miles and points

Award tickets can be particularly useful for emergency travel because the mileage price does not always rise the same way as a last-minute cash fare.

Pay attention to flexibility

Funeral dates and family arrangements can move. Saving $40 on a highly restrictive ticket may be a poor bargain if changing it later becomes expensive or impossible.

Ask someone else to search

Emergency travel often gets booked when people are exhausted and dealing with much more important things. If possible, have a relative or friend compare the alternatives while you handle everything else.

Bereavement Fares Have Changed Dramatically

Flight Wisdom has been writing about bereavement fares for a long time. In our 2010 look at emergency air travel, United was still offering a compassion discount. Today it does not.

The remaining programs also show why the phrase “bereavement fare” can be misleading. Sometimes the value is an actual discount. Sometimes it is a more flexible ticket at a stressful time.

The useful question when you call is therefore very simple:

“What will this ticket cost, and what flexibility does your bereavement policy give me that the regular fare does not?”

Then compare the answer with the fare you can buy normally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which airlines still offer bereavement fares in 2026?

Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada and WestJet currently publish bereavement-fare programs. Their prices, eligibility rules, travel windows and documentation requirements differ.

Does United Airlines give a discount if someone in your family dies?

United no longer offers its old traditional bereavement discount. Search the normal United fare and MileagePlus award availability. If a death affects a ticket you already purchased, contact United about your cancellation or refund options.

Does American Airlines offer a bereavement fare?

No. American explicitly says it does not offer emergency or bereavement fares. It does separately consider some refund requests when the passenger, an immediate family member or traveling companion dies.

Does Delta still have bereavement fares?

Yes. Delta offers a bereavement policy for SkyMiles members traveling because of the death of an immediate family member. The fare must be booked through Delta rather than through the normal website booking process, and travel generally must begin within seven days.

Does Alaska Airlines offer bereavement fares?

Yes. Alaska currently advertises a 10% discount off the lowest available fare for eligible travelers who need to travel within seven days because of the death of an immediate family member.

Do airlines give free flights when somebody in your family dies?

Generally, no. A bereavement fare is not a free flight. It may provide a discount, additional ticket flexibility or both.

Will an airline waive rescheduling fees for a funeral?

It depends on the airline and ticket. This is separate from buying a bereavement fare. If a death forces you to change a ticket you already own, contact the airline and explain the situation before canceling or missing the flight.

Are bereavement fares cheaper than normal fares?

Not necessarily. Delta, Air Canada and WestJet all caution that cheaper regular fares may be available. Compare the normal ticket price before booking a bereavement fare.

How quickly do I have to travel?

The rule depends on the airline. Delta generally requires travel to begin within seven days. Alaska’s discount is for qualifying travel within seven days. Air Canada requires travel within 10 days of booking and limits the total trip to 60 days. WestJet requires the entire trip to be completed within 30 days.

Do I need a death certificate to get a bereavement fare?

Not always at the moment of booking. Airlines may initially ask for the deceased person’s name, your relationship and funeral-home, hospital or physician information. Some programs require supporting documentation later. Check the airline’s current requirements before travel.

Can I get a bereavement fare after I already bought the ticket?

Usually you should contact the airline before purchasing a new bereavement ticket. If you already have a ticket and a death changes your plans, look instead at the airline’s refund, cancellation and emergency-exception policies.