When a family member dies abroad, other family members often need to travel urgently to the country of death — to handle identification, manage local formalities, accompany the body home, or provide support to family members already there. Buying a last-minute long-haul return flight under these circumstances can be expensive. Airline bereavement fares exist, or used to exist, to address this. The current reality is more complicated.
What a Bereavement Fare Is
A bereavement fare is a discounted fare offered by some airlines to travellers who need to fly urgently because of a death or serious illness in the family. Historically, these fares offered significant discounts — sometimes 50–75% off standard last-minute fares — and flexible conditions such as open return dates and free date changes.
The airline bereavement fare has declined significantly over the past fifteen years. Most major low-cost carriers have never offered them. Several full-service carriers who previously offered them have withdrawn the product or severely restricted it. The rise of dynamically priced “saver” fares has also narrowed the gap between the cheapest available ticket and a last-minute fare, reducing the practical value of bereavement pricing.
Which Airlines Currently Offer Bereavement Fares
The availability of bereavement fares changes and varies by route. As of 2025–2026:
British Airways: BA offers a “bereavement fare” for eligible routes. The discount is not always substantial, but the fare typically comes with flexibility (changes, refunds) that standard economy fares do not have. The fare must be booked through BA’s customer service, not online.
Virgin Atlantic: Has offered compassionate fare arrangements in some cases; availability varies by route and is handled through their customer service team.
Most low-cost carriers (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Jet2): Do not offer bereavement fares. Some will make reasonable changes to existing bookings for a small fee under compassionate circumstances, but this is discretionary and inconsistent.
Long-haul carriers (Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Etihad): Some offer compassionate or bereavement arrangements handled through customer service rather than as published fares. Contact the airline’s customer service team directly.
The practical approach is: call the airline’s customer service line, explain the situation, and ask explicitly what they can offer. Many airlines will waive change fees and offer some flexibility even if they do not have a formal bereavement fare product.
What Documentation Airlines May Ask For
Airlines offering bereavement fares or compassionate arrangements typically ask for:
- Proof of the relationship to the deceased (passport, birth certificate, or equivalent)
- Proof of the death (death certificate, hospital confirmation, or consular notification)
- Confirmation that the death has occurred or that an immediate family member is critically ill
This documentation is usually submitted after booking, not before. The airline may ask you to sign a declaration confirming the circumstances.
Bereavement Fares vs Travel Insurance
If the family member travelling had already purchased travel insurance before the bereavement, a good policy will include a “curtailment” or “missed departure” benefit that covers the cost of returning home early or changing flights due to a family bereavement. This is separate from the repatriation of remains benefit.
If the family member is travelling specifically to go abroad because of the bereavement, and they did not already have travel insurance covering that trip, they may struggle to obtain travel insurance after the event that prompted the travel. Most insurers exclude claims arising from circumstances known at the time the policy was purchased.
Where travel insurance will not cover the cost of travel, and a bereavement fare is not available or sufficient, some employers have compassionate leave policies that include a travel allowance. Check the HR policy.
ATOL and Package Holiday Bereavement
If the deceased was part of a package holiday booked under ATOL protection, and the trip is curtailed by the death, the tour operator is responsible for the repatriation of the body and any surviving travelling companions under the package travel regulations. Contact the tour operator or ABTA before making any independent arrangements.
Sources: British Airways, Bereavement Fares and Compassionate Travel, britishairways.com, 2024. Civil Aviation Authority, Passenger Rights: Bereavement and Compassionate Travel, caa.co.uk, 2024. ABTA, Package Holiday Rights: Death and Curtailment, abta.com, 2024. Association of British Insurers, Travel Insurance and Curtailment Due to Bereavement, abi.org.uk, 2023. Which?, Airline Bereavement Fares: What Families Are Entitled To, which.co.uk, 2024.