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As of September 2026, only three airlines serving the US publish a bereavement fare: Delta (for SkyMiles members), Alaska Airlines together with Hawaiian Airlines (10% discount, phone only), and Air Canada. American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant, British Airways, Lufthansa and Emirates do not sell a bereavement fare, though several waive fees or refund tickets after a death with documentation.
This is the table companion to our guide to bereavement flight fares. Every row was checked on the airline's own website in September 2026 and links to that page. Rules change without notice, so confirm with the airline or call us before you book.
Bereavement fares by airline (last verified: September 2026)
| Airline | Policy / discount | Who qualifies | How to book | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Not offered. American states it does not offer emergency or bereavement fares. A refund exception may be considered after the death of the passenger, an immediate family member or a traveling companion, with proof. | Refund exception: immediate family or companion of the deceased, with documentation. | Book a regular fare, then request the refund exception through American's refunds process. | aa.com |
| Delta Air Lines | Offered. "Bereavement fares" for SkyMiles members: service fees are waived and flexible ticketing applies, but "fare differences may still apply". Travel must begin within seven days of the death or imminent death. | SkyMiles members (enroll at booking) traveling for the death or imminent death of an immediate family member: spouse or domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and step or in-law equivalents. | Phone or Delta message only; not on delta.com. Have the deceased's name, relationship, and funeral home or hospital details ready. Documentation is subject to verification. | delta.com |
| United Airlines | Not offered / not published. United's site does not publish a bereavement fare and relies on its no-change-fee policy for most fares instead. Our tools could not load united.com in September 2026, so confirm with United or call us. | n/a | Book a regular fare; ask United about flexibility if plans change. | united.com |
| Southwest Airlines | Not offered. Southwest's help center states: "Southwest does not offer bereavement or emergency fares." | n/a | Book a regular fare; Southwest fares carry no change or cancellation fee. | southwest.com |
| JetBlue | Not offered as a fare. JetBlue may waive fees on an existing ticket after the death of an immediate family member, and refunds the fare of a ticketed customer who dies, with a death certificate submitted within 14 days. | Ticketed customers and their immediate family, with a death certificate, funeral program or obituary. | Book a regular fare; contact JetBlue with documentation for a fee waiver or refund. | jetblue.com |
| Alaska Airlines | Offered. A 10% discount on the lowest available fare when travel begins within seven days of purchase, for the death of an immediate family member. Phone only; not combinable with companion, government or military fares; not available after travel has begun. | Immediate family as listed on Alaska's page: spouse or domestic partner, child or stepchild, parent or stepparent, siblings including half and step siblings, and others. Adults must be Atmos Rewards members (joining is free of charge, per Alaska). | Call Alaska Reservations or buy at an airport ticket counter. Valid on Alaska, Hawaiian, and Horizon or SkyWest flights operated for Alaska. | alaskaair.com |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Offered under the shared Alaska and Hawaiian policy: same 10% discount, seven-day window and family definitions as the Alaska row. | Same as Alaska Airlines. | Call Hawaiian or Alaska Reservations; phone only. | alaskaair.com |
| Spirit Airlines | Not available. Spirit began an orderly wind-down of operations on May 2, 2026 and cancelled all flights; no new bookings are possible. | n/a | Book another carrier. | spiritrestructuring.com |
| Frontier Airlines | Not offered / not published. Frontier's FAQ covers travel credit requests for illness but publishes no bereavement fare. | n/a | Book a regular fare; ask Frontier about a credit if you cannot travel. | flyfrontier.com |
| Allegiant Air | Not offered. Allegiant states it does not offer bereavement discounts or exceptions to any policy, in order to keep fares low for all passengers. | n/a | Book a regular fare; a travel protection plan is the only route to reimbursement. | allegiantair.com |
| Air Canada | Offered. Bereavement fares on Air Canada, Rouge, Express and codeshare flights in Economy Standard, Flex, Comfort and Latitude (and Basic outside North America). No stated percentage; quoted by phone. No refunds for travel that has already happened. | Immediate family of the deceased or of a person whose death is imminent: spouse (including common-law, same-sex and ex-spouse), children, parents, siblings, legal guardians. | Phone only. Give the deceased's name, relationship and hospital or funeral home details; email supporting documents within seven days of returning. | aircanada.com |
| British Airways | Not offered. BA states it "is not able to provide a discounted fare" for bereavement, but may waive minimum-stay rules and extend ticket validity on existing bookings. | Existing ticket holders whose travelling party or immediate family suffers a death. | Book a regular fare; contact BA to adjust an existing booking. | britishairways.com |
| Lufthansa | Not published. Lufthansa publishes no bereavement fare; a refund for a ticket unused because of the death of the traveler, a companion or an immediate family member depends on the fare type. | Holders of unused tickets, with documentation. | Book a regular fare; submit a refund request with documents if you cannot travel. | lufthansa.com |
| Emirates | Not published. Emirates may waive cancellation fees when refunding a ticket after the death of the passenger or a close family member. | Ticket holders and close family, with documentation. | Book a regular fare; use the Emirates refund request form for the fee waiver. | emirates.com |
"Not published" means we found no bereavement fare on the airline's site in September 2026, not a written refusal; confirm with the airline or call us.
How it works
A bereavement fare is a fare rule applied by phone, not a public sale. The agent records the relationship and the funeral home, hospital or physician contact; Delta and Air Canada verify documents afterward, Alaska applies the discount at purchase.
- Check the window. Delta and Alaska require travel to begin within seven days; Air Canada refuses claims made after travel is complete.
- Compare with the open market. A bereavement fare discounts a walk-up fare, so a regular fare on another airline, a nearby airport or a one-stop routing is sometimes lower. Ask for both quotes.
- Book flexibility if dates may move. Delta's bereavement fare waives change fees; elsewhere choose a fare class that permits changes.
- Keep every document. American, JetBlue, BA, Lufthansa and Emirates sell no bereavement fare but will still refund or waive fees on an existing ticket with proof.
What documents you need
- Name of the deceased and your relationship, asked at booking by all three airlines with a fare.
- Funeral home name and phone, or the hospital or hospice and attending physician for imminent-death cases.
- Death certificate, funeral director's statement or physician's letter afterward: Air Canada wants it emailed within seven days of your return; Delta says documentation is "subject to verification"; JetBlue accepts a death certificate, funeral program or obituary for fee waivers.
- Loyalty number. Delta requires SkyMiles membership and Alaska requires Atmos Rewards for adults; both say joining is free of charge.
- Government photo ID matching the ticket name.
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