It’s never pleasant to search for flights in the wake of a family emergency or unexpected death. Not only are you struggling with grief, but you’re also struggling to afford an unexpected plane ticket.

In days gone by, many airlines offered discounted tickets to passengers traveling to visit a sick loved one or attending a far-away funeral. Unfortunately, most airlines no longer offer bereavement fares to their passengers. Even so, these special fares are still available with a select few airlines.

Which airlines have bereavement fares?

Bereavement fares aren’t quite a thing of the past. Today, the following airlines offer bereavement fares to passengers who meet certain criteria:

• Delta Airlines
• Westjet
• Air Canada
• Lufthansa

To qualify for these discounts, customers must meet the airline’s specific guidelines, which may include restrictions on travel times and destinations.

Keep reading to learn more about these airlines policies for bereavement fares:

1. Delta Airlines. When booking with Delta Airlines, you need to be traveling within seven days of the death of a family member. You may also benefit from discounted fares due to family emergencies involving imminent death. These special airfares are only available when you book directly with Delta Reservations.
2. Westjet. Westjet provides bereavement airfares to the guests and immediate family members of those attending the funerals of firefighters, police officers, members of emergency services, and members of the armed forces. Contact the airline if you believe you qualify for discounted tickets.
3. Air Canada. Bereavement fares booked with Air Canada (including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express) to destinations within North America must take off within 10 days of the flight’s booking. The flight must also be one-way. International flights must take off within seven days of the flight’s booking. International flights must be round trip in most circumstances.
4. Lufthansa. Lufthansa, the largest German airline, provides bereavement fares on flights that begin in North America. However, to book a flight with a bereavement fare, the flight needs to be round-trip.

Remember that bereavement fares don’t always give you the cheapest available flight. For instance, you may have to pay fare differences when changing the dates or times of your tickets with Delta airlines even though they waive service fees.

Air Canada also stresses that its bereavement fares are created to offer grieving passengers greater flexibility. That means their bereavement tickets don’t always offer the cheapest possible flight to the destination. The cheapest airfare available to you may very well be an average round-trip plane ticket.

Bereavement fares can offer convenience, but they may not be the most cost-effective travel solution. You may need to do some extra digging to find the cheapest flights possible. Luckily, CheapOair’s online flight search tools can do the digging for you. To find a flight with the lowest possible price, book your flight through CheapOair today.