Bereavement Fares: American Airlines Does Away with Discounts for Passengers with a Death in the Family

Bereavement fares are no longer for American Airlines. The major carrier will no longer offer special fares to those takes last-minute flights because of a death in the family.

The move isn't surprising as many airlines had already done away with such fares, but American said it made the move to align its policy with US Airways, which it will soon merge with. US Airways doesn't offer such fares.

"We remain committed to doing all we can to relieve the burden of travel for our customers in times of need. With the advent of more choices, lower cost carriers and larger networks, the industry has started to move away from bereavement fares because walk-up fares are generally lower than in the past, and customers now have more opportunities to find affordable fares at the last minute," American spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement according to CNN.

"American is moving toward that industry trend and the airline offers customers changeable and refundable options with the ability to apply future reservations to bereavement travel without change fees. We believe this policy is a cost-effective solution for customers in need of bereavement travel."

According to the Associated Press, AA didn't really have a set discount for bereavement trips but it did have a different fare class that could provide a traveler with a price that was lower than they might find elsewhere.

Booking a flight last-minute is typically more expensive than tickets that are bought in advance, making it very pricey for family members who may need to rush somewhere.

Many airlines have done away with bereavement fares over the past two decades since the Internet has made it easier to search for fares and last-minute fares are sometimes even cheaper than set bereavement fares.

However not all airlines have done away with bereavement fares. United Airlines has a bereavement option of a 5 percent discount on the lowest available rate. Delta Air Lines also offers lower prices on the lowest fares.

American Airlines and US Airways closed on their merger in December and are moving towards creating the largest carrier in the nation.