(RANT) WTF is with the Airlines ?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - (RANT) WTF is with the Airlines ?

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:07:25 PM EDT

We just found out that my wife’s grandmother passed away at 01:30 this morning in Indiana
So I call the airlines (Continental and United) to get my wife on a flight for Monday the 26th
And return on Friday the 30th, I informed them of the hospital that she passed away in and
What funeral home it was going to be (So that they can verify on the bereavement rate) the
Funeral will be on Tuesday the 27th, they come back and tell me it the fare is going to be
$700 plus, that’s both airlines? I go online with Orbits and Travelocity and for the same
Flights will be around $300-$500 WTF? So I call them back to find out what’s going on,
They tell me, yes, those flights are between $300-$500, I ask them what’s is the discount
On a death in the family, they say on a bereavement flight would be in the $700 range. Can
Someone explain why the exact same flight cost more?

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:08:11 PM EDT

[#1]

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:10:28 PM EDT

[#2]

the same reason a one way ticket is often double the price of round trip.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:12:00 PM EDT

[#3]

Because they don't care a lick.

While on act duty in 2002 my grandmother died too.

The cost difference of the bereavement fare vs the reg ticket was $15 from US airways.

They all suck.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:14:48 PM EDT

[#4]

To be honest just go buy your own ticket. The airlines aren't welfare and I see no reason to offer any discount to someone because somebody died. I run a business and don't give any discounts for folks who lose a loved one.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:15:12 PM EDT

[#5]

I'll clarify this, this is the exact same flight, Flight #, to and there, Nothing different
But using a bereavement will make it cost more that a regular flight. Nothing is different
Except the bereavement costs more. I thought there was suppose to be a discount
On a family emergancy or a death in the family.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:18:14 PM EDT

[#6]

The difference as I understand it is that the Berevemant fare is fully changable without penalty. Inother words If you had to change your flight time or the day of teh flight on short notice there would be no extra penalties or charges.

With the normal fare you cannot change them without penalties and they are typically non refundable.

The berevement rate fare may be partiallyrefundable if you dont end up using it.

I am by no means an expert, but berevement rates are alyways more expensive. Kind of ignorant isnt it.

There is never a discount involved, but you should be able to adjust the flight if you needed to without penalty.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:18:27 PM EDT

[#7]

I ran into the very same thing a couple months ago.

Much easier and cheaper to just buy the regular fair.

Sucks, but that's what I did.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:19:03 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I'll clarify this, this is the exact same flight, Flight #, to and there, Nothing different
But using a bereavement will make it cost more that a regular flight. Nothing is different
Except the bereavement costs more. I thought there was suppose to be a discount
On a family emergancy or a death in the family.

Let me make this clear, the airlines are a business. A business that is in the business to make money. With them getting their asses kicked left and right, the last thing they are going to do is offer a discount of any kind. Sorry for the loss but expecting them to "share your pain" is ridiculous.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:23:47 PM EDT

[#9]

I used to be a Travel Agent in a previous life.

The tariffs used by airlines make the IRS tax codes look like "My First Reader" by comparison.

I delt with it for a number of years (thank God for SABRE). For someone not in the industry it's just one of those "that's the way it is" things.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:25:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
To be honest just go buy your own ticket. The airlines aren't welfare and I see no reason to offer any discount to someone because somebody died. I run a business and don't give any discounts for folks who lose a loved one.

+1. My condolences about you're wife's grandmother, but I don't have much symathy regarding the airline ticket.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:31:40 PM EDT

[#11]

NEVER tell the airline you're flying for a death. The bereavement rates are very high.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:34:52 PM EDT

[#12]

I'm buying the regular ticket, I don't see any reason to give the airlines the extra money,
There is no chance of changing the schedule so the extra cost is not worth it. So much
for a Merry Christmas, this is the third Christmas in a row something has bad happened
to our family.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:35:50 PM EDT

[#13]

I had a family member pass years back and asked about the berevement rate. I was quoted the same price as I could find. I called back and asked if the rate was correct. They said, well the price we gave you was for 1st class. Either way I was gonna pay it but the 1st class was really nice and gave me a bit of aloneness that I used to reflect.

Sorry for the passing of your wife's grandmother.

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:40:49 PM EDT

[#14]

Because bereavement fares are a percentage (usually 25%-50%) off of full, unrestricted fares, whereas Orbitz, Travelocity, et al are discounted, restricted fares. Most people are so used to buying restricted discount tickets that they have no idea what regular airline fares are anymore. Hint -- cross-country full fare is usually no less than $1200.

Posted: 12/21/2005 7:49:07 PM EDT

[#15]

Because if it's breavement, they figure you HAVE to travel, and that they have you by the balls.

Posted: 12/21/2005 7:54:13 PM EDT

[#16]

I fly over 100,000 miles a year with United.

Y and B fares, or full fare, fully changeable, fully refundable coach are the top cost coach.

Anything below that, like R,Q,S,T,V, etc....are all discounted for some reason or another.

Military fares and Bereavement fares are a discount from the Y class - but not as cheap as a R/S fare....which is nonchangeable and nonrefundable.

If you want the cheapest fare, do the travelocity and orbitz search.

Posted: 12/21/2005 7:56:43 PM EDT

[#17]

at the online quote your subject to being bumped from the flight to another later flight due to over booking, the bereavement rate the airlines gave you are for a guarenteed seat on that flight.

MLW>"<

Posted: 12/21/2005 8:04:34 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Most people are so used to buying restricted discount tickets that they have no idea what regular airline fares are anymore.

Exactly. People now want a "discount on the discount".

-Troy

Posted: 12/21/2005 8:05:43 PM EDT

[#19]

All U.S. Air Carriers = Timed obsolescence......

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - (RANT) WTF is with the Airlines ?

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