Beware the ‘bereavement fare’ gouge

In a time of loss, the last thing a family wants to do is deal with the hassles of arranging travel. Many airlines sell “bereavement fares,” usually discounted around 50 percent, for those needing to travel on short notice for a funeral or wake. What most travelers may not know, however, is that the 50 percent discount is taken off the airline’s highest unrestricted fares, typically among the most expensive tickets available.

A better solution? Take a variety of options into account before buying. Consider an airline’s regular or [% 1231430 | | sale fares %]; search for [% 68749 | | last-minute airfares %], announced weekly by a variety of airlines to fill unsold inventory; or cash in frequent flyer miles, if applicable. You can also search for deeply discounted airfares on Priceline and Hotwire, or compare a variety of airfares at once with SmarterTravel.com’s price-comparison tool.