Emergency Plane tickets

[Jennifer]

My grandmother is in the ICU in PA and not doing well. I may be flying up there tomorrow from TX. What is the best way to purchase same day/next day air tickets? Call airline directly? Orbitz, Travelocity, or similar? Thanks

Jennifer

[Pippen]

One thing I will mention is that I was in a similar situation a few years ago and wound up having to delay my return trip flight when my father passed away. Travelocity wasn't flexible in rescheduling the return trip--even though we had ample warning, the cost would have been an additional $150 to bump it up to a future date plus those tickets could only be used between the same two airports. (We wound up driving back and eating the costs). I've heard the airlines were more flexible in bereavement situations.

[Susan C.]

I would call the airline directly. When my dad passed, 4 of us had to fly cross country immediately. The agent found tickets $300 ea. cheaper than bereavement fares. And when we changed the return flight, they waived the fees because it involved a death in the family.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Yeah, I'd call the airlines. I think most of the third-party sellers need a 24-hour processing time.

 

I'm sorry about your grandmother :(

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Airline directly.

 

My kids and I flew out less than 24 hours after hearing my great grandmother wasn't doing well.

 

ETA- I paid $99 per person per flight (so about $600 there and back).

[elfgivas]

i would plug dates and possibilities into kayak.com before calling the airlines to see what the prices are like.... and then i'd call. sometimes, bereavement fares are crazy-high (a discount over next day prices, but still high). other times, they are reasonable.

 

i'm sorry to hear you are having to travel.

ann

[MFA323]

I'd look around on Kayak, Travelocity, etc. and then call the airline. There's no way to tell ahead of time where you'll find the better deal. Know what your options are before you deal with a live person.

[Tita Gidge]

I have no help on the tickets, but wanted to say that I'm sorry your grandmother isn't well.

 

I hope you're able to make it up to PA.

 

My (limited) experience has been that airline offer a bereavement fare, but outside of that a last-minute fare isn't typically discounted much (if at all).

 

Do you know anyone with air miles they can give/sell you? (Rules vary per airline, check www.flyertalk.com for each airline's rules and regulations.)

 

Side note:

 

I know many WTM'rs are anti-credit card, but with discipline they are the perfect tool for situations like this - accruing air miles or hotel miles or car miles. That's no help now, but maybe looking forward. Charge the bills you'd pay anyway, and make one lump payment to your mile-accruing credit card. When a need arises, you have miles to use towards or in lieu of a last-minute fare.

[bettyandbob]

call the airlines. Most have a bereavement fare, but that may not be the best available. dh found this out when an agent specifically told him it was not the best rate available fore a same day purchase.