Anybody know about last minute flights?

[Nostril Cheese]

My father-in-law died this afternoon of an apparent heart attack. Seriously in a state of shock. Anybody have any ideas for a last minute flight to Canada?

[Baz]

Condolences for your family's loss, Nostril.

Sorry I can't help on the flight but know others here will.

Respectfully, Baz

[JavaBrewer]

Condolences on losing your FIL.

If you're looking to fly tonight I think your best bet is to call the airlines directly.

[stomachmonkey]

No advice.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences for you and your family at this difficult time.

[recycled sixtie]

Sorry to hear about your FIL.

First off last minute bookings tend to be more $$$ for the ticket than one planned ahead. However there may be compassionate grounds for the death of a FIL. If you phone the airlines they may have a policy to cover these eventualities.

Phone up the different airlines which may give you a better price vs. others. You are travelling from Portland to where?
G.

[jyl]

I had to fly last minute to the East Coast for my grandmother's funeral, last month. Southwest had decent prices without needing any special bereavement fare. $600 RT I think. Can you fly to a US city then drive, train or puddle-jump to the Canadian city?

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

You are travelling from Portland to where?
G.

Timmins, Ontario.

Usually it's around $700-900. Fly to Toronto, then turboprop to Timmins.

[onlycafe]

sincerest condolences to you and the family. sad news.

[vash]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Condolences on losing your FIL.

If you're looking to fly tonight I think your best bet is to call the airlines directly.

This. Tell them they can help. A little.

Sorry for the loss. Best wishes to the family


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[herr_oberst]

Sorry for your loss, Nos., and good thoughts go out to you and your whole family.

[Head416]

Call them. Some, if not all, will offer fare discounts for your situation. We did it once before and I think we mailed them a letter from the funeral home after the fact. In our case they were very helpful and considerate about the whole process.

[Noah930]

Sorry for your loss.

Mrs. Noah just flew cross-country on short notice last week for a funeral. She used miles from my parents. Only Delta offers bereavement fares anymore, but it's not often that worthwhile, as it may cost even more than whatever you can find online. (Then you have to show proof of death, funeral home contact info, proof that you're immediate family, etc.)

[Nostril Cheese]

Thanks guys. I've been calling airlines all afternoon/evening and the best rate I've got was $100 off a $1700 ticket.

Thinking about booking a ticket out of Vancouver, BC and driving up there tomorrow morning.

Ken was a good dude. I got really lucky with my in-laws. I will miss him a lot.

[A930Rocket]

Sorry for your loss. RIP Ken.

[Arizona_928]

If you have an Amex card, they have really cheap last minute flights through their travel program. Ie. under $400.

[cashflyer]

"Bereavement fares" used to be offered by every airline at ~ 50% off the published 'unrestricted' rate. I know this is not the time you want to be shopping around, as you have other priorities on your mind, however the bereavement fare is not always as low as just finding a 'discount' rate with a booking agency like Hotwire, etc.

American and United have both cancelled their bereavement fare policy earlier this year.

DELTA still has one That Page Does Not Exist - oh, wait... yes it does.

Bereavement airfare and last-minute emergency travel discounts at Hotwire

[cgibson67]

I was in the same situation last fall. Hotwire and Priceline provided much better pricing than bereavement fares. There's obviously some loss of flexibility since you can't choose exact time of flight, but for us it saved ~$500/ticket.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[widgeon13]

Sorry for your loss. Ask the airlines if they have a hardship rate, they may give a lower rate. Explain circumstances, it's worth a try.

What cash flyer said.

[GH85Carrera]

Sorry for your loss.

All I know about last minute flights is they are expensive. The hardship rate or bereavement fares are not that much of a bargain. We had to give the airline the name of the funeral home and their phone number and a contact person to verify the death.

In the end the airlines are in business to move people. That is how they make money. They don't really care why you need to fly. To them it is just a job and a way to pay the employees and pay the bills.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Sorry for your loss.

All I know about last minute flights is they are expensive. The hardship rate or bereavement fares are not that much of a bargain. We had to give the airline the name of the funeral home and their phone number and a contact person to verify the death.

In the end the airlines are in business to move people. That is how they make money. They don't really care why you need to fly. To them it is just a job and a way to pay the employees and pay the bills.

True but it doesn't hurt to be nice and sometimes it pays a dividend.

I was just scheduled on a cancelled SW flight and had to spend the night in Orlando, customer service manager gave us a voucher for Hyatt room and dinner for two. All other hotels were booked. My wife did the talking, had it been me we probably wouldn't have gotten this treatment.