Compassionate/Bereavement fares

[Slaav]

Bro-in-law has to get home to UK from Mel or Sydney ASAP.

Flying tomorrow or Monday UK time due to close bereavement.

Any ideas or do you just pay up these days? I am sure there used to be compassionate fares or some such?

Any help massively appreciated....

[Mobile Chicane]

I suspect not.

Pay up, then claim from the estate.

(If you have a legitimate claim, of course.)

[hornetrider]

Claim from the estate?!

[Simpo Two]

Only if the Estate has provision for it. Otherwise people would use funerals as excuses for free travel everywhere.

[Slaav]

Thanks guys but I was thinking more from the airlines?

I imagine the flight costs will be paid from the Estate but do airlines have special fares or the such?

Or is that being simplistic etc...

[Nicholas Blair]

They wouldn't be interested, in fact from experience will charge you more.

[Total loss]

I also think that airlines used to offer special fares/help for emergency compassionate travel. I have no idea if they still do.

Edit to add.
A quick google through up this info
http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/t...
http://airtravel.about.com/od/bereavementairfares/...

Edited by Total loss on Sunday 13th November 14:40

Edited by Total loss on Sunday 13th November 14:42

[Simpo Two]

Slaav said:

I imagine the flight costs will be paid from the Estate

The airline might give you a discount but don't bank on getting anything from the Estate - the Executor's job is to maximise returns to the beneficiaries. When a friend of mine died and happened to owe me the mighty sum of £35, I asked the Executor if they would settle it (from their £160,000 windfall) and they slammed the door in my face. Of course your Executors might be nicer - but you're in their hands.

[renmure]

No use to the OP, but my mum got fantastic service a few years ago from American Airlines when she had to come to the UK from US at short notice with Business Class travel at less than Standard Class fare in the next available flight. American were also fantastic with me when I needed to keep chopping and changing my departure from the US a year or so ago when my mum was unwell.

[dvs_dave]

Simpo Two said:

The airline might give you a discount but don't bank on getting anything from the Estate - the Executor's job is to maximise returns to the beneficiaries. When a friend of mine died and happened to owe me the mighty sum of £35, I asked the Executor if they would settle it (from their £160,000 windfall) and they slammed the door in my face. Of course your Executors might be nicer - but you're in their hands.

You seriously tried to chase up 35 quid from a dead friend's grieving relatives and you were surprised that you were told to do one? Wow, just wow. What an awesome guy you must be.

[mrmr96]

dvs_dave said:

Simpo Two said:

The airline might give you a discount but don't bank on getting anything from the Estate - the Executor's job is to maximise returns to the beneficiaries. When a friend of mine died and happened to owe me the mighty sum of £35, I asked the Executor if they would settle it (from their £160,000 windfall) and they slammed the door in my face. Of course your Executors might be nicer - but you're in their hands.

You seriously tried to chase up 35 quid from a dead friend's grieving relatives and you were surprised that you were told to do one? Wow, just wow. What an awesome guy you must be.

+1. What a dick.

[Deva Link]

Simpo Two said:

I asked the Executor if they would settle it (from their £160,000 windfall) and they slammed the door in my face. Of course your Executors might be nicer - but you're in their hands.

Although it's possible, Executor's don't normally have windfalls - they're dealing with the administration of the estate. And they're legally liable to do it properly, so they daren't give random aholes £35 or pay for someone's flight from Australia.


To answer the OP's question, it does seem like not much is done on International flights these days other than offer flexibility on pre-existing arrangements. I guess all BIL can do is call the relevant airlines and see what's offered.

[Mojooo]

hornetrider said:

Claim from the estate?!

A new low.

[Simpo Two]

dvs_dave said:

You seriously tried to chase up 35 quid from a dead friend's grieving relatives and you were surprised that you were told to do one? Wow, just wow. What an awesome guy you must be.

That's rather uncalled for isn't it? If I was an executor and unexpected beneficiary of £160,000, and the dead guy's best friend sent me a nice letter with a receipt for the goods, I'd have no hesitation in sending them a cheque for £35. I used the example as a real-life case of what can happen when you turn up asking for money.

Would you take £35 cash out of your wallet and burn it? I don't think so. So kindly keep this on topic and stop throwing personal stuff.

mrmr96 said:

+1. What a dick.

Same for you.

But why are you self-appointed moralists calling me a 'dick' over £35 when the OP is expecting to claim maybe £1,000? It's the same question.

[Deva Link]

Simpo Two said:

Would you take £35 cash out of your wallet and burn it? I don't think so.

I spent £100 on drinks at a funeral recently - I was offered the money back but wouldn't hear of it.

Simpo Two said:

kindly keep this on topic

How ironic is that?

[mrmr96]

Simpo Two said:

Same for you.

But why are you self-appointed moralists calling me a 'dick' over £35 when the OP is expecting to claim maybe £1,000? It's the same question.

I think that anyone (not just you, so don't take it personally) would be a bit of a dick if they thought it was appropriate to chase a £35 debt from the relatives of a recently dead friend.

The OP isn't asking for £1,000 from the dead mates family, he's asking about cheap air fares. Besides, even if he was chasing £1,000 then I'd see that as reasonable as it's a significant sum. £35 is not significant, and makes you look like a dick. Sorry.

[Simpo Two]

Deva Link said:

How ironic is that?

I don't know. The OP was expecting to claim a sum from an Estate which is not covered by the Will. I was giving him a real example about claiming a sum from an Estate which is not covered by the Will.

In short, if it's not in the Will you're at the mercy of the Executor/s, and has been said, one of their legal duties is to maximise the return for the beneficiaries. My friend, although he had little money, was scrupulously honest and would have wanted his last debt paid off; sadly his sister, who in life had no time for him, thought otherwise (no Will was found). 'My bad', as they say.


The consensus seems to be that the more you claim the more acceptable it is, but if I was an Executor I'd be much more likely to make an ex-gratia payment of £35 than £1,000. Anyway OP's BIL, bung your claim in, and maybe you'll find a kindly Executor, and maybe you won't. Perhaps they'll offer part of it? Best of luck

[anonymous-user]

Simpo Two said:

I don't know. The OP was expecting to claim a sum from an Estate which is not covered by the Will. I was giving him a real example about claiming a sum from an Estate which is not covered by the Will.

No he wasn't. He was asking if airlines still do different fares for recently bereaved people. He's talking about the airline, not claiming the flight back from a dead bloke and worlds apart from claiming £35 from a dead bloke who used to be your friend. Hence the irony I guess.

[mrmr96]

sebdangerfield said:

No he wasn't. He was asking if airlines still do different fares for recently bereaved people. He's talking about the airline, not claiming the flight back from a dead bloke and worlds apart from claiming £35 from a dead bloke who used to be your friend. Hence the irony I guess.

Yeah... I pointed that out too.

[Simpo Two]

Chaps, whilst the ticket part was settled you may have missed the bit that says:

Slaav said:

I imagine the flight costs will be paid from the Estate

I just wanted to warn him that he can't just expect get it all back like an expenses claim - because he might find himself entirely out of pocket. The amount of money is not relevant, it's the fact you're trying to claim money from an estate that has no obligation to pay it.

Message ends