Airlines and medical emergency fares

My stomach drops and my heart strings tug as I listen to the soft voice on the other end of the phone. It is the type of call I dread -- the death or medical emergency call.

Long gone are the days when families grew and lived in close proximity. As travel became an ever easier mode of transportation the family unit weakened as younger members went out to notch their own corner of the world.

Even more in today's world are the companies that transplant employees like a gardener who can't decide where to leave her favorite bush.

Being born and raised in Oregon, I am often asked "How in the world did you end up in Cape Girardeau?" My situation was simple -- I fell in love with a Missourian while celebrating my 25th birthday in Hawaii.

And here, 15 years later, I am far from my family and old friends, carving out a new life for me and my children. So I understand how heart-wrenching it is for our clients who call in and are desperate to get back home while a loved one is having surgery or has passed on to the other side.

Any one of you who has been in this situation knows that the farther out you purchase your ticket, in general, the better the savings is. Airlines have their pricing down to a fine art. They know the travel trends of both the leisure traveler as well as the corporate traveler. And the sad fact is they don't care about your disaster for the most part.

When you purchase a ticket last minute the price is generally so high many people are stunned into silence when it is quoted. My home town of Portland, Ore., is a excellent example. As I write this article my mother is undergoing major surgery. If things do not go as planned and I wanted to rush to her bedside it will cost me around $1,400 round-trip.

Now, because of my situation the airlines in their big hearts will shave 50 percent off their highest price, which they call a bereavement fare or a medical emergency fare, which will lower the ticket price to $700. Still a big chunk of change.

The airlines put passengers in a moral dilemma of placing a dollar value on the life of their loved ones. Many people do not have this kind of money or can't drive 2 two days without sleep to make a funeral.

The frustrating part about these type of calls is that the airlines often have 7-, 14- and 21-day prices they will sell to the general public for $200 to $350. The cost to fill that seat is the same, so my questions have always been "Why not allow us to sell the ticket at you lowest published fare?" and "Why are you charging a premium price even with the 50 percent discount?" "Why not take the 50 percent off your lowest published fare and waive the advance purchase requirement?"

The answer is sad but true -- they know most people will pay any price to get home.

There are many ways you can save money in these situations. Your travel agent can do many of the following:

1. Buy a vacation package with chartered airlines -- they often give you a discount for booking last minute.

2. Can shop all airlines with a few simple key strokes.

3. Can price compare bereavement/medical emergency fares against published pricing.

4. Give you suggestions. For instance , if you wait three days you can go for up to 300 less in some markets.

5. Often use their inside sales representatives to help with discounts or coupons

6. Suggest alternative airports that are on the way and with a car rental it may be 50 to 57 percent less.

Often when bad things happen to good people, the stress travel arrangements is overwhelming. A neutral party can help you make wise and educated decisions.

Carolyn Kempf is president of Elite Travel Inc. in Cape Girardeau. (www.elitetravelinc.com or carolyn@elitetravelinc.com or 334-1234)