X-Message-Number: 159
From: Kevin Q. Brown
Subject: Emergency Airfare 
Date: 28 Feb 1990

Cryonic suspension is generally performed as an emergency procedure (as opposed
to one that can be scheduled in advance).  When the suspension involves someone
far away from the suspension facilities the suspension team and any relatives
or friends who need to be on-hand have to pay premium airfare rates for their
emergency travel arrangements.  Of course, the cost of the airfare is hardly
the main concern at this time, but if it could be lowered the situation would
be somewhat improved.
A recent USENET rec.travel posting may offer some relief from the high cost of
emergency airfare.  I have appended below the part of that message relevant
to emergency airfares and the part necessary to satisfy the copyright.
                                       - Kevin Q. Brown
                                       ...att!whscad1!kqb
                                       

From:  (Mark Kantrowitz)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.travel
Subject: Cheap Airfare
Message-ID: <>
Date: 9 Feb 90 17:41:17 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 596

Here's an updated version of my article. I reorganized it a bit, and
included some more information on classes of service and fare types.

The copyright notice is 'cause I caught some bozo charging for copies
of this article.

;;; ****************************************************************
;;; HOW TO GET CHEAP AIRTICKETS ************************************
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Fri Feb  9 12:25:47 1990 by Mark Kantrowitz

Copyright (c) December 1989 by Mark Kantrowitz. Use and copying
of this information and preparation of derivative works based upon
this information are permitted, so long as the following conditions
are met:
	o  no fees or compensation are charged for use, copies or access to
	   this information
	o  this copyright notice is included intact

This information is made available AS IS, and no warranty is made
about its quality or correctness.

Comments, corrections, and criticisms are welcome. Please send them to


<<< text deleted >>>

;;; ********************************
;;; Sympathy Fares, Emergencies ****
;;; ********************************
	
	If you have to go to a funeral, most airlines will give you
50% off of the discounted rate, at very short notice. They call this
the sympathy fare. Similarly for a medical emergency. For example,
Continental will waive advance purchase requirements for cheap fares
for an emergency. This is their bereavement rate for people who have
to attend funerals. Other airlines that do this are United and USAir
("compassionate fare"). This is a tradition carried over from the
"funeral fare" of the railroad days. Airlines do this because it is
simply good PR, and doesn't cost them all that much.

	In any case you have to ask and sometimes be persistent as these are
nonstandard and not widely publicized policies. Many low level airline
workers are not aware of them or do not have the authority to allow them.

	United "Rule 120" describes the rules governing sympathy fares.


;;; ********************************
;;; Refunds ************************
;;; ********************************

	In the same vein, many airlines will refund a ticket, even a
nonrefundable one, for good cause. Medical emergencies and a death in
the family generally qualify as a good cause for not using a ticket.
Some sort of proof must be provided (death certiicate, note from
doctor), and it is completely up to the airline as to whether or not
the particular instance warrants a refund. Some airlines may issue a
new ticket or provide a flight credit voucher instead of offering a
refund.

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