Plane fare

Ed Perkins, a state-approved journalist, novelist and lawyer, concentrates on how travellers can find the best offers and prevent fraud. In 2000 he wrote "Online Travel" and "Business Travel: As It' s Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step tutorial specifically designed for small businesses and self-employed people.

It was also co-author of the Consumers Union's yearly " Best Travelling Deal " campaign. At MyBusinessTravel.com, Perkins' corporate traveller tips are a website that helps small businesses and self-employed professionals find the best value for their corporate travellers. Mr. Kerkins was a charter publisher of Consumer Reports' travel letter, one of the country's most authoritative publications on travelling, which he stepped down from in 1998.

Also wrote for Business Traveller magazines (London). Perkin's travelling experience has resulted in a number of TV shows such as ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley", "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather", CNN and a number of TV and Radios. Prior to writing Consumer Reports travel letter, Mr. Kerkins worked for 25 years in research and consultancy in the field of travelling, with responsibilities that ranged from developing domestic tourist strategy to developing computer-based tourist business model.

Perkins was a native of Evanston, Illinois and he and his spouse live in Ashland, Oregon. Traveller rates, so-called Traveller rates, because they provide a kind of reduced fare when you are summoned to a relative's burial, were once a frequent option among US carriers. Today, however, there are only two large US carriers that still provide mourning flights.

In Alaska, we give a 10% discount on the minimum rate that can be refunded, but only seven or less business days prior to the trip, with limited seating available depending on available space and length of visit. Non-specifically, Delta provides "additional latitude at the best advertised fares", even with seating according to uptime. It is not possible to make an on-line booking for these mourning flights, you must call the reservations centre.

Others emphasise that they routinely provide low fare to everyone, and even Alaska and Delta find that'everyone' fare often performs better than the relatively small rebates provided by formalised mourning prices. Almost everyone agreed that the main reasons why most airline companies cancelled mourning flights is the bureaucraticity.

Find out possible routes with any carrier that can take you where you need to go. When either Alaska or Delta is serving your itinerary, call this carrier for a mourning quote. Even if your destinations are outside the USA, call a non-U.S. carrier; some still mourn.

For the most part, even if an air carrier is offering a small rebate on the mourning price, the "everyone" fare is probably the best. You may have to skiip the trip or trip (if possible) if you cannot find an affordable fare.