Bereavement Alternative

Q. I live near Kansas City and my parents live near Tucson. They are both quite elderly and I know that it won't be long until I have to make a fast flight out there.  My question is where would I get the best flight deal?  I know that airlines do have some sort of bereavement fares, but would I be better going to Priceline or some site like that? 

A. Priceline.com’s “name your own price” feature is actually a great source for last minute fares, and in most cases will be less than the airlines’ bereavement fares. The only real downside to using Priceline is that you won’t know exactly what time of day your flight will depart or arrive, or what airline you’ll be on, until you complete your purchase. So it’s not ideal for everyone, but in the scenario of attending a funeral you’d probably want to arrive the day before in any case, since you never know if your flight might be cancelled or delayed and a funeral is something one should arrive on time for.