Many people suffering from terminal illness have lifelong goals that they wish to fulfill. Often times, this may involve travel for recreation. This could also be travel to see loved ones they haven’t seen in a long time or simply travel for recreation. Additionally, when people find out that they have a terminal disease, they often wish to spend their last weeks, months, or years living with family members.
Sometimes a terminally ill person will have some limited potential for survival, if they get state of the art treatment. This may require transportation to a treatment facility. Unfortunately though, for many people with a terminal illness, it is often impossible to simply get in the car and drive to their destination. However, it is still possible for a terminally ill person to accomplish these lifelong goals.
Of course, it is possible to use medical transportation services that were mentioned in the previous page. However, there are actually organizations that cater to transporting the terminally ill. Some of these organizations are entities unto themselves, whereas others will help to fund flights on commercial airlines. In fact, some transport options are actually free for those suffering from terminal illness! This means that it is possible for many terminally ill people to fulfill their lifelong goals or get to treatment facilities that may offer some hope!
Many airlines offer something called a “bereavement fare”. This is essentially a cheaper rate for the terminally ill or their family members. These fares can also apply to someone who has to travel for a family member’s funeral. Not all airlines offer this, but some do. In fact, some very well known and large airlines offer this. Delta Airlines actually offers bereavement fares, as do other commercial airlines. Unfortunately, the practice of offering bereavement fares is on the decline. Many airlines are struggling financially, and this seems to be one of the things they are cutting back on. One day in the future, this may not be something that is offered.
Also, there are charities that provide free flights to the terminally ill. The flights are booked with traditional airlines and can be to a variety of locations. These flights can take a person just about anywhere whether it is to see family, for medical purposes, or for travel. Unfortunately, they are not necessarily flights with medical support. If this is an issue, a medical transport of some kind may be needed.
An example of an organization that helps to book flights for the terminally ill is ISO. ISO also performs other duties as well. In fact, their primary mission is to attain standardization in world trade. They are essentially a business regulation organization. However, they also do charity work. They sometimes can help book a terminally ill person’s flight so it will be free of charge to the patient.
There is actually an organization, Angel Flight, that specializes in offering transport to a medical facility. Patients must be able to get around on their own and not need any medical support staff during the flight. If a patient meets the requirements, the flights are free. Small planes are used for the transportation. The pilots are private pilots, who are located all over the country. Often times, the flights will leave from a small airport rather than a commercial one.