Why You Must Double-Check Online Tickets During Emergencies

If you are planning to buy your air ticket online, make sure you check all the details of the flight the OTA (online travel agency) is giving you. This is most important if your travel involves an emergency, such as a funeral, when the greatest need is to get to your destination on time.

Finding discounted airline tickets for death in family situations is not always the best answer. Other factors must be considered - especially when buying in a hurry - because it’s easy to overlook the fine print in the itinerary.

Here’s a real scenario that happened at our agency recently. We believe it’s worth sharing as a caution for anyone who may face the same situation.

The Emergency Request

A few days ago, a traveler called us with an urgent request. He needed a ticket to the Philippines for a funeral. His budget was $2,500 and he wanted to leave on August 21. The inquiry came on the afternoon of August 18, which left only a short time to find something.

When my wife, who is also our main agent, searched the GDS system, most fares were already above $3,000. At that time, Air Canada was on strike, and we believe many passengers had rerouted their flights, which drove up the prices.

After continuous searching, my wife found an EVA Air option: Toronto → Taipei → Clark. The price was $2,900 with two stops and safe connections of more than two hours. It was the best routing available under the circumstances.

The traveler thanked us but did not book.

The Online Deal He Found

That same evening, we called to follow up and asked if he was able to secure a ticket. He said yes - he bought one online for about $2,400. On the surface, it seemed like a good deal because it was within his budget.

But when we asked about the routing, we became concerned. His trip was set as Toronto → Chicago → San Francisco → Manila.

At first glance, it looked possible. But then we curiously asked about the connection times. That’s when we discovered a serious problem. His San Francisco to Manila flight had only 55 minutes of connection time.

Why a 55-Minute Connection Is a Problem

Not a legal connection: International flights usually require at least two hours between connections.
Big airport risk: San Francisco International is huge, and transferring between terminals can take more time from point to point.
Baggage concerns: With less than an hour, there’s no guarantee his luggage would make the Manila flight.

We shared our own experience at the same airport, when we almost missed a flight even though we had more than an hour between connections. The airline we were connecting to wasn’t delayed, but the layout of San Francisco International meant running across terminals with very little time to spare. There were several of us on the same connection, and we believe the airline decided to wait for our group as a consideration. That small grace gave us a chance to board. In his case, he was traveling alone, which makes the risk much greater. Without a group, there is less chance an airline would hold a plane for just one passenger.

So, we advised him to contact the airline immediately. Since the ticket was bought through an OTA, reaching the seller in an emergency would be almost impossible. The airline itself was his only option if delays happened.

The Real Lesson for Travelers

This story shows why relying only on cheap airfare deals to Philippines is dangerous - especially in emergencies. Many travelers believe the itineraries sold online are always safe. Sadly, that is not the case.

When booking online, watch out for:

Too many connections
Short layovers that aren’t legal
Exhausting total travel hours
Hidden risks during urgent trips
Connections involving different airports in the same city (example: landing in LaGuardia and connecting at JFK in New York, which can take more than an hour to transfer by ground).

Some people hope for special help through airlines that offer bereavement fares or reduced airfare for death in family cases. While these fares exist, they are limited, often hard to obtain, and not always cheaper. The bigger issue remains: routing, timing, and safety.

Our Advice

Emergencies are stressful enough without worrying about missing flights. If you find yourself in this situation:

Don’t just search for the cheapest option.
Always check the number of stops, total travel time, and legal connection hours.
Be careful with tickets purchased online, where support may be difficult in case of problems.
Work with a reliable travel agency that can guide you to the safest option, even if it costs slightly more.

We hope this traveler made it in time for the funeral. But the lesson is clear: when every minute matters, you need more than a “cheap fare” - you need a ticket that gets you there.