Just last week according to this article from Newsweek “Southwest Airlines announced that it was ending a policy that allowed plus-size travelers to book an extra seat without extra costs. Under the new rules, passengers must buy two seats if they cannot fit on one, but refunds may be considered if the flight does not sell out.”

With that decision, according to the same article, Southwest joins United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines as airlines that require a second seat be bought in these circumstances.

We also learned last week from this article from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that airlines are not the only industry wrestling with the sales requirements to wide-bodied people.  The article tells of Danescourt Cemetery in Tettenhall, City of Wolverhamption where the council had announced a 20% surcharge on the sale of six-foot wide cemetery lots as opposed to the standard five-foot wide lots.

According to my exchange rate math, the six-foot wide rate would be (in U.S. dollars) US $ 3,650 per lot as compared to a normal five-foot lot rate of about US $ 2,920.

According to the article the city defended the move “saying that it was responding to an increase in demand for larger graves, with obesity rates of 33.3% in the city compared with a national average of 25.9%.”  The city also commented that “Local authorities in Telford, Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry and Staffordshire have already implemented charges for wider coffins.”  

The Wolverhampton City Council has already opened a dedicated section for six-foot wide burial plots at the cemetery.

Mr. Ross Hickton, described as a funeral director with Hickton Family Funeral Directors, an independent company with seven branches across the West Midlands spoke against the idea.  According to the article, Mr. Hickton is quoted as saying, “Essentially it’s a fat tax. You know people have paid into the system their entire life, paid their council tax to Wolverhampton Council, and for them to be told 20% more because of the size of their loved one, it’s not really acceptable or fair.” 

Matthew Crawley, Chief Executive at the Institute for Cemetery and Crematorium Management stated, “You have a finite amount of space to work with; therefore if you need to eat into a grave next door, say, then that needs to be accounted for.  You also have to account for the idea that digging the grave itself will also need extra equipment to keep it safe.”

Following this discussion, the council made the decision not to proceed with the (extra charge) plans.  It was noted, however, that extra charges for larger plots was “(a) common practice taken by councils around the country where higher charges cover the costs of providing a larger plot”.

A little more information on the subject—  The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors surveyed its members to ask if their local councils charged more for wider plots.  They received 165 replies with 25% answering in the affirmative.

The BBC contacted 27 local authorities in the West Midlands and just over a third said they charged more for wider burial plots.

Related — Another article on this decision from The Guardian.  “Wolverhamton Council rethinks plan to introduce premiums on wider graves”. (Great Britain)

Related — Another article on this decision from The Independent.  “Council slammed for charging ‘fat tax’ on burials of larger coffins.”

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take —  I see both sides of this issue.  Anecdotally, I always felt nervous when I had to tell a family that an “oversize” or “larger than average” casket might be needed for their loved one.  It was a part of funeral arrangements that had to be done and it was never comfortable to do so.

I will also tell you that when I first started working in the profession in 1980 we had about one in every seventy-five casketed deaths that required an “oversize” casket.  By the time I retired that ratio went to about one in twenty. . . so, on average, people who died were larger.

There are lots of theories on why this is so and I use judgement very judiciously so I don’t even want to venture an opinion.  In some cases it may be out of a person’s own actions or ability to be smaller. It’s difficult for me to pass judgement on that individual.

It reminds me that we all live with different situations.  As for me, I’m simply grateful for my situation.  I have a devotional quiet time every single day and I have a lot to be thankful for.  During that time I always make a point to thank the Lord that at 67 years of age he allows me to be able to run a couple of miles daily and also  gives me the health to play golf.  I’m so very grateful to Him for that ability  — even if I’m a slow runner and a poor golfer!!

Trying to be accommodating to people of all situations is part of our duty as funeral directors. The large human-being requiring an “oversize casket” or larger grave is one of those instances.  However like airlines, funeral homes and cemeteries should be allowed to recoup the extra costs of that accommodation as well.

I’m guessing that oversize seats, caskets, and cemetery lots will continue to be a tricky and touchy subject.

By the Way — I don’t like the term “oversize” or “plus size”.  However, I had a difficult time coming up with the right term.  Take a look at the, at least in my opinion, awful synonyms for “oversize casket” that the thesaurus gave me.  You can see their suggestions here.

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Last week Delta Airlines reported record revenue for the 2nd Quarter of 2025 and also reported that their earnings for the quarter were higher than expected.  All of this happened in a quarter where the consumer and business people were supposed to be cutting back on expenditures because of tariffs and economic concern and the thought process that the company’s expenses had moved up because of inflation and that would limit profitability.

More and more flying or traveling by public carriers such as Delta comes down to an experience.  Every passenger on a flight is going to the same destination but how the experience they choose to get there and how that is executed by Delta will be what they remember.

Is that a little like Death Care?  We can have a loved one buried or cremated but how we choose to do so and how that choice is executed by our Death Care practitioner will be what we remember and consumers will decide on if the service value was commensurate with the price they paid.

Like flying on public carriers, Death Care provides its services to consumers of all means —  from the very wealthy to the very poor and every situation in between.  Delta needs to provide the lowest possible costs to gain consumers who are willing to travel with “no frills” much like funeral homes need to be aware of having prices that consumers are willing to pay.

However, Delta has realized and most funeral homes have realized that if all clients choose the lowest priced product there is not enough margin to afford the amenities at your business to attract clients of a more discriminating nature. . . . and many times it is those clients that provide the margins to raise profits.

A big part of Delta’s success is what they call “Premiumization”.  Delta’s 2nd Quarter highlighted that “Main cabin revenue fell 5% for the June quarter, compared to a year ago. Premium ticket sales, on the other hand, rose 5%, underscoring an economic split between affluent customers and more price-sensitive ones”.

Here’s what one economic newsletter said of this situation, “spending data in other sectors reflects business-as-usual consumption in some areas but cautious spending elsewhere. More affluent customers are willing to shell out, while lower earners are pulling back.”

So, can funeral homes retain cost-conscious customers while picking up extra income and margin with customers who will spend more if offered more services?  I think so.

It might take some changes though —  Consumers are all different as are their values and perceptions of value.  In air travel getting from Point A to Point B at the lowest possible cost is many consumers goal.  However, having a larger seat, or leg room, or premium cabin service is important to many people and those people will “pay-up” for that amenity that gives them a better travel experience.

I think the same is true in Death Care.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

I also think the airlines’ modus operandi of selling their travel experience online is a positive factor in their ability to “premiumize” sales.  Think about it. . . .you’re sitting in the comfort of your own home or office looking at all of the options available on the airline’s website.  Most of the airlines offer their minimum experience with a seat in the rear section of the plane — sometimes only in the middle seat.  There is a small “premiumization” of $15 to $30 simply for selecting a seat on the window or aisle.

With no pressure on the consumer he can think about it for a minute and envision himself on the window seat never having to get up and move during the flight. . . .And, to some that is worth $20 or $30.

I think one of the big keys to this situation is the ability to make these premium decisions online with no pressure.  It’s my opinion that making theses types of decisions in person, and especially in a funeral arrangement setting where decision fatigue can set in, causes much more anxiety than doing so online.

When I look to the psychology of purchasing Death Care products I also thought of the process that I went through with in-person arrangements with family members.  I remembered what I termed “Decision Fatigue” happening often.  Family members were asked to make so many decisions — day of funeral, time of funeral, musicians, pallbearers, visitation hours — that they eventually developed a fatigue as the arrangements went on. . . . I would argue that the client’s apparent fatigue stopped me from asking about additional purchases at times. . . .such as cremation jewelry, Parting Stone, or options available for memorialization such as placement in Better Place Forests.

I think online purchasing where the consumer can go at whatever pace they desire would be a big asset in those sales  — as I believe it is in airline sales.

So, I think there is a real potential in “premiumization” of Death Care allowing for larger margins, but funeral homes are going to have to welcome online sales and online pricing to do so.  They are also going to have to invest in the proper technology program for online purchases.

What things could be “Premiumized” with additional revenues over and above a base package?? —

• Day of Service? — I remember in my funeral days having more funeral services on Mondays and Saturdays.  Could you charge an extra $150 or $200 for a service on those days?
• Cremation Concierge?  — Hand delivery of cremated remains to a home so a family member does not have to come back to the funeral home?
• For those Do-it-Yourself Memorial Service families — could you offer a register book, folders, and thank you cards for an additional fee?  What about an obituary writing service?

These are only a couple of items that come to mind off the top of my head and they don’t even take into account how you could “premiumize” merchandise such as caskets, urns, and other memorialization items such as jewelry or candles.

My guess is that there are computer programs out there that can help you in offering preneed and/or at-need packages with premiumization choices to consumer already.  While it has been about a year, which means that the process is probably even better and more refined than when I first saw it, I went through a simulated pre-need presentation and purchase completely online.  And, I was really impressed with how it was done. It was offered by a preneed company called Prelude and you can access their website here.

Final Thoughts — I’ve learned consumers are individualistic.  How one person wants to experience getting from Point A to Point B is different from another person getting to and from the same place.  The same is true of how a person wants to experience the memorialization of a loved one.

And, in most communities, America has a diverse section of economic ability among the residents.  Prices of funerals and cremations should reflect a base point for people to be able to memorialize a loved one. . . . .but there are many in each community who will “premiumize and/or personalize” their choices regardless of cost.  How funeral homes can deal with that realization could play a big difference in your funeral home “just getting by” or “being wildly profitable”.

It’s another point in my realization that Death Care is continuially closing in on the nexus of tradition and technology.

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The FTC Chair is Worried Airlines Will Use AI to Target Bereaved Travelers

Like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and little by little, it’s infiltrating deathcare. For the most part, this is a good thing, as AI-powered tools like Tribute’s and Passare’s obituary writers free up time in your day and AI bots can help to ease the grieving process for the families you serve. However, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is worried those same bereaved families may become targets of price manipulation thanks to AI technology … and the airlines.

Manipulating the bereaved

On September 19, FTC chair Lina Khan spoke about her fears of AI misuse at Fast Company’s 10th Annual Innovation Festival. As she warned about the AI-assisted acceleration of online scams and new frauds like voice cloning, Khan also brought up the potential of price discrimination. For that reason, Khan worries that airlines could begin using AI to jack up airfares for passengers they’ve determined are traveling to attend funerals. 

According to Business Insider, Khan explained that companies could easily enable AI to gather personal data then use that information to selectively increase prices. She used examples such as charging people with nut allergies a higher price for nut-free granola bars, or restaurants creating personalized menus with QR codes. Most concerning for deathcare, though, is what Khan said next.

“Or somebody being charged more for an airplane ticket because the company knows that they just had a death in the family and need to fly across the country,” Business Insider quoted Khan as saying.

Surge vs. surveillance

Price manipulation like this is different from surge pricing, Khan explained. She added that the FTC is already investigating surge, or dynamic, pricing, which means raising prices to capitalize on high demand, like summer rates for beach condos or higher ride-sharing rates when fewer drivers are available. 

Khan said the concept of using personal data to selectively increase prices is known as “surveillance pricing,” and would involve firms like airlines or restaurants using the vast amount of information amassed by digital companies during every online interaction.

With the airline example, determining who is traveling to attend a funeral would be rather straightforward, even though only a handful of airlines still offer bereavement fares. Using AI, airlines could pull information from a traveler’s social media accounts to see if they’ve posted about a death in the family; they could use their search history to find out if they’ve Googled the funeral home location; a scan of their financials could reveal a purchase of a memorial tree or floral arrangements; they could even scan the deceased’s obituary for mentions of the traveler’s name.

Tech inquiry and digital shelf tags

As the youngest FTC chair in history, Khan has already built a “reputation for going after Big Tech,” says Fast Company. Although there is no official FTC investigation into surveillance pricing, the organization recently requested information from eight major companies on how they use consumers’ personal data in four areas, including product and service decisions and pricing. The results of that inquiry are still pending, Khan says.

Khan is also concerned that the public’s general acceptance of surge or dynamic pricing may make people less resistant to surveillance pricing, if they even notice it at all. Surge pricing is being implemented in more and more industries and situations. Business Insider found that Wendy’s plans to implement digital menu boards for “‘suggestive selling based on factors such as the weather,’ like pushing a cold Frosty on a hot day.” They also reported that Walmart plans to implement digital shelf tags next year, although a spokesperson told them those would “not be used to surge prices during high demand.”

Khan, says Business Insider, hopes her inquiry will determine what AI-enabled surveillance pricing is occurring and how it will impact consumers. 

“Because we, I don’t think, want to wake up one day where this is just now the new normal,” she said. “We want to be able to figure out: is this really an economy and society that we want to be living in, or do we want some guardrails there.”