Why doesn't Costanza give his airline ticket as the reason?

Question

In the Seinfeld episode where George is boyfriend to Megan Mullaly, and a relative of hers dies, they need to fly to another city for the funeral. George and Kramer scheme to have George go (because he wouldn't otherwise) because their understanding is the flight will be reimbursed due to death in the family. Kramer's boon is that he gets frequent flier miles.

The airline clerk lets George know he will be required to submit a copy of the death certificate when asks for reimbursement. When George asks a family member for a copy of the death certificate at the wake, he sheepishly gives the reason (paraphrased) '...wanted to make an admittedly rudimentary scrapbook of his life...' This clearly upsets the family member.

The question is, why doesn't George simply say he would be using it to get his flight for free? Is this really such a faux pas? After all, he is the boyfriend to the woman who is so closely related to the bereaved.

Answer 1

Of course it's a faux pas.

A huge one

If you come up to me and ask me for a copy of my loved ones death certifcate just so you can get a free flight I'd be massively offended and so would pretty much everyone else.

Even worse...this is at a wake...the only way it could be worse is if you asked during the actual funeral!

It's not as though he's actually a relative (which is the purpose of bereavement fares)...he's just a friend of one.

In the United States and Canada, a bereavement flight is a flight purchased when a close relative has died or is dying

^Wikipedia