Air New Zealand bereavement and compassionate fares

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.

Air New Zealand offers a compassionate fare for urgent domestic travel when an immediate family member has died or has an unexpected and critical medical condition. The fare is a set price, $189 one way for a single flight or $289 one way for a journey of two or more flights, not a percentage discount. You apply through the airline's help and contact page and must travel within 7 days of a bereavement (Air New Zealand: Compassionate fares).

If you are reading this because someone has just died, the key points are below and you can come back to the rest. This page is general information. Fares and rules are the airline's, read on 20 October 2026, and they can change, so check the airline's page before you rely on them.

What the compassionate fare is, and is not

The airline's page says it will try to help you get a seat at short notice, so a seat is not guaranteed. The fares are:

Journey	Compassionate fare
One way, single flight	$189
One way, two or more flights	$289

Three points are worth being clear on.

It is not half price. There is no percentage discount. The airline's page notes that you "might find" flights online for a lower fare, so look at the fare shown for your date first.
It is domestic only. The page says compassionate fares are offered "for flights within New Zealand only". We found nothing on the page for international flights.
It is for urgent travel only. For a bereavement, the fare is for travel within 7 days of the death, so it does not suit a trip planned for a funeral weeks away. For a critical medical condition, it is within 48 hours of the condition starting.

Who qualifies as immediate family?

The airline's definition is wide. It includes:

a partner;
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including step-children and children of in-laws;
parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, including step-parents;
siblings, including step-siblings and siblings-in-law;
aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

What you may be asked to show

The airline may ask for one of the following for a bereavement: a letter or email from the attending doctor, a letter or email from the funeral director, or a death notice. Everyone travelling on the booking must be named in the documents. We found no mention of a death certificate being required, which matters if the death has only just happened and you are waiting for one (see death certificates).

How to apply

The page's "Apply for a compassionate fare" link goes to the airline's help and contact page. The page itself gives no phone number, so we cannot say that booking by phone is possible. If you are unsure whether you qualify, it says the airline's team can help.

Have the name of the person who died, your relationship, and the date of death ready.
Have the document from the doctor, funeral director or a death notice.
List everyone travelling, with names matching the documents.
Apply as soon as you know the dates, because the 7-day window runs from the death.

Changes and refunds

If you already have a booking and your situation meets the criteria, the airline says you may be able to cancel for a credit valid for 12 months, or change the date or destination and pay any fare difference. It says it will not charge change or service fees for compassionate fare changes. You can also bring a return flight forward to get home. If you are flying somewhere other than home, fare differences, taxes and levies may apply.

For refunds:

Partial refund. If you paid a higher fare for urgent travel, you may be refunded the difference between that fare and the compassionate fare, provided the travel was booked and taken within the time limits above. Submit the request after you have travelled.
Full refund. Possible if you can no longer travel because of a bereavement or a family member's critical medical condition. The booking must be cancelled.
Flight credit. If the fare is not refundable, contact your travel insurer first. If you are not covered, you may ask for a credit valid for 12 months. The booking must be cancelled.

The 12 months is how long a credit lasts. The page does not give a deadline for asking for a refund after you have travelled, so ask promptly.

If the compassionate fare does not fit

Situation	Where to look
Flying within New Zealand and the online fare is lower	The airline's page says you might find a lower fare online, so compare it with the compassionate fare before you apply
Flying overseas	The airline's standard fares and your travel insurance. The compassionate fare is domestic only. For bringing someone home, see repatriation costs
You cannot afford the trip	Work and Income says it "may be able to help you if you can't afford to travel to a funeral or tangi"
Another airline	We checked only Air New Zealand. Other airlines set their own policies, so ask them directly

Help from Work and Income

Work and Income says you do not need to be on a benefit, but you may have to repay the help, and the amount depends on your situation. The relationships it lists include a partner you were living with, a child, grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent, and it includes step, foster, half and whāngai relationships. That is a narrower list than the airline's. If you are on a benefit, the page points to an Advance Payment of Benefit. If not, it points to a Recoverable Assistance Payment. The Funeral Grant of up to $2,697.43 is separate, and the costs it lists (preparing the body, casket, death notices, hearse, plot and cremation) do not include airfares (Work and Income: Bereavement, updated 24 July 2026). Our guides on travel assistance and the funeral grant go further.

Planning around the funeral date

Travel often has to be fitted around the funeral, whose date is set by the family, the funeral director and the venue. Our funeral timeline and tangihanga guide cover the order of events. If you work, ask about bereavement leave: an employee who qualifies gets 3 days for the death of a partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild or a partner's parent, and 1 day for another person if the employer accepts a bereavement, under the Holidays Act (Employment New Zealand).

Momentum Life and this page

This section can wait until the funeral is over. The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's online quote, an option for people planning their own funeral costs. Funeral Insurance from Momentum Life Limited is open to New Zealanders aged 40 to 75 and pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs. That may not cover the whole funeral, and total premiums can end up larger than the benefit. It pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident during the first 24 months, with all premiums for that person refunded after any other death in that window. Quick Life is open to ages 18 to 65 with no health questions, but pre-existing conditions and suicide are excluded for the first 2 years. Neither takes new applicants over 75. Momentum Life Limited's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair), in the "Vulnerable" range; see its financial strength page. Saving is the other way to prepare. The funeral insurance hub and funeral costs pages compare the options.

QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931).

If you are planning ahead for your own funeral costs

Get a quote and apply online today

See your price in about a minute, then apply online with Momentum Life. Guaranteed acceptance, no health questions, no medical exams.

Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k

Want more than $300k or have questions? Talk to an adviser

Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

Adviser's view

Air New Zealand's compassionate fare is a flat, flexible fare for domestic flights, not a half-price ticket. Compare it with the fare shown online before you apply, because the airline itself says you may find a lower one. For flights overseas it does not apply, so check the airline's fares, your travel insurance, and Work and Income help with travel to a funeral or tangi.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

Talk to a licensed adviser about funeral cover · free, no obligation.

Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Bereavement Flights Air NZ: Compassionate Fares. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/bereavement-flights-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.