Which airlines offer compassionate fares and are they worth it?

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/compassionate-airfares/

In another recent AFF article, there were some comments asking about compassionate airfares and which airlines offer them.

We checked with the major Australian airlines (and some overseas ones) about what's available - or in many cases, not available - and put together this guide to them:

Compassionate Airfares: Barely Worth the Hassle

Airlines including Qantas and Air New Zealand offer discounted compassionate or bereavement airfares for people who need to travel urgently due to a family member's medical emergency or funeral. But the savings might not be worth it.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[Quickstatus]

Not worth the hassle

 

[Berlin]

Quite sad but also good to know- 10% off a Qantas fare close to departure is indeed not worth the hassle.

I’ve read this with great interest as both my parents over in Germany are over the age of 80 now. As much as I wished it never happened, I know very well that it is bound to happen some day. I’ve already asked them jokingly a few years ago to please not die during Summer holidays or Christmas season

 

[justinbrett]

These were probably more relevant back in the day with much higher fares and many more restrictions (such as the Sat night stay).

Not a lot of margin in domestic economy tickets to work with - and they have to be strict with documentation because in 2025 there’s a lot of people who would have no qualms exploiting this.