Air New Zealand offers compassionate airfares to immediate family members living out of town and needing to travel to another centre to attend the funeral service. The compassionate airfares offer a reduction on full or higher priced fares, but do not apply to some of the lower priced fares that are already below the compassionate airfare level.
Most commonly, the family member applies for a refund after travelling, supplying the necessary documentation.
To prevent people from applying for compassionate refunds on fares purchased at a cut rate, Air New Zealand has recently introduced the need for prior approval over the phone before you send in the formal application. This means you have to phone the Air New Zealand refunds team on 0800 733 8637 with your booking or ticket reference number.
The Air New Zealand refunds staff will then advise you if there is likely to be a partial refund, or no refund to the airfare is below the compassionate fare level.
If a partial refund is due, you then fill in the form provided (by your funeral director or by Air New Zealand) and fax or mail it to the Air New Zealand refunds team for processing.
Your funeral director will then, at your request, send off the necessary form to Air New Zealand verifying the death.
Please feel free to ask your funeral director for further information.