Urgent travel
Last minute flights, booked around the clock
Urgent travel does not schedule itself around office hours. This page explains what can realistically still be booked at short notice, what bereavement and rebooking options exist, and where an agent can help.
On this page
What we handle at short notice
Same-day and next-day departures
Late fares are usually the expensive ones, so the work is in finding the routing that is not: a connection instead of a nonstop, a nearby airport, a carrier you were not considering, or a departure a few hours either side of the obvious one.
Bereavement and family emergency travel
A small number of carriers still offer bereavement or compassionate fares, and those that do generally require the booking to be made by telephone rather than online. The discount is often modest, but the flexibility attached to the ticket — the ability to change the return when you do not yet know how long you will need — is frequently worth more than the fare reduction. Policies differ by airline and change; tell us the situation and we will find what is genuinely available rather than promise something in advance.
Rebooking after a cancellation
When a flight cancels, every passenger on it wants the same seats at the same moment. If we issued the ticket, contact us with your booking reference while you queue at the service desk and we will work on the rebooking in parallel. The airline's own app is often fastest too.
Worth knowing: if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a refund of the fare rather than a voucher. See your refund rights.
Missed connections and misconnections
If everything is on one ticket, the airline is responsible for getting you to your destination. If your journey is on two separate tickets, it is not, and that is where things get difficult. We deal with both, but the first is far easier to fix. Our guide to missed connecting flights explains the difference and when a refund is due instead.
Medical and compassionate travel
Travel arranged around treatment, discharge or a family member's care often needs a wheelchair, an escort, or a return date that is genuinely unknown at booking. That combination is very hard to self-serve. See special assistance.
How to get the best out of a last-minute request
- Have the names as printed on the travel documents. At short notice there is no time to correct an error afterwards.
- Tell us the real constraint. "I must be there before the funeral at two" produces a better answer than "the earliest possible flight".
- Be open about airports. At short notice the neighbouring airport is often where the seat is.
- Tell us if one-way is fine. When the return is genuinely unknown, a one-way plus a flexible return later can beat guessing at a round trip.
- Say if you already hold a ticket. Changing an existing booking is sometimes cheaper than buying a new one, and sometimes very much not. We will check.
An honest word about price
Last-minute flights are usually expensive, and no agent can change the underlying inventory. What we can do is make sure you are not paying for the wrong routing, and that you are not buying a new ticket when your existing one could have been changed for less. If the best answer is a fare you can book yourself in three minutes, that is what we will tell you.
Common questions
Can I send an urgent request at any hour?
Yes. The contact form is open at any hour. Send the route, dates and passenger names through the contact form and say that you are travelling within 48 hours.
Which airlines offer bereavement fares?
Fewer than most people expect, and the list changes. Those that do generally require you to book by phone and to provide documentation such as a death certificate or funeral home details. Tell us the airline and route and we will check the current position rather than guess.
Can I book a flight leaving in the next few hours?
Usually, subject to the airline's cut-off, which is typically somewhere between 45 minutes and a couple of hours before departure depending on the carrier and airport. Send us the route and we will tell you what is still open.
My flight was cancelled. Should I take the voucher they offered?
Not automatically. If the airline cancelled or significantly changed the flight and you do not accept the alternative, you are generally entitled to a cash refund. A voucher is worth taking only if you are certain you will use it.
Is it cheaper to change my existing ticket or buy a new one?
It depends on the fare rules on the ticket you hold and the fare difference on the new flight. Both are worth checking, and we check both.
Travelling soon?
If you are flying within 48 hours, say so in your message so the urgency is clear.