Several years ago, an issue came up in which I felt that the solution was unfair. I spoke with one of my brothers about it and he gave me an answer which I have not forgotten. He said that there are three kinds of fair; bus fare, the county fair and the state fair. At first, I was taken aback by what he said, but on reflection I found his words to be wiser than I first imagined.
What he meant that what is fair is relative to the person judging the problem. In other words, each one who has an opinion about how some problem should be settled, has his or her idea what is the fair thing to do. Usually, this constitutes the basis of their solution. So, if two or more people have different opinions as to resolving a conflict, there are two or more concepts of what is fair.
Although do not have first hand experience, I cannot conceive that someone who if forced against their will to accept a compromise or a disadvantageous solution to a problem situation, would be happy that what came about was fair.
On the other side of things, if one was part of the solution of a difficult situation and every idea that he or she proposed was enthusiastically accepted, I would think that he or she would consider that solution fair.
So, next time someone says that something is fair or not fair, think what was behind that person's motivation and how their concept of fairness was derived.