Airline Rules, Challenges and Tips for Flying While Pregnant
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- Airlines will always try to sit children with their parents (subject to check-in)
- Some airlines will allow travel for unaccompanied minors. Please email us to check.
- The fare is based on the child's age on the date of travel.
- More detailed information can be found here Traveling with children
- Most airlines will let infants travel with their parent(s) for free. However some airlines will charge up to 10% of the adult ticket price. Click on 'Price Breakdown' to find out more.
- If you are pregnant, but due before the flight departure date, please contact us once your baby is born and has a name. We can then add him/her to your ticket.
- Infants will not be given a seat. The airlines expect parents to travel with them on their lap.
- Airlines regard infants as being under 24 months old.
- The fare is based on the child's age on the date of travel.
- More detailed information can be found here Traveling with children
Flying While Pregnant
Find all the tips and rules for expectant mothers, specific to each country and airline.
Guidelines for Flying When Expecting a Baby
Take a look at our table that details each airline policy for expectant mothers.
Country Specific Guidelines
UK
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) state that the safest time for those who are pregnant with one baby is before 37 weeks, and before 32 weeks for those carrying twins. Most airlines will not let pregnant people to fly beyond 37 weeks, and it is recommended that those who are pregnant and wish to travel beyond this time check with airlines as they may have difficulty getting travel insurance for their trip.
People who are over 28 weeks pregnant should take a doctor’s note and medical records when flying.
USA
If travelling to the US from another country, while pregnant, entry to the country will be allowed or denied at the discretion of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer. There are no specific regulations that prohibit pregnant foreign nationals from entering the US, however, if the CBP Officer believes that the pregnant foreign national is likely to become a ‘ward of the government’ (ie the government must provide medical care to the pregnant person as they do not have medical coverage) then the person can be denied entry.
Things the CBP Officer will take into account when determining qualification for entry to the US: due date, length of time the person wishes to spend in the UK, evidence of sufficient medical insurance coverage, intention to return home.
Tips for
Travelling When Pregnant
- See Your Doctor
- Schedule your travel carefully
- Stay healthy
- Make a Flight Plan
- Read and Adhere to the Rules
- Consider Insurance
- Stay Connected - Pack Smart
- Get Screened
- No Heavy Lifting
- Select a Seat
- Walk Around and Stretch
- Stay Hydrated
- Eat in Moderation
- Wear your Seat Belt Continuously
- Love Your Skin
- Relax
Airline Specific Guidelines for
Pregnant Flyers
| AIRLINE NAME | PREGNANT TRAVEL POLICY | MAX WEEKS TO FLY |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | There are no special requirements when flying under 27 weeks pregnant. The rules differ for anyone flying pregnant past 27 weeks, depending on the route flown. | Between Ireland and UK - up to week 32 with doctor’s written permission. All other routes - up to week 28 with doctor’s written permission. Aer Lingus will not carry passengers 34 weeks or over for any part of the journey. |
| Air New Zealand | Medical documentation is required up to four weeks before the delivery date, completed 48 hours before the flight. |
Not within 7 days before and after the delivery date unless a doctor provides a note dated within 72 hours of departure. |
| Alaska Airlines | No restrictions. |
No restrictions. |
| American Airlines | If due date IS within 4 weeks of a flight, doctor’s certificate must be provided to show fitness to fly. For international flights or travel over water - clearance required from special assistance coordinator required. |
For domestic flights under five hours - not within seven days before and after delivery date unless a doctor provides a note and passenger medical form is completed. For international flights - same documents as above apply up to four weeks before due date. |
| British Airways | British Airways recommend that travellers carry a pregnancy confirmation from a doctor or midwife which details the number of babies being born, the due date and confirmation that the mother has had no previous complications when giving birth. |
36th week if the mother is having one baby. 32nd week if the mother is having more than one baby (twins, triplets etc.) |
| Brussels Airlines | Mothers are fine to fly, unless they have a history of premature birth or other birth complications. Mothers who are beyond the 28th week of pregnancy are asked to carry a letter from a physician which includes the due date, confirmation that the pregnancy has no complications and an official statement which clears the traveller from flying while pregnant. If there are any expected complications with the birth or the mother is flying with twins beyond the 28th week of pregnancy, medical clearance is required. |
Mothers with normal health and expected normal pregnancies can fly up four weeks before their due date. |
| Cathay Pacific | Cathay Pacific recommend pregnant travellers to carry a document with the due date of the baby’s birth. Mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies will only need a medical certificate if they’re carrying one baby between the 28th–36th week of pregnancy or if they’re carrying multiple babies between the 28th–32nd week. |
Mothers with complicated-free pregnancies are accepted on flights up until the 36th week if they’re carrying one baby and the 32nd week if they’re carrying more than one. |
| Delta | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Easyjet | Easyjet allows passengers to fly pregnant up until late in the third trimester. However, if the mother is experiencing a complicated pregnancy, she must consult a medical doctor before flying. |
Easyjet allows travellers carrying one baby to fly up until the 35th week of pregnancy and travellers carrying two babies to fly up until the 32nd week of pregnancy. |
| Etihad | Travellers can fly during their pregnancy up until the 28th week of their pregnancy. Between the 29th–36th week of pregnancy, travellers are required to carry a medical certificate if they wish to fly carrying one baby. Between the 29th–32nd week of pregnancy, travellers are required to carry a medical certificate if they wish to fly carrying more than one baby. |
Etihad does not allow passengers to fly past the 37th week of their pregnancy if they’re carrying one baby or past the 33rd week if they’re carrying more than one baby. |
| El Al | Pregnant passengers can fly up until 28 weeks of pregnancy, without the need to carry any documents. Between 28–36 weeks, passengers will need medical clearance to fly and must carry documentation with confirmation of this. |
Travellers are allowed to fly up until 36 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Emirates | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of their pregnancy as normal, as long as the mother is healthy and the pregnancy is progressing without complications. After the 28th week, a medical clearance will have to be provided. |
No restrictions as long as the mother has medical clearance. |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Pregnant passengers can fly up until 28 weeks of pregnancy, without the need to carry any documents. Between 28–36 weeks, passengers will need medical clearance to fly and must carry documentation with confirmation of this. |
Travellers are allowed to fly up until 36 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Eurowings | Eurowings state that travellers should avoid flying while pregnant if they’re expecting more than one baby, have previously had a miscarriage or have a heart illness. |
Travellers are not allowed to fly past the 36th weeks of pregnancy. |
| Frontier | Frontier ask that all pregnant passengers consult with their medical physician before flying with Frontier. Passengers flying during their ninth month of pregnancy will need an official medical examination from their doctor to deem them safe to fly. |
No restrictions. |
| flydubai | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of pregnancy as they would normally. | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of pregnancy. In some cases, flydubai will allow passengers to fly past the 28th week of pregnancy. However, an official document must be provided from a medical practitioner. |
| Finnair | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of pregnancy without any restrictions. Past the 28th week, pregnant passengers must provide a medical certificate with details of the pregnancy and confirmation that it’s progressing without complication. |
Up until 38 weeks on flights within Finland and Scandinavia. Up until 36 weeks for flights outside of Finland and Scandinavia. |
| Flybe | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of their pregnancy without the need to acquire any documentation. Passengers flying between the 28th–33rd week of their pregnancy can only travel if they hold a medical certificate. Travel is not permitted past the 34th week of pregnancy. |
Flybe passengers can fly up until the 35th week of pregnancy. |
| First Choice | First Choice passengers can fly pregnant without the need to obtain permission from their doctor up until the 28th week of pregnancy. Passengers flying past the 28th week of pregnancy will need medical clearance from their doctor. |
No restrictions if deemed safe to fly by a doctor. |
| Garuda Indonesia | All pregnant passengers require a statement letter of release/form of indemnity. Regardless of which stage of the pregnancy they're in. Passengers with pregnancy complications are allowed to travel up until 32 weeks of pregnancy but will need two medical information forms and approval from GSM/JKTIH. All passengers flying between the 32nd–36th week of pregnancy must obtain two medical information forms and approval from GSM/JKTIH, regardless of whether there are complications with the birth or not. |
Pregnant passengers can fly up until 36 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Iceland Air | Pregnant passengers can fly up until the last month of pregnancy with no restrictions. If passengers are in their last month of pregnancy or have previously experienced a premature birth, they must hold a medical certificate that is no more than 72 hours old. |
Pregnant mothers cannot fly if they're in the last two weeks of pregnancy. |
| JAL Japan Airlines | Pregnant passengers are free to fly as normal unless they're flying after the 36th week of pregnancy, in which case they must obtain a medical certificate. If the due date is within 14 days or less, JAL Japan Airlines require an obstetrician to accompany the pregnant passenger. |
No restrictions. |
| Jet 2 | All pregnant passengers with no complications can travel up until the 27th week of pregnancy without the need to obtain permission from a medical practitioner. Pregnant passengers carrying one baby must obtain a Fit to Fly certificate, signed by their midwife or doctor if they want to travel between the 28th–35th weeks of pregnancy. Travel is not permitted past the 35th week of pregnancy (inclusive). Pregnant passengers carrying more than one baby must obtain a Fit to Fly certificate, signed by their midwife or doctor if they want to travel between the 28th–33rd week of pregnancy. Travel is not permitted past the 33rd week of pregnancy (inclusive). |
Pregnant passengers can fly up until the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| JetBlue | Pregnant passengers can fly up to seven days before their due date with no restrictions. Passengers looking to fly past seven days the day before their due date must provide a certificate from their doctor stating they're fit to fly. This letter can be no more than 72 hours old. |
No restrictions. |
| Jetstar | Pregnant travellers can fly as normal up until the 28th week. Any pregnant traveller flying past the 28th week of pregnancy must acquire a medical certificate from a medical practitioner. Any pregnant passenger who is experiencing complications with their pregnancy must receive a medical clearance to fly. Passengers carrying more than one baby are permitted to fly up until the end of the 36th week of pregnancy on flights of four hours or less and the 32nd week of flights of four hours or less. |
Passengers carrying one baby are permitted to fly up until the end of the 40th week of pregnancy on flights of four hours or less and the 36th week on flights of four hours or more. |
| Kenya Airways | All pregnant passengers past the 28th week of pregnancy must acquire an approval letter from a medical practitioner. Passengers carrying more than one baby cannot fly past the 32nd week of pregnancy. Any passenger with a complicated pregnancy will need a letter from their doctor. |
Passengers can fly up until the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| KLM | Passengers don't need any documentation unless the pregnancy is complicated. | Pregnant passengers cannot fly past the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Korean Airlines | Pregnant passengers can fly as normal with no documentation required up until the 32nd week of pregnancy. Passengers carrying one baby must notify Korean Airlines of the pregnancy and present a declaration form at check-in if they're flying between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy. Passengers carrying must also notify Korean Airlines of the pregnancy and present a declaration form at check-in if they're flying between on the 32nd week of pregnancy and are not permitted to travel past this time. Any passenger experiencing complications with their pregnancy must acquire a medical certificate and present a declaration form at check-in. |
Pregnant passengers cannot fly in the 37th week of pregnancy or any week after. |
| Kulula | Pregnant passengers can travel with no restrictions up until the 28th week of pregnancy. After this, passenger must present a medical certificate in order to fly. Passengers carrying more than one baby cannot fly past the 32nd week of pregnancy. |
Pregnant passengers can fly up until the end of the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Lufthansa | Pregnant passengers can fly with no restrictions. However, Lufthansa recommends that passengers obtain a current certificate from their gynaecologist past the 28th week of pregnancy. Passengers carrying more than one baby are not allowed to fly past the end of the 28th week of pregnancy. |
Pregnant travellers are permitted for air travel up until the end of the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Malaysia Airlines | Any pregnant passenger must fill out a Release and Indemnity Form at check-in. If passengers are carrying multiple babies or have a complicated pregnancy, they're not permitted to travel past the 32nd week on Malaysia Airlines flights. |
Pregnant passengers can fly up to 36 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Norwegian | Norwegian passengers can fly up to four weeks before their due date without the need to obtain a medical certificate. Pregnant passengers flying between four–two weeks before their due date are required to carry a medical certificate that states that it's safe for them to fly. This certificate must be kept on person throughout the duration of the flight. |
Pregnant passengers are prohibited from air travel if the due date is less than two weeks away. |
| Philippine Airlines | All pregnant travellers must fill out an EMIS form if they're flying with Philippine Airlines. Pregnant travellers that are flying before 24 weeks of pregnancy must fill out an EMIS form Part 1 in order to be allowed to travel by air. Pregnant travellers flying between 24–32 weeks of pregnancy must fill out an EMIS form Part 2 in order to be allowed to travel by air. Pregnant travellers flying after 32 weeks of pregnancy must fill out an EMIS form Part 3 in order to be allowed to travel by air. |
Pregnant passengers cannot fly past 35 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Qantas | Pregnant passengers can fly as normal up until the 28th week of pregnancy. During and after the 28th week of pregnancy, Qantas passengers must carry a medical certificate obtained from a medical professional which details the due date of the birth, the number of babies being carried and confirmation that there are no complications with the birth. Passengers carrying more than one baby are allowed to travel up until the 36th week of pregnancy on flights of four hours or less and up until the 32nd week of pregnancy on flights of four hours or more. |
On flights of four hours or less, pregnant passengers can fly up until the 40th week of pregnancy. On flights of four hours or more, pregnant passengers can fly up until the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Qatar Airways | Passengers can fly up until the 28th week of pregnancy without the need to acquire any documentation. However, Qatar does recommend carrying a doctor's certificate to speed up the process at the airport. Pregnant passengers carrying one baby are required to carry a doctor's certificate if they're flying between the 29th–32nd week and must carry a doctors certifcate and MEDIF form if they're flying after the 32nd week of pregnancy. Passengers with multiple or complicated pregnancies are not allowed to fly during or past the 33rd week of pregnancy and must obtain a doctor's certificate and MEDIF form if they're flying between the 29th–32nd week of pregnancy. |
Qatar Airways do not allow pregnant passengers to fly during or past the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Ryanair | Pregnant passengers can fly with no need to obtain documentation up until the 28th week of pregnancy. After this, passengers must obtain a fit to fly letter, filled out by a doctor or midwife. For a pregnancy with multiple births, passengers cannot fly past the 32nd week of pregnancy. |
Ryanair allow pregnant passengers to fly up until the end of the 26th week of pregnancy. |
| Singapore Airlines | Pregnant travellers can fly up until the 28th week of pregnancy without the need to obtain a medical certificate. Past the 28th week, pregnant passengers are required to carry a medical certificate stating they're fit to travel, that due date of the baby and the how far along they are in the pregnancy. Pregnant passengers carrying more than one baby is not permitted to fly past 32 weeks of pregnancy. |
Pregnant passengers can fly the up until end of the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Southwest Airlines | Southwest Airlines recommend that pregnant passengers don't fly past the 38th week of pregnancy. |
No restrictions. |
| TAP Portugal | Pregnant passengers are free to fly as normal up until 28 weeks of pregnancy. Past 28 weeks, passengers must carry a medical declaration from a professional stating that there are no complications with the pregnancy. Pregnant travellers who are carrying multiple babies are not allowed to travel past the 32nd week of pregnancy. |
Pregnant travellers cannot fly past the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Tigerair Australia | Pregnant passengers can fly up until the end of the 27th week of pregnancy without the need to acquire a medical certificate. Past this time, passengers will need to obtain a medical certificate from their midwife or doctor, deeming them safe to fly. Passengers carrying multiple babies are not allowed to fly after the end of the 36th week on flights that are less than four hours and are not allowed to fly after the end of the 32nd week on flights that are more than four hours. |
On flights that are less than four hours long, pregnant passengers are accepted on board until the end of the 40th week of pregnancy. On flights that are longer than four hours long, pregnant passengers are accepted on board until the end of the 36th week. |
| Thai Airways | Pregnant passengers can fly as normal on Thai Airways flights up until the end of the 28th week of pregnancy. After 28 weeks, passengers must have a medical certificate from a medical professional that details the due date of the baby and how many weeks pregnant the passenger is. | On flights less than four hours, pregnant passengers are permitted to travel up until the end of the 36th week. On flights more than four hours, pregnant passengers are permitted to travel up until the end of the 34th week. |
| TUI | Pregnant passengers can fly up until the 28th week without notifying anyone. After 28 weeks, passengers will need to notify TUI of the pregnancy and obtain a note from their doctor or midwife that deems the passenger safe to fly. |
Up until the end of the 36th week. |
| Turkish Airlines | Pregnant travellers can fly on Turkish Airlines up until the end of the 27th week. From the 28th week and onwards, they will need a doctor's note stating they're safe to fly. Passengers carrying multiple babies can are permitted to fly up until the end of the 31st week. |
Pregnant passengers are not allowed to fly from the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| United Airlines | Pregnant passengers flying after the 36th week of pregnancy can fly without the need to obtain documentation. After the 36th week of pregnancy, pregnant passengers must obtain an obstetricians certificate which details that they're safe to fly. This certificate can be no older than 72 hours. |
No restrictions. |
| Virgin Atlantic | With complication-free pregnancies, passengers can fly up until the end of the 27th week of pregnancy without the need to let Virgin Atlantic know. During the 28th week and beyond pregnant passengers will need to obtain a medical certificate from their doctor. Passengers pregnant with multiple babies are not allowed to fly after the 32nd week of pregnancy. |
Pregnant passengers can fly up until the end of the 36th week of pregnancy. |
| Volaris | Although Volaris recommend that passengers don't fly past the 28th week of pregnancy, officially, passengers can fly up until the 36th week of pregnancy without the need to obtain a medical certificate. Any passengers flying past the 36th week of pregnancy will need to obtain a medical certificate. |
No restrictions. |
| Vueling | Vueling passengers can fly as normal up until the end of the 27th week of pregnancy. Starting from the 28th week of pregnancy, they must obtain a certificate stating it's safe for them to fly. |
Passengers can fly pregnant up until the end of the 35th week of pregnancy. |
| WestJet | After 36 weeks of pregnancy, WestJet asks that passengers check with their doctor or midwife before travelling. |
No restrictions. |
