Fit to Fly

I’ve never been denied one but my obstetrician did them, not a GP. I was also low risk. It’s definitely something I recommend getting, I was stopped twice by different airlines to see it and the check in manager came over to talk to me before allowing me a boarding pass.

I’m high risk with type 1 diabetes. I’m flying next week at 26 weeks so don’t need a fit to fly only a medical letter. I was told midwives can’t give fit to fly letters out anymore and has to be done by your GP with the all clear from your midwife. Was also warned that your GP will likely charge you.

If your health is fine and no issues, then they don’t have any reason to refuse you

I just got my Fit to Fly cert issued from my midwife this week. I’m a high risk pregnancy and have medication to carry (blood thinning injections) so they mentioned this specifically in the letter. The obstetrician and midwives were both quite relaxed about me travelling and gave me some advice regarding wearing compression socks and timing my injection around the flight. I wasn’t too concerned that I’d have issues with getting the cert signed off. I’d advise checking with your midwives in advance if they think your circumstances are likely to cause a restriction and see what they say. But that all said, you never know what may happen and it’s still a risk. E.g if down the line you end up having an unrelated issue like placenta previa, then you’d be advised not to fly. Also might be worth looking into travel insurance and if cancellation would be covered under those circumstances.

Oh, perhaps worth mentioning that I’ll be travelling when I’m 22-24 weeks. I know it’s under most airlines threshold, but as I’m entering the US (twice in the same trip) I didn’t want to chance it!

@LMK funnily enough, travelling into the US at 27 weeks pregnant I wasn’t questioned but leaving the US back to the UK I was 🤔

@Sarah yeh it seems like it’s based on airline ground staff processes - which is the exiting country rather than entering - so it doesn’t make complete sense does it!? I wasn’t sure how much US Border control may ask about pregnancy so figured either way, it’s best to have the letter just in case.

@LMK it’s worth remembering too that foreign check in staff are contracted, so they don’t always follow the same understanding as the company. So that was British Airways, no issues in the UK but coming home from the US and from Mexico I was challenged. The ground crew there at the check in desks move from airline to airline so the manager needed to come over and speak to them. It’s best to just be prepared, hopefully they don’t even notice but I was huge 😂

I've never been asked for one and flown over 32 weeks xx

Following this - I’m in the Sam position I’ll be travelling at 29 returning on the 30 week mark so I need a fit to fly spoke to my GP I just need to drop my docs in and the doctor will issue one without seeing me apparently which I found strange (midwife don’t do them anymore) I’m worried as I have my GD test start of June and if I do have it which I think I do will this stop them issuing me a fit to fly I’m actually cabin crew as a job so I know all the precautions when flying which is so annoying it could stop me travelling baby is all okay at the moment measurement and placenta wise we have growth scans booked in and consultant led but there’s been nothing that we are aware of problem wise I’m just scared to book anything incase we don’t get the fit to fly 🫣🫣x

Check with the airline what their requirements are. Jet2 like the fit to fly to last 2 weeks. So you don’t want to get one too early but if you’re just on a shorter holiday it should be okay. My midwife has said she’d email it over to me if I can’t see her the days before I fly.