Flight booked to new zealand - going to be 30 weeks pregnant!!

[tigerlilt]

Hi, just looking for some advice. A few months ago we booked flights to new zealand for January for 2 weeks, with BA. I recently found out i’m pregnant which means i’m going to be 28/30 weeks pregnant at the time. Having done some advice i’ve decided it probably isn’t going to be sensible to go, especially as i’m at high risk of premature birth due to uterus didelphis (double uterus).

What would our grounds be for cancellation? would we loose all the money? Or have we got a chance of getting some money back/ flight credit?

My thoughts are a) tell the airline we have been advised not to travel by the doctor. or b) say i’ll be 36 weeks, therefore the airline wont ’let’ me fly, maybe more chance of a refund. Although i know it’s not ideal to lie, and not sure if they will check!!

Just exploring options and thought i’d see if anyone has any knowledge/ experience.

My NHS GP charges £20 for a Fit to Fly certificate but it's true not all NHS practices provide them.

Travel insurance is effective from when the policy was taken out so you wouldn’t be covered for a flight booked prior to that date. The clauses in the policy would cover what constitutes a cancellation payout.

Not true in my experience - travel insurance will usually cover you for flights already booked, unless they feel there has been an unreasonable delay in buying insurance.

However travel insurance isn't the answer in this case - and fraud is a serious crime. You need to explain your situation to the airline and hope they'll agree to give you a credit.

No as you’d have to declare all pre-existing conditions.

If you paid for flights on a credit card you might already have insurance through that? We have pretty good travel insurance through our credit card.

Insurance companies often try very hard to get out of medical claims - your pregnancy is on your medical records and they will want your consent to access your medical records as standard procedure for looking into any claim. They will find out easily that you knew you were pregnant before taking out insurance.

As for "fitness to fly certificates" you have said this is a complicated pregnancy so I would be surprised if your GP would be comfortable providing one even if they do provide them in some cases, which as others said many GPs don't. So that would be something you might have to source privately - maybe from an obstetrician or an aviation medicine specialist, not sure. Even if a provider does these certificates they won't do it if they don't think you're genuinely fit to fly, it's not just a matter of paying for one and automatically getting it. The fee would be for the assessment not just the certificate and you can't dictate the outcome of the assessment if that makes sense.

DOI - I do work in health care though not currently in the UK. I do have some experience of people trying to make insurance claims or wanting me to declare them fit to fly when their medical condition is not in my area of expertise.

You've got to be mad with uterus didelphys. Don't even think about it.

That said though, without being negative (I have the condition too), I'm sure you know that your risk of miscarriage is higher anyway.

I would wait til 12 weeks then attempt cancellation, medical certification to cancel, and then delaying the flight, in that order.

No as you will not be covered for pre-existing conditions which pregnancy obviously is

I do know this, but trying to stay positive! Have been very reassured by positive stories, trying not to spiral with worry

Travel insurance rarely covers pregnancy as its something that you got yourself into. Def won't cover if taken out after pregnant. Lying will get you a fraud conviction if you get caught. Pled with rhe airline is your main hope

personal question but have you had successful pregnancies? completely understand if you don’t want to answer but i have really wanted to speak to someone with the condition for a while, i’ve been in a state of panic and this has made me more worried tbh! i knew the risk was higher but didn’t realise it was that bad!

It’s not “dishonest” it’s insurance fraud.

If you have already been seen at a clinic it will be on file.

As soon as you book a holiday book travel insurance at the same time!
Anything can happen as soon as the holiday is booked!

Can you sell your flight for a slight loss to one of the other wedding guests? Change of name will probably be relatively inexpensive compared to losing the whole amount

I am highly doubtful travel insurance would pay out for pregnancy anyway as it's something you have control over.

Absolutely this.

We Were scheduled to go to Melbourne 6 years ago, 3 weeks before we were due to fly I gave birth - a cryptic pregnancy, I had no idea I was going to have a baby.

I was told by my insurance company that nothing pregnancy related would be covered, despite the unusual situation. Etihad also couldn’t/werent able to help. Fought for weeks as I believed (as did my doctor) that my situation fit into one of their categories of things that were covered, but that company didn’t agree.

A very expensive problem, £2000 we really could have done with.

This, OP.

Congratulations and fingers crossed for a straightforward pregnancy.

Though it might be good to get a view on the medical view of a flight at that stage of pregnancy at your 12 week scan, including the stage of pregnancy on your return date. Are you going for two weeks?

To be frank at the moment you basically have a late period at this stage I’d wait and check that you actually stay pregnant as a lot of pregnancies don’t stick and until you know for definite - past 20 weeks or so - then you might cancel your flights and lose a load of money for nothing

One successful but very prem, two miscarriages, currently 30 weeks. It is possible but your risk is very high to be even considering going anywhere abroad in a pregnancy full stop.

She has a confirmed pregnancy, not a late period.

Congratulations! I wouldn't be making any changes until you've had a scan showing a heart beat. BA are usually pretty good re changing flights. Working on the assumption that you have friends in NZ, I would bring your trip forwards to second trimester, and have a lovely "babymoon" spending some quality time with your friends, maybe helping with the wedding prep and exploring the country.

sorry but this came across as very harsh and really anxiety provoking. Maybe think about how you word things in the future as things like ‘if you actually stay pregnant’ and ‘a lot of pregnancies don’t stick’ is pretty insensitive and un kind. I am pregnant, i’ve had an early scan… more than a late period i would say. Sorry had to be said, i get being realistic but it’s possible to be kind too!

Thankyou ❤️ wishing you a healthy rest of your pregnancy x

You need to have taken out travel insurance at the time of booking. They check medical records so even if you took it out know they would know you visited doctors for spotting.

i had travel insurance and a flight booked when I found out I was pregnant. Even with insurance it was a nightmare to cancel with the airline and they didn’t refund it all.

I panicked and cancelled too early as my friend was pressurising me as she wanted her money back so she could book another summer holiday before price went up. I hadn’t even had my 12 week scan and I was 41.

sadly my scan showed problems after I cancelled with airline and travel insurance were difficult. They said no to my friend but then she asked them to read the file as I would have been high risk pregnancy and her travel insurance gave money back. My baby sadly didn’t make it earth side

I would just wait and see what happens with pregnancy as you don’t have travel insurance anyway so read airline T&C carefully.

next time you book anywhere, take out travel insurance at the same time. or just book an annual policy.

Get a Dr's note from your consultant there is no way they will let you fly at that gestation due to your complications & being high risk for pre term birth so the airline will have to refund you x

MARTIN LEWIS "Always take out insurance as soon as you book".