Fit to Fly?

[Hekabe]

Morning..

Currently 31+4, and due to fly to Portugal next week with Easyjet. Flying during week 32, returning during week 33.

Their current policy states that they need a 'letter' from weeks onwards - but I've heard tale of them being a bit fast and loose with sticking with this policy?

Has anyone any experience?

The tricky thing is my midwife said sadly she can't issue me a Fit to Fly certificate (or letter?) due to my having an episode on Monday - she thinks a holiday would be just the ticket for me but cant actually sign off given my notes... and subtley suggested that I try my Doctor.

Doctor will write me a letter confirming my dates, but when I asked about Fit to Fly he said 'they aren't done anymore'. He's also charging me £20 for the pleasure (surely my notes well how far I am without a £20 surcharge)

So - is it a Fit to fly Certificate?

Or is it a letter confirming dates? I keep hearing different things and EasyJet wont respond to any communications in writing.

Thanks so much MMers

Guessing no seasoned pregnancy travellers out there? x

I flew regularly when pregnant. Flew at 36 weeks with a fit to fly note. Because I was fit to fly. I flew with BA the majority of the time though. And wore an abaya so my bump wasn't very noticeable and never got asked for a note. Looking at easyjets website, they don't mention anything about needing a FTF note. It's just states that you can fly up to 35 weeks. So if you think you're ok to fly, then take your notes confirming your dates?

I got 2 fit to fly letters from my GP, one at 28wks and another at 33. Charged £15 both times. Wasn't asked for it on either occasion but to be honest my bump has been very small and neat. Unless you look very heavily pregnant/ready to pop I don't think they are too fussed. Also, assuming you are flying from U.K., Portugal is a short flight, lower risk.

I wouldn't go to the airport with just notes though without checking with the airline first. Calll easyjet, not worth the huge disappointment if you were to get turned away without a letter...

I got a letter that stated my due date and that I and the baby were healthy and that the dr was happy for me to fly.
It is not worth the risk to go without one.

You can fly up to 35 weeks with easyjet as long as it's not a multiple pregnancy. I'd just take a letter confirming dates

When I was pregnant with DS I flew to Italy with BA at 26 weeks on the way there & 27 on the way back. I paid £15 to get a letter from my doctor advising I was fine to fly. Midwives won't sign you off round here. Glad I did I as was asked for it at checking & again at boarding both on the way there & the way back. I'd rather pay the £20 & have no issues rather than worry that you might have a problem & risk your whole holiday. You might also want to check what your travel insurance says about it too.

Goodness- I was afraid of this. my doctor said He didn't do Fit to fly, or fit to flys weren't done any more.

I don't have much faith in the doctor!

Thanks so much for the advice ladies. Not sure what to do apart from call another doctor.

I flew just after the cut off point which I think was 28 weeks and got the fit to fly letter from my GP, although was never actually asked for it. My bump was relatively neat and was only just over the cut off so they may have assumed I was less than 28 weeks. There's nothing stopping you from saying you're e.g. 27 weeks and they can't ask you to prove it as you don't need to carry any proof if you're under the cut off point. Although I guess if they don't believe you they could theoretically ask to call your GP to check.

For me, it wouldn't be worth the worry, I'd rather just pay the £20 and know I had lol the correct documentation to fly, there's always a risk they wouldn't let you fly and then you'd lose much more money.

Oh and I remember my GP being a bit funny about saying i was 'fit to fly' in a letter as she said she didn't have as much information on my pregnancy as my midwife did. Guess they want to cover themselves if anything happens to you. The airline website had some wording which was a bit more vague, I think it was just that you hadn't had any complications in your pregnancy to date or something like that, and the GP was happy to write that in the letter. So might be worth checking the airline website and then going back to your GP, they may be happy to write something like that in a letter.

At Easter I flew to New York at 29 weeks with united airlines, they don't ask for a note until after 32 weeks so that was fine and nobody said anything to me anyway other than the usual comments on my neat bump. Then 4 days after we returned we went to Oman with BA so I was 31 weeks upon our return and BA ask for a note after 28 weeks, MW said ask GP so I just phoned up and asked for it. It was very brief, all it said was how many weeks I was and that my pregnancy has had no complications, it said nothing that would make the dr responsible if anything were to happen just really said I was unlikely to give birth in the air. I wasn't asked for my letter until boarding the plane on the return flight and really they would never stop a pregnant lady returning home anyway note or not. I've flown later than that in the past too and not been asked for the dr's letter. x