Health and safety in the air

Flying is one of the safest forms of transport – much safer than walking, for instance! – but for your safety and comfort, there are some things you should be aware if travelling with children, when pregnant, if you or one of your party have a disability or restricted motion, or if you do any scuba diving while on holiday in Egypt, Greece or Turkey.

• Carriage of infants
• Travelling while pregnant
• Passengers with disabilities
• Emergency exit seating
• Fitness to fly
• Flying after diving

Carriage of infants

The airlines’ minimum age for infants varies, but is typically between 2 and 6 weeks. Infants aged 0-24 months are carried based on sitting on an adult’s lap. There must be at least one adult for every infant travelling.

The infant may be seated in a car seat, subject to booking a flight seat, availability and the airline’s car seat regulations. The price for the flight seat will be based on the adult seat-only price, but discounts may be available. Contact Customer Services or your travel agent for details.

Airline regulations require children aged 2 years and over to occupy a seat. Children aged 2 years and over on the return flight must pay the stated child price for the holiday.

Travelling while pregnant

Airline rules differ, but most will require a medical certificate of fitness to travel for women who are 28 weeks or more pregnant on the date of return travel, and will not normally allow travel at all beyond 32 weeks pregnancy. We recommend that you check with the airline, and also consult your own doctor.

Passengers with disabilities

Passengers with reduced mobility, wheelchair users, and the visually impaired should contact Customer Services or your travel agent prior to booking to confirm the availability of any assistance you may require at the airport. If you do not request assistance in advance, we cannot guarantee that the service will be available on the day, as there is limited availability at most airports. 

Carriage of wheelchairs 

Wheelchairs must be carried in the aircraft hold and collected in the baggage reclaim area. Your wheelchair will be carried free of charge in addition to your normal baggage allowance. Airline liability for loss or damage is limited, so you should ensure that the wheelchair is adequately insured. Electrically powered wheelchairs will be accepted for travel, subject to the general conditions of carriage outlined in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. The regulations relate to the batteries in the wheelchair. The electric wheelchair must be easily stored in an upright position when collapsed. The battery must be disconnected and the terminals insulated to prevent accidental short circuiting. 

Travelling companions 

Any passenger who is not “self-reliant” according to the airline code of practice definition, must travel with a carer. The code of practice defines someone as not being self-reliant if they cannot take care of all their physical needs in-flight independently. The carer must book their ticket at the same time, and can travel with a maximum of 2 passengers requiring assistance.

Emergency exit seating

Safety regulations require that anyone sitting in an emergency exit row be willing and able to operate the emergency exit. We are unable to allocate exit row seating to children or passengers with disabilities. If you are seated in an exit row and have concerns about this, please speak to a member of the cabin crew.

Fitness to fly

If you suffer from certain medical conditions that mean you may require assistance from the airline, you may need permission from your doctor to fly. You should contact the airline directly if you have any concerns over your fitness to fly. If you suffer an accident or illness in resort then a fitness to fly certificate will be needed for the return journey; please contact your resort representative.

Flying after diving

It is dangerous to fly immediately after diving. Gases dissolve in your blood at high pressure underwater. These can 'bubble out' at the lower pressures experienced when flying, causing decompression sickness. You should not dive within 24 hours of any flight.

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