Stretcher on a Scheduled Flight: How Does It Work?

What it is

Some airlines can carry a patient lying on a stretcher on a scheduled flight. The stretcher is installed over several rows of seats, with a curtain for privacy, and the patient travels with a medical escort. It is an alternative to an air ambulance for patients who are stable but cannot sit.

It is not offered everywhere

This option depends on the airline, the aircraft and the route. Only some aircraft can be fitted with a stretcher, and only some airlines offer the service. It is not a service that can be assumed. Availability has to be checked case by case.

How it works in practice

1. Medical clearance. The airline's medical department must approve the transport, generally from a medical information form completed by the treating physician. A recent medical report is often required.
2. Seats. The stretcher takes the place of several seats, which are billed. The patient's escort and any relative sit nearby.
3. Medical escort. A physician or a nurse usually accompanies the patient, with the equipment authorized by the airline. Oxygen is provided according to the airline's rules.
4. Ground transfers. A medically equipped ambulance takes the patient to the airport and from the arrival airport to the hospital.
5. Lead time. The preparation is generally longer than for an air ambulance, because of the airline's approval and the installation of the stretcher.

Who it suits, and who it does not

• It can suit: a stable patient, for example after a fracture or an operation, who must stay lying down and whose condition does not require intensive care in flight.
• It does not suit: an unstable patient, a patient on a ventilator or needing continuous intensive care, an urgent case, or a route without a suitable flight.

Why a doctor decides

The choice between a stretcher on a scheduled flight and an air ambulance is a medical decision. The treating physician, the assistance company's doctors and the airline's medical department each have a say. See how to choose between the four options and air ambulance or commercial flight with medical escort.

How we can help

Our coordinating physician reads the file and tells you whether this option is realistic for the patient, the route and the dates. If it is not, we organize an air ambulance. In all cases, the final decision remains with the treating physicians.

In short

• A stretcher on a scheduled flight exists only with some airlines, aircraft and routes.
• It needs the airline's medical approval, several seats and a medical escort.
• It suits stable patients, not unstable or intensive-care patients.

General information only — not personalized medical, legal or insurance advice. Your insurance contract and the treating physician's opinion prevail in your situation.