Traveling with medical conditions

For the health and safety of you, your fellow travelers and our crew, there are a few rules for traveling with medical conditions. If any of the following rules apply to you, or you have questions, email our medical department at corpmed@united.com.

Medical certificates

You may need to travel with a medical certificate if you meet certain conditions. Learn more about what those conditions are and what your certificate must include. If you’re unsure whether you need a medical certificate, email us at corpmed@united.com.

Who needs a certificate

You will need to get a medical certificate from your doctor before traveling if you:

  • Have a contagious illness.
  • Cannot complete the flight without needing urgent medical assistance.

What the certificate includes

If you need to travel with a medical certificate, it must be completed by your doctor and include:

  • Dated within 10 days of your initial flight.
  • A written statement confirming you can complete the flight without needing urgent medical assistance.
  • Any requests our crew or a travel companion must accommodate during the flight for you to travel safely. We will confirm if we can accommodate these requests.

Denied boarding

We may deny boarding if:

We believe you can’t complete the flight without needing urgent medical assistance.

You pose a risk to the health and safety of other travelers or our crew.

You don’t submit a medical certificate at least 48 hours before your flight.

Advanced notice

There are also additional steps you need to take before traveling if any of the following applies to you:

Traveling with medical conditions FAQ

If you’re 36 weeks pregnant or have a high risk pregnancy you may need a doctor’s note to travel. Learn more about flying while pregnant.

No, we don’t pay for medical expenses associated with getting a medical certificate.