Plan & Prepare

Special Assistance

Singapore Airlines offers a range of services for passengers who require special assistance. Please read the information below and contact us if you need assistance with any of the services outlined here. We recommend that you make your travel plans early to enable us to serve you better.

Meet and Assist Services/Wheelchair Assistance

Unaccompanied Minors

Infants/Children

Expectant Mothers

Passengers with Nut Allergy

Medical Conditions

Important Medical Information

Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) Machine

Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC)

Stretcher

Supplementary Oxygen

Service Animals

Visually Impaired/ Hearing Impaired Passengers

Cognitive Disabilities

Wheelchair/ Mobility Aids and Assistive Devices

US DOT 14 CFR Part 382

Singapore Airlines takes every step to ensure that your child is safe when travelling alone.

Throughout the journey - from checking-in for the flight, to arriving at the final destination - your child is always under someone's care. This service is accorded to our young passengers from 5 to under 17 years of age, when they travel without their parents or guardians aged 18 years and above.

So, when your child has to travel alone, book a flight with Singapore Airlines. It's the next best thing to being there yourself.

How to Apply for this Service?

When you are ready to book a flight for your child, simply contact your local Singapore Airlines office for a Special Assistance and Handling Form for Unaccompanied Minors. This will help us make the necessary arrangements and look after your child in the best possible way. If your child is travelling on a flight operated by one of our Star Alliance or code share partners, you are required to contact the carrier directly to inquire about their policies for children travelling unaccompanied.

A little planning when travelling with infants and children can make your flight a more enjoyable experience for you and your family.

It is not recommended to fly with infants within the first seven days after birth and definitely not acceptable under 48 hours from birth. If you are travelling alone with two infants, please contact your local Singapore Airlines office, as special arrangements are required.

Child Car Seat

The use of booster seats is prohibited.

Approved car-type child seats may be used for child under three years but not less than six months of age. The seat must be approved by a foreign airworthiness authority or government (E.g. UK CAA, FAA, or ECE) or manufactured under the standards of the United Nations. The seat must be forward facing and secured to the aircraft passenger seat by means of the aircraft safety belt.

Child harness approved by FAA is also accepted for use on the aircraft. However, not all models may be fitted on our First and Business Class seats. You may wish to contact our Singapore Airlines office for more details.

Manufacturing standards and instructions must be provided by the customer to our ground staff and crew for reference. Usage of child car seat and child harness on board is subject to all child safety seat requirements. Both cannot be installed on seats in the emergency exit rows as well as the rows immediately before and after it.

Bassinets

While a limited number of bassinets are available onboard on a first-come, first-served basis, we recommend that you request for a bassinet upon booking to assure easy travel with your infants.

The dimensions of the bassinets are 768 L x 298 W x 158 H (mm). Bassinets can support a maximum weight of 14kg.

Meals/Amenities

Child meals are available on all flights except those between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Requests for these meals should be made at the time of booking.

Diapers, disposable bibs, feeding bottles, and baby wipes are also available onboard, upon request.

It is important that you inform your gynaecologist of your proposed travel plan and obtain medical guidance before making a reservation.

For uncomplicated single pregnancies, Singapore Airlines restricts expectant mothers from travelling beyond the 36th week of pregnancy (calculated based on the expected date of delivery).

For uncomplicated multiple pregnancies, Singapore Airlines restricts expectant mothers from travelling beyond the 32nd week of pregnancy (calculated based on the expected date of delivery).

Singapore Airlines will require all pregnant mothers to provide a medical certificate stating the following: (1) fitness for travel, (2) number of weeks of pregnancy and (3) estimated date of delivery. Our Reservations officers may request for the medical certification at the time of booking. If the booking and departure dates are more than one month apart, a new certificate should be issued (by your attending gynaecologist) not more than 3 days before departure. This certificate will have to be presented at check-in when requested.

Please contact your local Singapore Airlines office if your require more information.

Singapore Airlines will use reasonable efforts to accommodate passengers’ requests for meals and snacks to be free from nuts. A nut-free special meal refers to a meal, which does not contain peanuts and tree nuts, and their derivatives. Tree nuts include almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans and macadamias.

However, please understand that we do not offer nut-free flights, as it is not unusual for passengers on our flight(s) to be served meals and snacks containing nut or nut derivatives and we have no control over passengers bringing their own products containing nut or nut derivatives on board our flights.

We will also not be able to guarantee against accidental cross-contamination that may occur within flight kitchens in our network and the possibility of residues of nut or other nut oils being passed on to the upholstery and other surfaces, or circulated via the air conditioning systems.

Should you require a nut-free meal, please contact your travel agent or local Singapore Airlines office to make arrangements for your nut-free meal at least 48 hours before flight departure. Kindly note that we are unable to cater nut-free meals for flights from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport and you may need to arrange an alternative route through your travel agent or local Singapore Airlines office.

Once again, we request that you take all necessary precautions bearing in mind the risk of exposure. If you have any concerns about your fitness to travel, we recommend that you discuss your travel plans with your doctor, bringing along this information.

Generally, medical conditions should not inhibit you from flying. However, due to a cabin pressure equivalent to an atmospheric pressure at 5,000 to 7,000 feet altitude, special precautions are sometimes required. For more information, please also read the details below.

If you have any specific medical questions or concerns, please consult your medical practitioner on your fitness to travel and bring sufficient medication for your trip. Do note that Singapore Airlines will require medical clearance from a Singapore Airlines appointed doctor when fitness to travel is in doubt.

You should also ensure that you keep your medication in your hand luggage (not in the checked-in luggage) and have a letter on hand outlining your condition and medication(s), in case you encounter difficulties while overseas.

1. Asthma and Other Chest Conditions

Allowed to fly if	If your asthma condition is under control, it should not prevent you from flying.
Precautions	Make sure you are well-stocked with your usual inhalers and avoid anything that may trigger an attack. If you are wheezy before your flight, seek medical advice and treatment.
Special attention required if	If you experience breathlessness even at rest, cannot manage a 50 meter walk or one flight of stairs without breathing difficulty, or in doubt, get a formal medical evaluation from a medical pratitioner who specialises in chest conditions.

2. Heart Conditions

Allowed to fly if	As a general guide, people with heart disease who are able to walk up a dozen stairs without any problems, or well-controlled blood pressure (hypertension) should be fit to fly.
Precautions	If you recently had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), you are usually advised not to fly.
Special attention required if	Patients with frequent chest pains (angina attacks) should take extra precaution, as they are twice as likely to suffer an attack in the air as on the ground. They should consult their medical practitional regarding their fitness to travel, and ensure that they sufficient medications available to relief the angina.

3. Diabetes

Precautions

Ensure that you take your meals on time and an insulin shot in the middle of the night, if necessary. Special meals may be arranged at the time of booking.

People with diabetes are often confused by long-haul travel across time zones, when should they eat and when should they take their diabetic medication or insulin. An advice would be to stay on home time throughout the journey and readjust to local times only upon landing.

4. DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis

Definition	DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins within the calf and leg muscles. It is usually a spontaneous condition that occurs to people, especially those with heart disease or the elderly. However, periods of prolonged leg immobility can trigger this occurrence.
Symptoms	Warning signs are pain and tenderness in the leg muscles, redness and swelling of the area.
Precautions	For your safety, if you are prone to DVT, we require that you either sign a Letter of Indemnity or have your medical practitioner provide a medical certificate on your fitness for travel. Please also inform our reservations personnel of your condition when making your reservations. While flying, we advise that you keep exercising your leg muscles. If possible, take regular walks around the cabin, except when the fasten seat belt sign is displayed. While seated, perform a few simple exercises as shown in the Well-being section of this site or refer to the inflight magazine. Avoid alcohol as it increases the risk of developing such a condition. Instead drink more water, to keep yourself hydrated as well as to maintain your physical well-being.

5. Others

Allowed to fly if

Recent stroke:

A minimum of a three week lapse is recommended for anyone intending to fly after a recent stroke. Medical clearance is needed to confirm your ability to travel.

Epilepsy:

People with epilepsy are fit to fly, but not if the last fit was within 24hrs. Medication to control epilepsy should be taken.

Precautions

Epilepsy:

People who are prone to regular fits, may need to increase their medication, on the advice of their medical practitioner, onboard, and reduce intake upon arrival at their destination.

Special Attention

Anaemia:

People with severe anaemia (blood count or haemoglobin less than 8.5 mg/dl) are usually not advised to travel.

Health Regulations

Valid certificates of inoculation and/or vaccination may be required in certain countries. This information may be obtained from the local health authorities in your departure city.

Medication

Valid certificates of inoculation and/or vaccination may be required in certain countries. This information may be obtained from the local health authorities in your departure city.

Medical Clearance

As a guide, Singapore Airlines will require medical clearance from a Singapore Airlines appointed doctor when fitness to travel is in doubt, as evidenced by recent illness, hospitalization, injury, surgery, or instability.

Medical clearance is also required in cases that require special attention or use of special medical equipment onboard, e.g., use of a stretcher, supplementary oxygen tank, or similar type of medical equipment. The objectives of medical clearance are to provide safe, healthy travel and high levels of customer satisfaction. When in doubt, please consult your medical practitioner on fitness to travel.

If medical clearance is required, please print a copy of the Singapore Airlines' Medical Information Form (MEDIF) and fax the completed form to the nearest Singapore Airlines office. Alternatively, you can obtain the form from any of our appointed travel agents or from any Singapore Airlines office.

Please note that there may be a delay in obtaining medical clearance if information provided is incomplete. Hence, it is advisable that you inform us of your travel plans early.

Medical Equipment

For flight safety reasons, Singapore Airlines will only accept electrical/electronics medical equipment for carriage upon approval. This is to ensure that the equipment does not interfere with the aircraft’s navigation and communication systems. Crew may direct that it be turned off if it is suspected to cause interference to the aircraft's systems.

Please inform us at the time of booking if you are travelling with medical equipment and obtain the necessary medical clearance unless indicated otherwise.

All self-powered medical devices are not accepted with exception of the following:

Portable Hearing aids
Heart pacemakers
Nebulizers
Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine (please see below for more details)
Portable Oxygen Concentrator (please see below for more details)

Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) Machine

Singapore Airlines will accept the use of CPAP machines that fit into the limited space beneath the seats, subject to approval. Please contact our office to check if your device can be used on your flights. Please also note that you may not be able to use your device on the flight in the event of a last minute change in aircraft type.

CPAPs will have to be self powered using a gel or dry battery. Singapore Airlines may not be able to provide inflight power supply for such equipment. Hence, we would require that you bring batteries to provide power for at least 150% of the flight duration. For example, for an expected flight duration of 10 hours, you will need to prepare a battery supply for 15 hours. If one battery lasts for 5 hours, you will have to prepare 3 batteries.

Reservations:

Please contact our office to check if your device can be used on your flights. As the space under the seat is limited, please check with our agents if the CPAP machine you would like to carry on board could be stowed safely under the seat.

For information on the expected flight duration, please check with our agents either at time of reservation or at least 48 hours before departure. This is to ensure that you will have sufficient time to prepare the batteries to be used during the flight.

We would require that you give at least 48 hours of advance notice. Please also note that the emergency exit row seats and aisle seats will not be available for your selection.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.

Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC)

Singapore Airlines will accept pre-approved portable oxygen concentrators (POC) that will fit into the limited space beneath the seats. Please contact our office to check if your device can be used on your flights. Please also note that you may not be able to use your device on the flight in the event of a last minute change in aircraft type.

The POC models that we will accept will be:

AirSep Corporation's Lifestyle
AirSep Corporation's Freestyle
Inogen, Inc.'s Inogen One
SeQual Technologies’ Eclipse
Respironics Inc.'s EverGo
Delphi Medical Systems' RS-00400
Invacare Corporation's XPO2
DeVilbiss Healthcare's iGo
International Biophysics Corporation's LifeChoice
Inogen's Inogen One G2
Oxlife's Independence Oxygen Concentrator

POCs will have to be self powered using a gel or dry battery. Singapore Airlines may not be able to provide inflight power supply for such equipment. We would require that you bring batteries to provide power for at least 150% of the flight time. For example, for an expected flight duration of 10 hours, you will need to prepare a battery supply for 15 hours. If each battery lasts for 5 hours, you will have to prepare 3 batteries.

Reservations:

Please contact our office to check if your device can be used on your flights. As the space under the seat is limited, please check with our agents if the POC you would like to carry on board could be stowed safely under the seat.

For information on the expected flight duration, please check with our agents either at time of reservation or at least 48 hours before departure. This is to ensure that you will have sufficient time to prepare the batteries to be used during the flight.

We would require that you give at least 48 hours of advance notice and also provide a medical certificate from your physician to certify fitness to travel.

Please also note that the emergency exit row seats and aisle seats will not be available for your selection. Instead, we will offer you window seats as recommended by FAA.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.

Stretcher

Singapore Airlines provides stretcher service (charges apply) on selected aircraft for individuals who must remain in a reclined position during the flight. There must be a qualified personnel accompanying all stretcher passengers. If supplementary oxygen is required together with the stretcher, please read the provision outlining their aircraft use below.

Stretcher service is available only in the Economy Class cabins on Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200/300 and Airbus 330 aircraft.

Reservations:

As the stretcher needs to be set up and installed on the flight from Singapore, we would require our stretcher passengers to give us at least 48-hour advance notification. In addition to that, we would require a medical certificate from your doctor to certify fitness to travel.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.

Supplementary Oxygen

Singapore Airlines is able to provide a Supplementary Oxygen Kit (SOK) onboard a flight, subject to regulations set by the respective countries.

Reservations:

We would require you to make the request for this service by contacting your local Singapore Airlines office at least 72 hours in advance. This is to allow us the time to seek medical clearance and prepare the equipment necessary for your safe travel.

An extra seat is required to strap the oxygen bottle next to the passenger. However, more than one seat may be required depending on the oxygen flow rate/mode and the flight time, which in turn determines the number of bottles to be uplifted. Charges apply for each extra seat used to place the SOK. For safety reasons, carriage of your own oxygen bottle is not allowed on our flights.

We would also require our passenger to provide a medical certificate from your physician indicating fitness to travel without requiring extraordinary medical assistance during the flight.

Please also note that the emergency exit row seats and aisle seats will not be available for your selection.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.

A guide dog accompanying its owner can be accepted in the passenger cabin in any class. Emotional support/ psychiatric service animals can also be uplifted together with our passenger in the cabin. For more information, please refer to the section under pet carriage. For passengers carrying service animals on flights to and from US, please refer to the link below.

Reservations:

For passengers who have both severe vision and hearing impairments, we would like to advise our passengers to provide 48-hour advance notification.

For a passenger who has both severe hearing and severe vision impairments, if you cannot establish some means of communication with carrier personnel for us to transmit the safety briefing, or if the means of communication explained to us does not adequately satisfy the objectives of permitting communication of the safety briefing, we would require you to travel with a safety assistant.

Please note that we will not be able to offer you emergency exit row seat.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.

If you require any assistance within the airport, please identify your needs at check-in. We will be able to extend our meet and assist service to you to help in boarding, deplaning and also during flight connections.

We offer the following services:

Preboarding
Assistance to/from gates and flight connections
For the visually handicapped, our Cabin Crew shall conduct a special safety briefing before take-off to highlight the procedures to be followed in the event of an evacuation and to orientate the passenger to the surroundings. We can also provide assistance in preparation for meals consumption, such as opening of packages and identifying of food.
For the hearing-impaired, our onboard safety video has sign language.

We are unable to offer:

Assistance with the act of eating
Assistance within the restroom or assistance at he seat with elimination functions
Provision of medical services.

Should a passenger require the above-mentioned services, we would require the passenger to have a personal care assistant as a travel companion.

Reservations:

For a passenger who has cognitive disabilities and is unable to understand the safety briefing, we would require the passenger to travel with a safety assistant to assist him or her in the event of an evacuation.

Please note that we will not be able to offer the emergency exit row seats.

On the day of departure:

If you require any assistance within the airport, please identify your needs preferably at check-in. We will be able to extend our meet and assist service to you to help in boarding, deplaning and also during flight connections.

Services we are able to offer: Services we are unable to offer:

Assistance with the act of eating
Assistance within the restroom or assistance at his seat with elimination functions
Provision of medical services.

Should a passenger require the above mentioned services, we would advise the passenger to have a personal care assistant as a travel companion.

Passengers requiring the use of wheelchairs (both manual and electric) or mobility aids (canes, crutches, walkers, mobility scooters etc.) are advised to make their travel plans in advance.

Carriage of assistive devices will not count towards the baggage limit for the passenger.

All our aircraft are designed to accommodate the basic needs of our wheelchair passengers. The aircrafts are equipped with an onboard wheelchair that you may make use of to shuttle between your seat and the lavatory. Additionally, all aircrafts have a wheelchair friendly lavatory. Also, we have seats with movable armrests that facilitate the transfer of a passenger from the onboard wheelchair to the seat and vice versa.

Please note that we will not be able to offer you emergency exit row seats and seats on the upper deck of the Boeing 744 Aircraft.

Reservations:

For our passengers who are travelling in a powered wheelchair with a wet cell battery, we would require you to give us at least 48 hours of notice. In addition, you must arrive at the Departure Gate one hour prior to scheduled departure so that we may assess the stowage needs of your chair.

When travelling in a group of ten or more Customers who use wheelchairs, please provide at least 48 hours of advance notification so that we can better assist you and provide the necessary stowage space.

On the day of departure:

Singapore Airlines would like to seek your understanding when transporting battery operated electric wheelchairs and electric mobility aids. We would require you to check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a timely stowage of the devices.

Passengers are welcome to check in their electric wheelchairs during check-in. We will provide the airline’s wheelchair and also extend our meet and assist service to you.

If you require any assistance within the airport, please identify your needs preferably at check-in. We will be able to extend our meet and assist service to you to help in boarding, deplaning and also during flight connections. Services we are able to offer:

Preboarding
Assistance to use the onboard wheelchair
Assistance to move from wheelchair to the lavatory

Services we are unable to offer

Assistance with the act of eating
Assistance within the restroom or assistance at his seat with elimination functions
Provision of medical services.

Should a passenger require the above mentioned services, we would advise the passenger to have a personal care assistant as a travel companion.

This section is only applicable to flights starting from or ending in the US. These flights will be covered under the US DOT Part 382: Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel: Final Rule.

US Department Of Transportation 14 CFR Part 382: Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel

Passengers can obtain a copy of US DOT Part 382 (Non-discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel: final rule) in an accessible format from the DOT by any of the following means:

By telephone via the Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1-800-778-4838 (voice) or 1-800-455-9880 (TTY)
By telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division at 202-366-2220 (voice) or 202-366-0511 (TTY)
By mail to the Air Consumer Protection Division, C-75, US Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., est Building, Room W96-432, Washington, DC 20590
On the Aviation Consumer Protection Division's website (http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov)

Service Animals into and out of The US

A guide dog accompanying its owner can be accepted in the passenger cabin in any class.

Passengers with service animals are advised to contact your local Singapore Airlines office in advance of your flight to make the necessary arrangements. If your itinerary involves other carriers, separate clearance must be obtained from those carriers prior to travel. You must ensure that all government regulations and documentation requirements for the uplift, transit, and disembarkation stations are complied with.

The guide dog is regarded as unchecked baggage and will be carried without charge, in addition to the passenger’s free baggage allowance. The dog will not be occupying a seat and must not be seated in a location that would block escape routes in the event of an emergency. Moisture absorbent material will be placed on the cabin floor, underneath the dog at all times. The dog must be muzzled and harnessed during the flight.

Singapore Airlines will not accept any other type of service animal except dogs.

Reservations:

We would require that you provide us with at least 48 hours advance notification when you are carrying a psychiatric service animal or carrying a service animal on a flight more than 8 hours.

For emotional support/ psychiatric service animals, we would require documentation no older than one year from the date of the passenger's scheduled initial flight and on the letterhead of a licensed mental health professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker) stating the following:

The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM IV).
The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger’s destination.
The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional, and the passenger is under his/her care.
The date and type of the mental health professional's license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.

For all flights that will take 8 hours or more, we will require all passengers with service animals to provide documentation showing that the animal will not relieve itself on the flight, or that the animal can relieve itself in a way that does not create a health or sanitation issue on the flight.

On the day of departure:

We would also like to request that you check-in early for your flight (approximately 2-3 hours before flight departure) to ensure a smooth flight experience.