A pregnancy, a hard cut-off date and a cheap fare
A regular leisure client books CMB–BKK on 3 March and BKK–CMB on 24 March. When booking she mentions she is pregnant and gives an expected date of delivery of 30 April. The carrier's published policy states that from 28 weeks a medical certificate confirming fitness to fly and the expected delivery date is required, and that travel is not permitted from the start of the 37th week (36+0) for a single pregnancy; for twins the limit is 32+0. She wants the ticket issued today on the cheapest fare: USD 390 plus USD 96 taxes, non-refundable, with a USD 150 change fee plus fare difference. A fully flexible fare in the same cabin is USD 610 plus taxes. The agency's insurance partner sells a policy for USD 48 that covers medical expenses but excludes cancellation claims arising from any condition known at the time of purchase. She says she has had two easy pregnancies and does not want a certificate, as her doctor is hard to reach.
1. Is the itinerary bookable, and what documentation does the client actually need?
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Work out the gestational age at each flight - this is the whole question. With an EDD of 30 April (40+0):
- 3 March is 58 days before the EDD, about 8.3 weeks, so she would be roughly 31+5 on the outbound.
- 24 March is 37 days before the EDD, about 5.3 weeks, so she would be roughly 34+5 on the return.
Where that falls against the carrier's rule: both sectors are beyond 28 weeks, so a medical certificate is mandatory on both. Both are inside the 36+0 cut-off, so travel is permitted - but the return sits only about nine days short of the hard limit.
Documentation: a certificate confirming fitness to fly and the expected delivery date, issued within whatever validity window the carrier specifies. Most carriers require a recent certificate, so one letter issued before the outbound may not be accepted for a return three weeks later; plan on two certificates, or obtain written confirmation from the carrier that a single letter covering both dates is acceptable. Check whether the return carrier is the same airline and, if not, check its rules separately.
The consultant's boundary: it is not the agent's role to say she will be fine. State the carrier's rule, explain the certificate requirement, and refer the medical judgement to her doctor. If she travels without a certificate, the carrier can refuse boarding at check-in, and the fare will not be refunded.
The real risk to name out loud: a medical or operational delay of more than nine days on the return makes her ineligible to fly, and the non-refundable fare will return almost nothing.
2. Which fare and insurance would you recommend, and how would you document the advice?
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Compare the fares on the cost of one change, not on headline price. On the restrictive fare, changing her return date costs USD 150 plus any fare difference - and at nine days' notice the fare difference on that route could easily be USD 200 or more, so a single change can exceed the USD 220 gap to the flexible fare. If she cannot travel at all, the restrictive fare returns essentially taxes only.
Recommendation: the fully flexible fare, or at minimum a fare with a low change fee. The extra USD 220 buys changeability and refundability at exactly the point where her plans are most likely to move. Frame it as insurance she controls, not as an upsell.
Insurance: the USD 48 policy excludes cancellation arising from a condition known at purchase, and the pregnancy is known. So it will not rescue her if she is advised not to fly. Check the wording for cover of unforeseen complications arising after purchase - some policies do cover those - but do not present the policy as covering a pregnancy-related cancellation. Say plainly what it does not cover.
Practical counselling:
- Suggest a later return date with more slack, and check whether the outbound date can move earlier to widen the margin.
- Request an aisle seat and note any assistance requirement in the booking.
- Give her a one-page written summary of the carrier's week limits, the certificate requirement, the change costs of both fares and the insurance exclusion.
Documentation: place the advice given, her decision and the date in the PNR remarks and the agency CRM. Record that she was told the certificate requirement and the 36+0 cut-off. If she still chooses the restrictive fare, that record shows the agency advised correctly - which is the difference between a service failure and a professional judgement she accepted.