Medical Luggage Policies For Europe’s Top 25 Airlines

Traveling with autism or other disabilities often requires bringing essential medical supplies, sensory aids, or specialized food. Understanding airline policies on medical luggage can ease the journey. Below is a guide to the top 25 European airlines and their medical baggage policies, highlighting allowances for medical equipment, sensory items, and special foods.

Based on passenger numbers and industry reports from 2023 and 2024, the top 25 airlines in Europe are:

1. Ryanair Medical Luggage Info: Ryanair allows passengers to carry necessary medical equipment free of charge. It’s advised to contact their Special Assistance team at least 48 hours before departure to make necessary arrangements. A medical certificate may be required for certain equipment.
2. Lufthansa Medical Luggage Info: Lufthansa provides special services for passengers with hearing or visual impairments or cognitive disabilities. They recommend informing the airline at least 48 hours before departure to ensure appropriate assistance. They do have a medical team you can contact for more information: medicaloperation@dlh.de.
3. British Airways Medical Luggage Info: British Airways allows passengers to check in up to two extra standard bags (each up to 23kg) containing essential medical supplies, such as dialysis fluid or colostomy bags, free of charge. For journeys including the USA, an unlimited number of such bags can be checked in, subject to authorization. Additionally, up to four extra bags containing liquid food can be checked in on non-USA journeys. A medical letter detailing the supplies and their necessity is required.
4. Air France Medical Luggage Info: Air France has some really clear information about travelling with medical baggage! It is a little hard to locate, where I found it doesn’t feel logically sound to me but at least I found it. Alongside your regular luggage, you can also bring 2 personal mobility items and 1 extra bag or case to transport medical items weighing up to 23kg. It is not as clear when reading up on cabin baggage: Air France state that you can bring 1 cabin bag weighing up to 12kg and measuring 55 x 35 x 25 cm, but it doesn’t seem to clarify if this is in addition to your normal cabin bag or if this is the standard allowance. You can find out more by using their special assistance contact options.
5. Turkish Airlines Medical Luggage Info: There seems to be no mention by Turkish Airlines about whether you can bring medical baggage for free or not. I have personal experience of flying with Turkish Airlines and even when speaking directly with their call centre, they couldn’t answer questions about whether I could bring my sons disability stroller for free or not (and due to his age we were able to bring it onboard for free, but this will not always be the case). Turkish Airlines have an interesting discount for disabled passengers, but it seems to be extremely hard to get the discount unless you can present yourself at a sales office to prove your disability – expecting people to travel and present paperwork for a discount is not really very disability-friendly.
6. easyJet Medical Luggage Info: EasyJet permits passengers to carry portable medical equipment, such as CPAP machines and nebulisers, in addition to their cabin bag allowance, provided the device does not exceed 56 x 45 x 25 cm. A medical letter is only required for items like liquids over 100ml or sharp objects. They recommend informing their Special Assistance Team at least 48 hours before your flight.
7. Wizz Air Medical Luggage Info: Wizz Air allows passengers to bring medical equipment on board, but specific policies regarding additional medical baggage are not detailed on their website. Passengers are advised to contact Wizz Air’s Special Assistance team in advance to discuss their individual needs and obtain necessary approvals for carrying medical equipment.
8. Pegasus Airlines Medical Luggage Info: Pegasus Airlines allows passengers with medical conditions or requirements to carry necessary medical equipment and medications in their hand baggage or checked baggage – it is best to contact the airline directly because I can’t find any clarification on what you can or cannot bring and how much the bag can weigh.
9. SAS Scandinavian Airlines Medical Luggage Info: SAS Scandinavian Airlines don’t have clear information about medical baggage, what you can bring, how much or if there is any cost. The link I’ve left here brings you to a page about travelling with health or medical conditions and there is some information clarifying specific conditions or situations but that is about it.
10. Austrian Airlines Medical Luggage Info: Austrian Airlines say that you can bring medical and mobility items free of charge. Anything brought to the cabin that is a medical or mobility device does not count toward luggage allowance, but it may need to go in the hold if it is not necessary during the flight and space is limited. One really amazing thing that they offer to do is refund you the difference in fare cost if you have to book a more expensive flight to be able to fit your wheelchair on it.
11. Swiss International Air Lines Medical Luggage Info: Scroll right down past all the information about jet lag to find information about travelling with medical equipment. There are expandable sections for a random selection of medical concerns, which makes it harder to find generic information about medical baggage. What I have been able to find is that they will carry up to 2 wheelchairs and an assistance dog at no extra charge. There is some mention of liquid medical equipment on the hand luggage page but it does state to only bring enough liquid medication to last the flight in your hand luggage, and does mention being able to bring liquid food for babies, small children and those with food allergies but it doesn’t talk about anything that is not a liquid.
12. Norwegian Air Shuttle Medical Luggage Info: Norwegian allows passengers to bring medical equipment on board, such as oxygen concentrators, at no extra charge. However, you must inform their Contact Centre at least 48 hours before flying. A medical certificate confirming fitness to fly may be required. It’s essential to notify check-in staff and cabin crew about any medical equipment you’re carrying. To learn more, scroll to the bottom of the page on the link I left for Norwegian Air Shuttle.
13. Finnair Medical Luggage Info: Finnair claim to allow passengers to bring medical baggage on the flight as carry-on luggage for free, without it counting toward their standard carry-on allowance.
14. TAP Air Portugal Medical Luggage Info: TAP Air Portugal allows passengers to bring medical equipment on board. They recommend notifying the airline at least 48 hours before departure to ensure appropriate arrangements. Any medical luggage can be brought onboard and won’t count toward the regular luggage allowance.
15. Aer Lingus Medical Luggage Info: Aer Lingus permits passengers to carry medical equipment necessary for their journey. They advise contacting the airline in advance to discuss specific needs and ensure proper accommodations can be made. They say you can bring medical luggage on top of your normal luggage allowance but you may need to contact them to have a pre-approval for the items you want to travel with.
16. Vueling Airlines Medical Luggage Info: Vueling says they allow passengers to carry medical equipment, including oxygen cylinders up to 5 kg, free of charge. There is no mention of their policy for other medical luggage but they do state that passengers must inform the airline in advance and may need to provide a medical certificate.
17. Eurowings Medical Luggage Info: Eurowings permits passengers to bring medical equipment on board. Passengers should inform the airline at least 48 hours before departure and may need to provide a medical certificate for certain equipment.
18. LOT Polish Airlines Medical Luggage Info: LOT Polish Airlines allows passengers to bring medical equipment on board. Passengers are encouraged to contact LOT’s Special Assistance team ahead of their flight to discuss specific requirements and to ensure compliance with safety regulations. They suggest that you should pack your medical items in a separate bag or case. They also allow up to two mobility aids free of charge.
19. Aegean Airlines Medical Luggage Info: Aegean Airlines allows passengers to bring medical equipment on board. It’s advisable for passengers to contact Aegean’s Special Assistance team prior to travel to discuss their needs and to ensure that any medical devices comply with the airline’s safety and size regulations. They specifically mention it is free of charge to bring mobility aids but have no mention of other medical luggage.
20. Jet2.com Medical Luggage Info: Jet2.com permits passengers to carry essential medical equipment on board. While detailed policies are not specified on their website, passengers are encouraged to contact Jet2.com’s Special Assistance team prior to travel to arrange for any necessary accommodations and to ensure compliance with safety regulations. They state that they will consider allowing medical luggage to be transported for free on a case by case basis.
21. Air Europa Medical Luggage Info: Air Europa permits passengers to carry essential medical equipment on board. Passengers should notify the airline in advance to arrange for any necessary accommodations and to ensure that the medical equipment meets the airline’s guidelines.
22. Iberia Medical Luggage Info: Iberia permits passengers to transport medical equipment and medications necessary for their journey. They allow you to bring medical equipment in addition to your normal baggage allowance. You should have medical equipment in one piece of luggage which can weigh up to 23kg. You can also bring two mobility aids free of charge. They advise informing the airline in advance to facilitate any required arrangements.
23. Transavia Medical Luggage Info: Transavia permits passengers to bring sensitive medical equipment as an extra piece of hand luggage, provided it does not exceed 10 kg and 55 x 35 x 25 cm. A medical statement in English is required, dated within 6 months for chronic conditions or 7 days for unexpected medical situations. Equipment not needed during the flight is transported as hold luggage.
24. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Medical Luggage Info: KLM seem to be guarding their information a bit more than the other airlines have… there is mention of medical baggage but they ask you to call for further information if it isn’t one of the very few they have mentioned already. They do state that they will transport a wheelchair for free but so far I haven’t managed to find out much more than that.
25. TUI Airways Medical Luggage Info: TUI Airways permits passengers to carry necessary medical equipment on board. Passengers are encouraged to inform TUI in advance to facilitate any required arrangements and to ensure that the medical equipment adheres to safety standards. Their website does say that they allow medical equipment to travel at no extra cost. On the link I have provided, expand the travelling with medical equipment section and read through the details because the steps you need to take differ slightly depending on how you booked.

Please bear in mind that for all airlines listed, policies regarding medical baggage can vary and may be subject to change. It’s crucial for passengers to contact the respective airline’s Special Assistance team well in advance of travel to confirm current policies, make necessary arrangements, and ensure a smooth journey.

For the medical luggage information for the top 25 global airlines, click here.