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With the way airlines squash as many seats into a cabin as possible, leg room in economy is, well, an issue. That’s why getting the exit row is a big deal for so many people.

However as much as some people would love to get an exit row, they’re not allowed to. Most of us probably know several of the abilities you need to have to sit there, at least in the U.S.: be over a certain age, able to speak and comprehend English, be able to lift and move ## pounds (those aren’t the exact words of the flight attendants’ spiel, but you know what I mean).

But it brings us to a question that many people have asked:

Can you sit in the exit row if you’re pregnant?

PC (cropped): Andy Luten (used with permission a/o 12/3/23)

As it turns out, like many things, it’s complicated.

The requirements to sit in the exit row aren’t made by the airlines. They’re spelled out by the FAA (most recently updated in 2022) and include the ability to:

• Comprehend and speak English;
• Locate the emergency exit;
• Recognize the emergency exit opening mechanism;
• Comprehend the instructions for operating the emergency exit;
• Operate the emergency exit;
• Assess whether opening the emergency exit will increase the hazards to which
  passengers may be exposed;
• Follow oral directions and hand signals given by a crewmember;
• Stow or secure the emergency exit door so that it will not impede use of the exit;
• Assess the condition of an escape slide, activate the slide, and stabilize the slide after
  deployment to assist others in getting off the slide;
• Pass expeditiously through the emergency exit; and
• Assess, select, and follow a safe path away from the emergency exit.

People sitting in the exit row also need to be at least 15 years old, and can’t be using a seat belt extender. Some airlines won’t let you sit in the exit row if you are the parent of a child sitting in another row (read: during an emergency, you would be more concerned about the child’s safety than your “job” in the exit row). And on Southwest, if a person is included in early boarding “because they need more time,” they’re also not allowed to sit in the exit row.

With that, the FAA actually says nothing about pregnancy status in their requirements for sitting in the exit row.

As for the airlines, although most mention pregnancy in some form (usually in relation to flying while in the later stage of pregnancy), only one airline says they may take pregnancy into accountability when determining ability to sit in the exit row, and one other suggests self-assessment if the pregnant person thinks they could handle what could be expected of them in the event of an emergency:

• Allegiant (via FAQ search)

  We recommend that pregnant passengers consult a physician before flying.

• American

  If your due date is within 4 weeks of your flight, you must provide a doctor’s certificate stating that you’ve been recently examined and you’re fit to fly.

• Delta

  At Delta, we don’t impose restrictions on flying if you’re pregnant and don’t require a medical certificate for you to travel. If you’re traveling after your eighth month, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor to be sure travel is not restricted. Keep in mind when booking, ticket change fees and penalties cannot be waived for pregnancy.

• Frontier

  For Frontier flights, passengers who are pregnant are urged to consult with their doctor on whether it is safe to travel by air, including with due consideration to the possibility of turbulence, cabin pressurization, significantly increased risk of deep vein thrombosis associated with pregnancy, and lack of ready access to medical care. This is particularly important for women in their ninth month of pregnancy, who are urged to obtain an examination from their physician shortly before flying to confirm air travel will be safe. Women with a history of complications or premature delivery should not fly if pregnant. By traveling with Frontier, pregnant women acknowledge and accept these risks.

• jetBlue

  We welcome moms-to-be, so feel free to plan that vacation, babymoon or business trip!!!!
  Customers expecting to deliver within seven days are not allowed to travel on JetBlue unless you present documentation from your doctor, dated no more than 72 hours prior to departure that states:
  — The doctor has examined you and found you to be physically fit for air travel to and from your destinations on the date of the flight.
  –Your estimated date of delivery is after the date of your last flight.

• Southwest

  While flying doesn’t usually cause problems during pregnancy, in some cases, traveling by air has been known to cause complications or premature labor. If you’re pregnant, you should consult your physician before flying. We recommend against air travel beginning at the 38th week of pregnancy. Depending on physical condition, strength, and agility, you may, in some cases, be asked not to sit in the emergency exit row if pregnant.

• Spirit

  Women in their 8th month of pregnancy are urged to obtain an examination from her physician shortly before flying to confirm it is safe for them to travel.

• United

  If you’re seated in an exit row you may have to help us during an emergency. This would require you to lift things. If you’re not comfortable with this, we can move you to a different seat before takeoff.

One would think more airlines would say something about being pregnant in the exit row but…nope. That could be because your ability to do the things required to help in the event of an emergency are greatly based on self-assessment (i.e.: United’s wording above). Or it could simply be a reflection of our country’s obsession with suing when we feel we’ve been “wronged.”

What about other countries?

In other countries, being pregnant, or how pregnant a person is, may preclude someone from sitting in the exit row. That can be based on either on the laws of the country in question, or the airline (and, unofficially, sometimes the thoughts of the flight attendant working).

In some countries, such as the UK, pregnant people used to be barred from the exit row. But in more recent years, as long as they’re willing, fit and able to do what would be required of them in the event of an emergency that would require an exit row evacuation, they can sit there (as long as they don’t need a seat belt extender; that seems to be a universal caveat).

A couple of airlines have developed their own way to handle it. Pregnant people (and people of size) seated in exit rows are moved to a different seat during take off and landing (since those are the times when the plane is most likely go to into an emergency situation), and then they can go back afterwards.

Interestingly, the type of plane the pregnant passenger is on may also come into play. For example, in the Airbus A320 family of planes, the doors need to be physically detached and thrown. However, the Boeing B737 family has doors that open outwards and upwards automatically, thereby not requiring the passenger to have to lift.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary