Medical Travel Companions and Safety Assistants

Medical Travel Companions can help you arrange paid professional support tailored to your needs. 

Safety assistants are people who travel with you when you need help with safety instructions, communication, personal care, or emergency evacuation. In some situations, Air New Zealand may require you to travel with a safety assistant. 

We’ve partnered with Medical Travel Companions to help customers who may need extra medical support before, during or after their flight. 

Their medical professionals are highly skilled and for a fee, can offer a range of services, depending on what you need. 

Medical Travel Companions may be able to help with: 

• Support for pre-existing and non-emergency medical care  
• Company on your way to the airport, at your destination or throughout your journey  
• Professional support from a qualified companion, nurse, paramedic or doctor  
• Different packages tailored to your requirements  

Different packages are available depending on the support you need. 

Find a package to suit your needs

A safety assistant is someone who travels with you to help with safety, communication, mobility, or personal care during your journey. 

Air New Zealand may require you to travel with a safety assistant if: 

• You are travelling on a stretcher 
• You are unable to comprehend or respond appropriately to safety instructions from airline personnel 
• You are unable to establish a means of communicating with or responding to our cabin crew 
• You are unable to physically assist in your own evacuation from the aircraft in the event of an emergency 

Our crew are here to help; there are, however, some things they can't help with. 

You’ll need to travel with someone who can support you if you need help during the flight with: 

• Eating 
• Taking or administering medication 
• Toileting or personal care 

If you don’t need this level of assistance during your flight, you may be able to travel independently. If you can physically assist in your own evacuation in an emergency and feel confident doing so, you may also be able to travel without a safety assistant.

It is your responsibility to arrange travel for your safety assistant.  

A safety assistant must be at least 16 years old and physically and mentally able to provide the support you need. They may need to help transfer you to and from your seat, so they should have the physical strength and experience needed to do this safely. An assistant may also need to help with feeding, administering of medication, personal attention in the toilet, and with your Customs and Immigration clearance on International flights. For reasons of safety, assistants are required to be seated in the same cabin as the passenger. 

If you’re flying with a medical condition, you may also need to let us know before you travel or apply for medical clearance. 

Read about flying with medical conditions