A WOMAN who was asked by a Jetstar flight attendant to provide a medical certificate to fly because he wrongly thought she was pregnant says she was "absolutely humiliated" by the mistake.

Kelsey Hughes, 21, of Rangiora in New Zealand, says she was queuing to board her flight to Christchurch from Wellington when she was approached by the flight attendant after her ticket was scanned.

"He stopped and came over to me, holding up the whole queue, and said: Excuse me, ma'am, do you have a medical certificate to fly?'.

"I said: A medical certificate? No, why?', and he said: You need a medical certificate to fly with your pregnancy.'"

Shocked, Ms Hughes explained she wasn't expecting.

"He said: Oh. Really? Oops. Sorry!', then just turned around and walked away. He just brushed it off as though it was a simple mistake that anyone could make."

Ms Hughes told the Dominion Post she was "absolutely humiliated at the gate in front of god knows how many people".

Jetstar policy requires passengers who are more than 28 weeks' pregnant to carry a letter from a doctor or midwife declaring them fit to fly.

A Jetstar spokesman apologised for any embarrassment caused to Ms Hughes.

He said ground and cabin crew are expected to request a medical certificate "if they have reason to believe" a passenger was pregnant.

At 70kg, Ms Hughes said she doesn't resemble an expectant mother.

"I don't look eight weeks pregnant, let alone 28 weeks. I would have had to have been huge," she said.

Originally published as Jetstar sorry for pregnant faux-pas