Booking flights for both All-on-6 trips

Flights are the one part of an All-on-6 trip that you usually book and pay for yourself. They are also where the most avoidable stress comes from: a cheap non-refundable return that turns out to be a day too early, or a second trip booked months ahead that no longer fits the healing. Here is a calmer approach.

The basic rule: plan first, fly second

Nothing should be booked until you have a written plan and written dates from the clinic. A provisional plan made from an X-ray is enough to choose a week for the first trip; it is not enough to set the date of the second. The second trip depends on how your implants heal, and that is decided by the surgeon months later.

Trip one: what to book and when

Once your first-trip dates are confirmed in writing, book the outbound flight to arrive the day before your first appointment, or earlier if you are coming a long way to your departure airport. The return is the important part. Choose a fare that allows changes, or book the return separately, because the surgeon may want one more check before you fly, or you may simply feel better travelling a day later.

Trip two: wait for the green light

It is tempting to book the second trip straight away, especially when fares look cheap. Resist it. The interval between the trips is usually three to six months, but your own surgeon will only confirm the date once healing has been checked, often with photos or an X-ray taken at home. Our article on how long between the two trips explains what moves the date. In practice, most people book the second set of flights a few weeks before travelling.

If you want to keep an eye on prices, set a fare alert rather than buying. If you must book early for family reasons, buy a fare with free or cheap changes and read the conditions.

Choosing your flights

Antalya is served by direct flights from many UK airports, particularly between spring and autumn, with a flight time of roughly four hours from southern England. In the winter months there are fewer direct routes, and some patients fly via Istanbul. When you compare options, cost is only one factor:

• Time of day. After surgery, an early-morning or overnight flight is hard work. Daytime flights are kinder on the way home.
• Direct where possible. A connection adds walking, waiting and a second security check, and more chance of a missed flight.
• Your local airport. A slightly dearer flight from an airport near home may beat a long drive or train journey the day after surgery.
• Seat choice. An aisle seat makes it easier to stand and walk during the flight, which the NHS recommends on journeys of four hours or more to reduce the risk of blood clots.
• Luggage. You may want a small bag of soft food, cleaning aids and medicines in your hand luggage, so check the cabin bag allowance.

Flying after surgery

There is no single rule for how soon you can fly after implant surgery; your surgeon decides. What we can say is that most All-on-6 patients fly home a few days after surgery, once the stitches, bite and temporary teeth have been checked. A few practical points help:

• Drink water regularly and avoid alcohol on the flight.
• Get up and walk every hour or so, and flex your ankles when seated. Recent surgery and age over 60 are both on the NHS list of things that raise the risk of a blood clot. See blood clots and flying after surgery.
• Carry painkillers and any prescribed medicines in your hand luggage, in their original packaging.
• Pack soft snacks: yoghurt drinks, smoothies or soup in a flask, since airline food may be hard to eat.

Help at the airport

If walking long distances is difficult, you are entitled to free assistance at UK airports and from airlines. Request it when you book, or at least 48 hours before you fly. It can cover help through security, a wheelchair to the gate and priority boarding. See airport assistance for older patients.

Passports and paperwork

For each trip, check that your passport will have at least 150 days of validity from the date you arrive in Turkey and at least one blank page. GOV.UK says British citizen passport holders can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism or business, and that people entering for medical purposes should check the visa information. Read entry requirements for UK patients before each trip, as rules can change.

Insurance and the cost of changes

Ordinary travel insurance often excludes planned medical treatment and its complications. Tell your insurer that the trip includes dental surgery and ask exactly what is covered: cancellation if the clinic changes dates, medical problems unrelated to the treatment, and whether complications of the treatment are excluded. GOV.UK's guide to foreign travel insurance is a useful checklist. Keep receipts for any flight changes requested by the clinic in writing.

If a flight is delayed or cancelled

Tell the clinic straight away, by WhatsApp if you can, so that transfers and appointments can be moved. On flights departing from the UK, and on UK or EU airlines arriving in the UK, you may have rights to care and compensation for long delays and cancellations; the Civil Aviation Authority explains them. A delayed arrival on trip one usually just shifts the first appointment; a cancelled flight home after surgery is more of a worry, so keep your aftercare instructions and enough medicine for a couple of extra days in your hand luggage.

Booking for a companion

If someone is travelling with you, book their flights at the same time and on the same terms as yours, including a flexible return. Their help is most valuable on the journey home after surgery, so it is worth making sure you are on the same flight and seated together. Our article on travelling alone or with someone covers the rest.

A sample planning timeline

1. Week 0Written provisional plan received.
2. Weeks 1 to 4Talk to your GP and UK dentist; agree first-trip dates with the clinic in writing.
3. Weeks 2 to 6Book trip one: outbound fixed, return flexible. Request airport assistance if needed.
4. Trip oneTreatment; fly home when the surgeon is happy.
5. Months 3 to 5Healing checked by the clinic; second-trip date confirmed.
6. A few weeks beforeBook trip two, with a spare day before the flight home.

The cheapest flight is not always the cheapest trip

A non-refundable fare that has to be abandoned, an extra hotel night because a return was too early, or a rushed check before an early flight all cost more than a flexible ticket. Book late for trip two, book flexibly for both returns, and let the treatment set the timetable rather than the airline.

Common questions

When should I book my first flight to Turkey for All-on-6?

After the clinic has confirmed your treatment dates in writing. A changeable fare costs more, but the return date in particular can move if the surgeon wants to see you again before you fly.

Should I book both trips at the same time?

Usually not. The date of the second trip depends on how your implants heal, which nobody can know precisely in advance. Booking it early often leads to change fees.

How long after surgery can I fly home?

Your surgeon decides, based on your recovery. Most All-on-6 patients fly home a few days after surgery once stitches, bite and temporary teeth have been checked. Do not book a flight for the day of surgery or the day after.

Are there direct flights from the UK to Antalya?

Yes, from many UK airports, especially between spring and autumn. In winter there are fewer direct routes and some patients connect through Istanbul. Check current schedules when you book.

Is travel insurance needed for the flights?

Yes. Tell your insurer that the trip includes planned dental treatment and ask what is and is not covered. Standard policies often exclude planned treatment and its complications.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: Turkey entry requirements
2. GOV.UK: foreign travel insurance
3. NHS: deep vein thrombosis, prevention on long journeys
4. UK Civil Aviation Authority: accessible travel and special assistance

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.