American Airlines took my medical equipment bag

[Silver Pelt]

Sorry to hear about American Airline's rude and unprofessional behavior.

FWIW, in 35 years of flying I have had checked baggage lost 5 times.
All 5 were on American Airlines. Some things never change.

[Yoda]

Sorry to hear about American Airline's rude and unprofessional behavior.

FWIW, in 35 years of flying I have had checked baggage lost 5 times.
All 5 were on American Airlines. Some things never change.

Indeed. I have not flown American in a while. I prefer Southwest, but American flies into Orange County and I thought that would be easier for me than LAX. But, I won't make that mistake again....

Cecile

[whatrdreamsmadeof]

I am afraid at fir,st mention of not being able to carry on my CPAP machine, I would have opened the case it was in, proudly donned my full-face mask, connected the hose to the machine, put the shoulder strap on my shoulder, borded the plane explaining rather loudly not only couldn't I breathe, I'd be saying,"GEE THIS AIRLINE REALLY STINKS"!!!!
Never ever, am I going to part with my machine~
I hope you tell them just how much, pain and suffering you went through.... I see free flyer miles in your future Good Luck Ellen

[Paul56]

It was a regular rolling size bag and I only had that and a backpack.

Was the bag larger than what AA maximum allowance size is for a carry on?

[jdm2857]

It was smaller than the carry-on size limit. It is a small black bag designed for carry-on. It was also marked "medical equipment." The plane was just full and the gate agent decided not to allow any more rolling bags.... I objected, but it she did not want to hear about regs or customer service.

That's already been established.

[Bearded_One]

I side with the airlines on this; it sounds less than a medical equipment bag and more like a rolling carry-on bag that happens to contain some medical equipment.

[jdm2857]

Does the type of bag change the importance of the medical equipment?

[Yoda]

I side with the airlines on this; it sounds less than a medical equipment bag and more like a rolling carry-on bag that happens to contain some medical equipment.

The only things I had in that bag were my cpap unit, mask, chinstrap and humidifier, my laptop (which I took so I would not miss any data while I was gone) and my emergency prescription medications. I don't know what else you would call it. And I don't think it matters what kind of bag it is, as long as what is in it is medical equipment.

[araminta]

I think this situation reveals a terrible problem with the new system of charging fees for checking luggage.

As it stands, we now have a system of "first come first serve" to the very limited space for carry-on luggage.
While the airlines tacitly acknowledge the need to let people carry on medical equipment, they haven't considered how the heck those who really need to carry on medical equipment can be guaranteed access to the overhead bins or under the seat space for bags.

Please don't blame the passenger for the airline's failure to create a more reasonable system that is consonant with their own mandates.

[LinkC]

Does the type of bag change the importance of the medical equipment?

No, but the type of equipment does. A laptop is "medically necessary"??

So, lessee...if I can cram a week's worth of clothes into two carry-ons, then put a CPAP mask in one of them, I can tag it "Medical Equipment" and I'm home free!

[plr66]

I side with the airlines on this; it sounds less than a medical equipment bag and more like a rolling carry-on bag that happens to contain some medical equipment.

The only things I had in that bag were my cpap unit, mask, chinstrap and humidifier, my laptop (which I took so I would not miss any data while I was gone) and my emergency prescription medications. I don't know what else you would call it. And I don't think it matters what kind of bag it is, as long as what is in it is medical equipment.

I understand your frustration, Yoda, and fully agree that you should take this to the highest level possible with the airlines to register your complaint in a civil manner. I also agree with others here, that you need to carry a copy of the regs, so you can quickly and authoritatively present to a supervisor what the airlines should be doing if you have problems at the xray line.

That said, I do agree with BeardedOne and hope you can try to not be defensive about the fact that we need to behave in a manner to anticipate this potential problem and have an easy solution which will not require such gyrations. Learn what works and what will help us succeed in any given situation, rather than do what is most convenient to us and expect the outcome to meet our needs.

My own experience is that it is completely predictable that airlines DO run out of onboard room for all the junk that people lug with them. You can choose to argue with an agent and their supervisor in the boarding line, or you can be proactive to avoid a hassle. I have always recommended that folks carry their cpap bag (the original one supplied with your machine) separately, rather than to pack all your cpap equipment with their other travel-stuff to enable just one bag. 50% of the time, I'll bet you will have issues with this, and no other bag to divide things into for required stowage in the baggage underneath.

I actually have had no problem whatever with this system. The small cpap carrying case is non-threatening, well recognized by the agents, and can be seen to be easily stowed under the seat, and no problem. My small wheeled backpack is equally calculated to fit in any tiny plane's overhead bin, so there has just never been a question about anything having to go underneath. I have to say that despite all that, I still pack a light & small backpack inside the wheeled backpack, so that I can quickly pull out cabin-necessaries if the worst happens and the wheeled bag has to go underneath. It's just not any hassle at all, and I've covered all the contingencies.

[araminta]

I have always recommended that folks carry their cpap bag (the original one supplied with your machine)

At this point, my original cpap bag is useless. My necessary equipment no longer fits into the original cpap bag. I need to have an extension cord, a hose cover, an adapter, a single plug surge protector.

[goose]

It's just me, but I'd have insisted on chatting with a supervisor and if that didn't work, their supervisor. It also behooves you to know the airlines rules as well as the TSA rules so that you can argue from the "correct side".....(it might be wise to review the FAA regulations regarding "medical equipment" as well)......
Missed plane?? Ok... but they WILL pay for the inconvenience, refund my ticket price, fly me to the destination originally ticketed, put me up in a hotel/motel if a comparable flight wasn't available that day (and insist it be on ANY airline that had a flight to that destination)......It would cost them a whole lot to deny the medical equipment bag....

I would also have the names of all of those representatives that denied the "medical equipment" to be treated as such. The fact that there was "other items" in the bag is actually irrelevant, though my "medical bag" doesn't have any room in it for anything other than my machine, HH, hose and mask (and sometimes the mask doesn't fit well....I go without the HH!!!!
I have no sympathy for the airlines. I'll hassle them any chance they give me. Don't get me wrong, I don't go looking for trouble, but I pay my money and I expect the service to be commensurate with the $$$ they are raping me for the seat.
I would also follow up with a detailed letter to the "customer service" department, as well as the VP in charge of that department and if I really had a wild hair, the CEO would also learn my name - but if you go to that extent, be brief, factual, and let them know that their company will no longer be on your list and you will ensure that all of your friends, neighbors and acquaintances will know of the treatment their company provides their customers.....

I generally will fly Southwest because they are, by far, the best that I've found today (USA airline, not international -- There are international airlines that provide far superior service than ANY US airline. Singapore as an example.).....American is, by far, one of that absolute worst in the business today.....(Northworst is out of business I believe, or was absorbed by someone else).....

But again, Just me......
cheers
goose

[Paul56]

It was smaller than the carry-on size limit. It is a small black bag designed for carry-on. It was also marked "medical equipment." The plane was just full and the gate agent decided not to allow any more rolling bags.... I objected, but it she did not want to hear about regs or customer service.

That's already been established.

Good.

"The plane was just full" is not clear. It needed to be established if that meant all available seating was occupied -or- if that meant that the overhead bins were all full.

I would have explained that the items were a medical necessity.

Still no joy? Ask for a supervisor. Still no joy after that? Ask for a ruling by the Captain.

Do this all very politely and calmly. It may yield results.

[plr66]

I have always recommended that folks carry their cpap bag (the original one supplied with your machine)

At this point, my original cpap bag is useless. My necessary equipment no longer fits into the original cpap bag. I need to have an extension cord, a hose cover, an adapter, a single plug surge protector.

Me too. I carry all that stuff! But some of those items can be put in your other onboard pack since they don't need to be checked by the agent. Just put them in an appropriate plastic bag. No problem. The idea is to make life simple at the gate by pre-planning what needs to get checked separately, and to keep each of your 2 allowed items plus the small cpap bag small enough to not attract attention. I really encourage you to try this rather than find reasons to think it's not possible to work out.