International travel is battery required for cpap use

I am flying internationally with Emirates, and they require use of battery when using cpap on board. I do not want to buy and then carry a battery with me. Do other airlines require this or do they allow you to use a power outlet? I am thinking of trying to cancel my ticket and would appreciate knowing other peoples' experience.

I flew Emirates L.A. > Dubai > Delhi and back last December and the stewardess never even looked at the machine. I think it is a CYA thing in case you cannot get power and die. Just get the required form and have your doctor sign it and keep it with you.

I have made several overseas flights with my CPAP My own experience has been that I got along quite well without using CPAP while in flight am sure I dozed off occasionally but that was no problem. At best, sleep on an airplane is not very satisfying. I think that carrying a battery and attempting to use CPAP in flight is too much hassle, and the Lithium battery supply is quite expensive for just an air flight.

I do suggest getting Plug Adapters and an ordinary US extension cord to assure getting power to the machine after arrival. Virtually all CPAPs manufactured in the last fifteen years or so are universal voltage and operate safely on either 120 or 240 Volt ac. but most foreign countries have different wall outlets than we use in America. I have used CPAP in quite a number of overseas countries without problem. Somewhere on your machine, and in the owners manual the acceptable power is specified.

TheDuke

I would suggest you re-book on an airline/class that will provide in-flight power.
Otherwise, wear a T-shirt that warns fellow passengers that you SNORE and may
STOP BREATHING if denied the use of your cpap.

chunkyfrog wrote:I would suggest you re-book on an airline/class that will provide in-flight power.
Otherwise, wear a T-shirt that warns fellow passengers that you SNORE and may
STOP BREATHING if denied the use of your cpap.

Make sure the "T" Shirt isn't Spandex! Jim

I usually don't sleep when I fly- I just stay up then sleep when It's appropriate when I get to my destination. I don't have to worry about jet-lag that way. Besides "For me" I have delayed sleep onset syndrome so I don't usually get jet-lag anyway. I'm kind of anoying that way... I just get tired during parts of the day that I wish I was more awake for but have learned to live with it.

The one time I tried to use my CPAP on a flight it didn't work so well for me. I was rather exited to find I had power at my seat.
Partly my fault I guess - I did tell the airline but didn't tell the flight crew. One of the passengers saw me and freaked out. I can only imagine what they must have been thinking... Don't know what the big deal was but I had like 3 different people asking me about my machine and if it used oxygen and all this crap. Wound me up so much that I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to so I put my cpap back in it's bag and stayed awake like I have all the times before.

I'd go prepared to just stay awake. If you happen to find you have power at the seat then great. Go find a flight crew member (preferably one in your zone ) and give them the gold tour of your cpap machine and how it works... so hopefully if any one reacts stupidly they'll head it off at the pass and you can sleep soundly with out having to deal with annoying or dumb situations.

Wish you the best of luck on your travels.

"I'd go prepared to just stay awake. If you happen to find you have power at the seat then great. Go find a flight crew member (preferably one in your zone ) and give them the gold tour of your cpap machine and how it works..."

Emirates flight from SF will probably be 15-16 hours. Just use the machine. I have never been questioned on using it while flying.

ahhhh well I'm used to doing overnights from the US to Europe or the UK - 8 or 9 hours... So for a 16 hour flight... OK ignore my stay awake advice - I mean I could do it but not for everyone.

For a flight like that I'd make sure they knew about it and could accommodate a seat with power. Then I'd use my machine. Just be sure and tell a flight crew member what's going on to avoid annoying situations. This is just from first hand experience. Before you pull out all the hardware and hose up make sure someone with authority over the passengers knows what your doing and can step in when or if the dumb questions start. Who knows you might be putting on your special breathing machine to stay awake when the bad guys gas the plane. Like I said from the looks on the other passengers face you would have thought I was a terrorist but the flight crew was just worried I had managed to seek on oxygen bottles with out approval. Overall it was a very annoying experience I wouldn't wish on anyone else.

I would cancel and fly with someone else. I've just come back from a trip to the UK. Going over, I had no issues (and slept well) but coming back I was asked to disconnect the machine despite my protestations that this was bad for my health. I won't use Emirates again. Qantas are very happy to let me use my machine.

Holden4th wrote:I would cancel and fly with someone else. I've just come back from a trip to the UK. Going over, I had no issues (and slept well) but coming back I was asked to disconnect the machine despite my protestations that this was bad for my health. I won't use Emirates again. Qantas are very happy to let me use my machine.

Did you fly economy or business class, on the portion of the flight where you"slept well"?

hobbs wrote:"I'd go prepared to just stay awake. If you happen to find you have power at the seat then great. Go find a flight crew member (preferably one in your zone ) and give them the gold tour of your cpap machine and how it works..."

Emirates flight from SF will probably be 15-16 hours. Just use the machine. I have never been questioned on using it while flying.

I am not going to stay awake for 16 hours- I would be a physical and mental wreck

if you read a later post , from a person who lives in Australia, who was prevented from using their cpap on the return trip on Emirates, it is very unpredictable whether your flight attendant will be a stickler for rule enforcement.

I want to avoid paying the $400 cancellation fee, any knowledgeable folk have experience with getting a waiver ?

Gryphon wrote:ahhhh well I'm used to doing overnights from the US to Europe or the UK - 8 or 9 hours... So for a 16 hour flight... OK ignore my stay awake advice - I mean I could do it but not for everyone.

I'm with you - I just stay awake. Last time I flew to the states I worked a half day at the office, drove a couple of hours to the airport (to arrive three hours before the flight), spent just over 16 hours on the plane, a couple of hours layover, then a connecting flight, and off to the hotel, a quick shower then out for dinner with the colleagues hosting us. I thought I'd be shattered after being awake for nearly 48 hours, but I was fine. Had a good sleep that night and that was that. The best time on the plane is when everyone else is fast asleep, you can get up and walk around as much as you like.

As you say though, it's not for everyone...

Slats wrote:

Holden4th wrote:I would cancel and fly with someone else. I've just come back from a trip to the UK. Going over, I had no issues (and slept well) but coming back I was asked to disconnect the machine despite my protestations that this was bad for my health. I won't use Emirates again. Qantas are very happy to let me use my machine.

Did you fly economy or business class, on the portion of the flight where you"slept well"?

Business class A380. The term slept well is relative to the fact that this is a flight and not a normal bed. I reckon I got about 6.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Connecting anything into an existing circuit on any aircraft the chain of decision making is Airline Policy which is enforced by the the pilot and crew.
However, the Pilot (and crew) has/ have the final say and responsibility for the safety of the equipment and the passengers.

Meaning, even if the airline policy allows for certain things - the crew (mainly the pilot) can make any changes they deem necessary for the safety of all involved.

I guess one could file a complaint with the airline with enuff details (names, dates, times, flt #, etc) that will allow the airline to research the situation in detail if they want to. It could be they have had complaints about specific employees before and this could be the straw that makes the changes needed.

The same applies when filing complaints about DME's and/or employees.