It would be unwise to check it with the rest of your luggage. It's an expensive piece of equipment; what if it gets stolen, lost, or broken? You'll arrive at your destination and then what?ractar28 wrote:Wow... just wow. We're suddenly "disabled" because we have a prescription for a CPAP? An "assistive device" could reasonably be interpreted to mean a device assisting with mobility such as a walker, wheelchair, walking cane, etc. If it were a flight where sleep was reasonably expected (long flight, not a 2 hour one), then I can see it too. But when push comes to shove, if we're going to sit around and whine "poor me, I'm disabled", then I can see why folks would make fun of us. And to even consider a CPAP as a "respirator" or ventilator, well, I'm just calling BS. FURTHERMORE, I believe it's a very fair argument that unless you have a method of powering the device (such as a battery), then calling it an "assistive device" when you can't even USE it on-board the plane is disingenuous.
I think you're in a bit of denial. Disability is defined as the lack of ability relative to a personal or group standard or norm. It can involve physical, sensory, cognitive or intellectual impairment, mental disorder or chronic disease. Sleep apnea is a disability in that it results in physical and cognitive impairment if not treated. Without CPAP most people with sleep apnea spend their days in a mental fog, and often with chronic fatigue.
You don't think that's a disability?