Using CPAP on board airline - battery

[Apapman]

Hello all,
FYI: traveling on Qatar Airlines this April and upon making reservations I gave them a “heads up” regarding bringing a CPAP on board and possibly using it in business class.
Next thing is a receive an email stating the following:

Thank you for contacting Qatar Airways.

We will like to inform you that Qatar Airways will require to a passenger travelling with a Continuous positive airway pressure CPAP machine to carry a medical certificate issued by the passenger treating Doctor indicating that your condition is stable and you are fit to travel on the applicable journey.

Adequate number of batteries to power the device for not less than 150% of the expected flight duration (this information should be included in the physician’s statement / medical certificate); Qatar Airways may refuse a passenger on board a flight if the conditions for acceptance of a medical portable electronic device are not in compliance.

Assistive devices do not count towards your baggage allowance.

The “may refuse a passenger on board a flight” statement is troublesome and thought some travelers might want to know Qatar’s rules. Have researched this topic on this site and Determined it is better to just buy a battery than try to use my Resmed S10 via airline plug. So my question now is are there any recommendations regarding which one to buy (if it is allowed on this site). It seems they run the gamut from $249.00 to $719.00 for my Resmed S10 Airsense. My reason for asking is because the reviews are all over the place from lasting 2hrs to 2 days. Also it appears the one made by Resmed carries a hefty Premium that I wonder is worth the expense. Any help and/or advice from travelers using a battery powered CPAP on board would be greatly appreciated. BTW since I am retired and only traveling international a few times a year I have decided that a travel air-mini would not be necessary. Have been using my CPAP for over 10 years now and find it difficult getting a great nights sleep without it. Thanks

[CapnLoki]

Several years ago I flew to Europe on IcelandAir and called to ask about the baggage allowance of the cpap. I had no intention of using it during the flight, but they took this to mean that I was a was a health risk, liable to drop dead at any moment. My tickets were flagged as a health risk and I was called out at every chance, I couldn't check in via the machines, I got paged at the gates, the attendents checked to make sure I was still alive, and in general it made the travel a real annoyance. After that, I never told an airline I had a cpap.

[billbolton]

Have researched this topic on this site and Determined it is better to just buy a battery than try to use my Resmed S10 via airline plug.

Some airlines will let you use an at-seat power outlet for a xPAP device, while other wont. Even the ones that let you use at-seat power, will not guarantee that it will actually be available on any particular flight.

So my question now is are there any recommendations regarding which one to buy (if it is allowed on this site).

I'm using a Medistrom Pilot 24 and have been very happy with it

It will work with an AIrsense 10 as long as you do not use the humidifier.

[Apapman]

Several years ago I flew to Europe on IcelandAir and called to ask about the baggage allowance of the cpap. I had no intention of using it during the flight, but they took this to mean that I was a was a health risk, liable to drop dead at any moment. My tickets were flagged as a health risk and I was called out at every chance, I couldn't check in via the machines, I got paged at the gates, the attendents checked to make sure I was still alive, and in general it made the travel a real annoyance. After that, I never told an airline I had a cpap.

Thanks for sharing as it seems I may have screwed up by notifying Qatar of the CPAP. Methinks I could be getting the same treatment. Just in case, my Doc is giving me a letter stating that I am “stabile” to travel without my CPAP. I really hope this doesn’t escalate to the point of denying me boarding as that could turn into a travel nightmare. We are flying to Bali to catch a cruise to Singapore.

[Apapman]

Have researched this topic on this site and Determined it is better to just buy a battery than try to use my Resmed S10 via airline plug.

Some airlines will let you use an at-seat power outlet for a xPAP device, while other wont. Even the ones that let you use at-seat power, will not guarantee that it will actually be available on any particular flight.

So my question now is are there any recommendations regarding which one to buy (if it is allowed on this site).

I'm using a Medistrom Pilot 24 and have been very happy with it

It will work with an AIrsense 10 as long as you do not use the humidifier.

My wife is helping me research and the Pilot 24 seems reasonable. Is it FAA or IATA approved? Just wonder what features make the Resmed Power Station II so expensive other than it states it is approved for air travel?

[chunkyfrog]

Because it's ResMed.

[Apapman]

Because it's ResMed.

I was assuming that but wanted to make sure. They also recommend using a DC/DC converter for the most efficient use that runs about $90. It supposedly gives up to 13 hours of use which seems better than the non-Resmed battery. However, the cheaper batteries already include come with a converter. So far Resmed battery and converter run about $800USD and the others are around $300USD. Seems like a no brainer if they are the same technology but that is exactly what I am trying to find our. Right now the Pilot 24 is in the lead with a recommendation.

[chunkyfrog]

Whatever Loki says--that.

[palerider]

So far Resmed battery and converter run about $800USD

The resmed battery doesn't need a converter.

That doesn't make up for it's outrageous price tag though.

[Apapman]

So far Resmed battery and converter run about $800USD

The resmed battery doesn't need a converter.

That doesn't make up for it's outrageous price tag though.

It seems that ion batteries below 100Wh are allowed on board only in carry on bags. So the Resmed at 90Wh is approved. I found a Freedom battery that is 97.68Wh that also complies. However, it’s price of $314USD + converter $65USD make it a better deal and it has a USB port for recharging phones which the Resmed does not. So comparing $800Usd versus $379Usd I would think that is the way to go.

[billbolton]

Is it FAA or IATA approved?

It is FAA compliant. Neither FAA or IATA explicitly approves battery packs

There is a general IATA requirement (see IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for lithium batteries) that the maximum battery pack capacity for cabin baggage is less-than 100Wh capacity. The Medistrom Pilot 24 satisfies that requirement as it has a 98Wh capacity.

Just wonder what features make the Resmed Power Station II so expensive other than it states it is approved for air travel?

For your own direct personal use you can choose whatever power source you want, but for specific, direct medically supervised use, the provenance of the power source is quite important from a professional liability management point of view. If a clinical organisation needs that provenance, the Resmed pack can provide it.

[tuum]

I have the Medistrom Pilot 24 lite which I recently used on a flight from Singapore to Sydney with my Resmed AirSense 10, with humidifier turned off and machine in airplane mode. Overall I am pretty happy with the battery, which I was able to fit nicely in my CPAP bag. Being in business class with a fully flat bed on Singapore Airlines, I had no issues using the CPAP and battery.
The reason why I bought this particular battery is that it is cheaper than the Resmed equivalent, and I liked the idea of being able to use the battery as a permanent power backup (for normal usage at home it can plug in between your power supply and AirSense and will kick in if you have a power failure). I believe the "lite" version of the battery is the newer version which is slightly lighter than the original Medistrom Pilot 24. In my opinion the premium price of the genuine Resmed battery is not worth it, I'd recommend the Medistrom Pilot 24 lite to others.

[Apapman]

I have the Medistrom Pilot 24 lite which I recently used on a flight from Singapore to Sydney with my Resmed AirSense 10, with humidifier turned off and machine in airplane mode. Overall I am pretty happy with the battery, which I was able to fit nicely in my CPAP bag. Being in business class with a fully flat bed on Singapore Airlines, I had no issues using the CPAP and battery.
The reason why I bought this particular battery is that it is cheaper than the Resmed equivalent, and I liked the idea of being able to use the battery as a permanent power backup (for normal usage at home it can plug in between your power supply and AirSense and will kick in if you have a power failure). I believe the "lite" version of the battery is the newer version which is slightly lighter than the original Medistrom Pilot 24. In my opinion the premium price of the genuine Resmed battery is not worth it, I'd recommend the Medistrom Pilot 24 lite to others.

How many hours were you able to use it on the flight? What converter did you use or did it come with the correct one for Airsense 10? Did you have to get any special permission from SQ or provide any letters? Grateful for your kind consideration to this matter as it is what I was looking for when I posted this - someone who “actually” used a battery with their Airsense 10 on a flight in business class. Also noted it was your first post also. Thanks

[Apapman]

Is it FAA or IATA approved?

It is FAA compliant. Neither FAA or IATA explicitly approves battery packs

There is a general IATA requirement (see IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for lithium batteries) that the maximum battery pack capacity for cabin baggage is less-than 100Wh capacity. The Medistrom Pilot 24 satisfies that requirement as it has a 98Wh capacity.

Just wonder what features make the Resmed Power Station II so expensive other than it states it is approved for air travel?

For your own direct personal use you can choose whatever power source you want, but for specific, direct medically supervised use, the provenance of the power source is quite important from a professional liability management point of view. If a clinical organisation needs that provenance, the Resmed pack can provide it.

Thank you for your informative reply. Had no idea that the 24volt version of the Pilot 24 was made for Resmed 24 volt machines like my Airsense 10. Also did not know Medistrom was such a respected supplier of CPAP batteries.

[tuum]

How many hours were you able to use it on the flight?

I managed to get 4hours 15mins, which I was pretty happy with.

What converter did you use or did it come with the correct one for Airsense 10?

No converter required, the medistrom pilot 24 lite battery comes with correct cable for AirSense 10.

Did you have to get any special permission from SQ or provide any letters?

No special permission required on Singapore Airlines. I did get a letter from my doctor just in case, but didn't need it.

From Singapore Airline's website:
"continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines
You don’t need approval to use these devices on board our flights. However, we may not be able to provide inflight power supply on all your flights with us."

I had no problems using it on board with the battery. Had one hostess ask what the machine was, I told her it was a CPAP for sleep apena, and she seemed happy with that answer and didn't bother me after that.

Note that different airlines have different policies regarding CPAP machines, so it would be worth checking with your airline.

Grateful for your kind consideration to this matter as it is what I was looking for when I posted this - someone who “actually” used a battery with their Airsense 10 on a flight in business class. Also noted it was your first post also. Thanks

Happy to answer any other questions and share my experiences. Only been diagnosed for 12 months, but I've learnt a lot in that time and found some of the posts on this forum very informative.

On a sidenote, my AHI was very high for those 4 hours on the plane, 34.82 when I'm normally less than 2 most nights. Looking at the data in SleepyHead, almost all of that was CA, only one Obstructive and one Hypopnoea during that time. I've since done some reading and found out that altitude can increase CA events. That said, the machine seems to have done it's job due to the low number of obstructive and hypopnoea events, so I'd definitely use it again on my next overnight flight.