Travel Woes

[JimIllinois]

Sometimes you just can't win. I travel several times a year for work. I take my M-series machine, sans humidifier, packed in a roller bag with my clothes. It normally fits in the overhead, unless the plane is tiny.

So, last week I travel from the Chicago area to Fresno, CA. I take the cpap off of the humidifier base, pack all the other goodies, and go. When I unpack that night, I realize I've forgotten the little hose adaptor used when there is no humidifier. ACK! My wife ships it out, but I am without cpap for two nights. Makes me wonder if the person in the next hotel room got any sleep...

I get the missing piece in time for night three, and for the last two nights of my trip I can breath.

Pack up, head to the airport, but I get to the plane late (my shuttle was late), and all of the overhead space is full. I have to check my bag. Off it goes. I get to Chicago-O'Hare, and no bag. I check with the girl at the customer service desk, she says my bag is there and has gone around the turn-style 4 times already (apparently they scan the bag-tag as it goes around). Further checking confirms that the gate agent switched bag tags. My tag was on a bag on the turn-style belonging to a lady who lives in Indianapolis. Her tag was on my bag. In Indianapolis. ACK! Another night with no cpap...

I am waiting for United to deliver the bag, which was supposed to come back to Chicago this morning.

Sometimes you can't win. Or sleep.

[araminta]

What a drag.

Unfortunately, you've now fed my already high anxiety about getting to the airport early so to be sure to get on board early so to be sure to get my cpap on with me.

[MoneyGal]

I will not risk being separated from my machine. Last time I flew (last week), I was the first to board both coming and going. I approached the gate, said I was travelling with lifesaving medical equipment from which I could not be separated. Good thing, too; the return flight was massively overloaded and they ended up leaving behind a whole whack of bags.

[millich]

Rotten luck, Jim. And an important lesson for the rest of us. I hope you get your bag soon!

[jweeks]

Hi,

Like MoneyGal says, don't ever allow yourself to be separated from your CPAP machine. Get one of the red medical equipment tags. Ask your doctor for a travel letter. In the US, CPAP doesn't count as a carry on, so you can take it into the cabin. If they try to prevent you, stress that it has to ride in the cabin or you risk knocking it out of calibration (not sure it that is true, but it sure sounds good). If the overhead bins are full, put it on the floor in front of your feet. Again, that should be allowed on all US flights.

-john-

[TheDreamer]

I guess that's a vote for keeping machine separate from other stuff.

I was kind of in the situation...no room overhead to put my rollerbag, but since I had my machine in separate bag...I hung on to that and let them find somewhere else to put my rollerbag....Even though it had my computer in it, along with other 'essentials'. The hard part about that same flight was fighting to keep my assigned seat. The flight attendant wanted to move me to a front seat (so that there would be no seat in front to stow my bag under) so that two people (doctors) could sit next to each other....

That has been my first and only trip with CPAP so far....so the thought of simplifying my carry on had crossed my mind. May rethink it. Wouldn't want to get to hotel....where machine was separate...but all the other CPAP bits were in the bag that didn't make it. (thinking is that the machine is the piece that requires the secondary screening...no need to expose all the other stuff to the TSA)

The Dreamer.

[billbolton]

If the overhead bins are full, put it on the floor in front of your feet. Again, that should be allowed on all US flights.

As the story here amply illustrates, what should be allowed might be is fine for arguing after the event, but it it does not necessarily reflect what actually happens when the in-cabin storage space is exhausted.

Cheers,

Bill

[LinkC]

Rule 1: Always pack everything needed for xPAP in a separate carry-on bag, clearly marked as medical equipment. (One caveat: If you have ANY item in that bag that is NOT medical equipment or supplies, that bag is no longer exempt from counting as a carry-on.)

Rule 2: Arrive at the gate early and tell the first agent you see that you have essential medical equipment and request early boarding (I've yet to be refused! One time they let me board when the flight attendants did...)

[sheldons65]

I travel with my CPAP in it's original, separate travel bag. One is asking for problems packing it along with luggage.

[Slinky]

Not being a fan of the hassle of flying unless more than a 24 hour drive away I have to ask: aren't you allowed to stow your "carry-on" luggage under your seat? They allow, or used to allow, SMALL pets (cats, dogs) that could comfortably ride in a carrier/kennel small enough to fit under the seat.

[cflame1]

Slinky,
If you sit in the "bulkhead" rows, there is no seat to put anything under as the seat that you're sitting in, it's under is for the row behind you, and there aren't any seats in front of you.

[JimIllinois]

I did get my bag delivered yesterday, followed by an email awarding me 7000 flyer miles as "compensation." And, slept like a rock last night - no damage to the machine. Actually, I overslept, and enjoyed every extra minute.

I agree, the lesson is to not let the cpap out of my sight. While I was the final boarding passenger, there was still time to reach in and grab the cpap out of the bag. I travel using a spare mask and hose, so I only needed to worry about the machine itself. Lesson learned.

When traveling with no laptop computer, I do use the bag that came with the machine as my second carry-on. I haven't tried to get on with three bags (clothes, laptop, and cpap) to see if they give me a hard time.

I couldn't avoid being late, since I flew in on a connecting shuttle. It was late, so I was late. I do try to arrive early, and I try to reserve a seat in the rear half, since the front overheads fill up first.

Slinky, yes you are supposed to put your smaller bag under the seat in front of you, but I have long legs and it's uncomfortable. I can usually get away with putting it overhead, if I get into the plane in time.

Thanks to all for the comments.

[Slinky]

Thanks for clarifying, Jim. As I said, I'm not a fan of the hassle of flying unless more than a 24 hour drive. The last 3 times hubby flew from MI to ME his flight was long delayed or re-routed.

The last two times I flew, once from MI to CA our flight was delayed over an hour due to air conditioning problems, we taxied back and forth from the gate twice, we stewed in the heat, we missed our connecting flight having only 10 minutes to get from one gate at one end of United's many gates to the farthest gate at the other end of the O'Hare United terminal (my dog made it, I didn't), hassle getting the dog released 'cause the freight section was closed at our destination airport when I got there even tho she was flown as excess baggage, and the other flight, diverted due to weather, shuttled due to weather, flew over our destination due to weather to another airport, etc., etc. Since we fly so seldom I figure it must be HELL for those who HAVE to fly on a regular basis!!!!!

The last time my son flew is a source of amusement and laughter now - but it sure as heck wasn't at the time. He covered half the eastern seaboard trying to get from MI to GA, and NOT from his choice by ANY stretch of the imagination!! He was ill and the airline took good care of him - CONSIDERING - but it was NOT an experience any of us care to go thru again.

We figure that there has to be a CURSE on this family and flying considering our experiences for the little flying we've done.

I remember coming back from Atlanta, GA w/a change over in Cleveland. I was amazed at the commuter prop job we flew the rest of the way in!!!! The last time I'd flown in a prop job that small was when my cousin worked for Capital airlines (which was bought up by North Central which was bought up by United if I remember correctly) and we would fly from Traverse City, Michigan to Chicago. That would have been back in the early 50s!!!!! It was fascinating tho to be able to watch the scenery on the ground all the way home. Hadn't been able to do that from a plane in YEARS!!! Much of the Detroit area looks like a kennel for humans from that level! I'd be willing to bet Chicago and suburbs do too!

[araminta]

I just completed a business trip with 4 flights on 2 different airlines, in U.S. and Canada.

Kept my cpap stuff in a small day pack/camera bag. And carried it on as a 3rd piece of luggage including: my rollie, my personal bag + my cpap bag. Only one airline attendant asked about the 3rd bag, and when I showed the medical tag, they didn't as much as blink and just let me proceed.

It ain't a problem in N. America. They understand the need to carry on medical devices. I suggest simply keeping a separate bag for cpap stuff.

[bearded_two]

It is always a good idea to carry your CPAP in a bag by itself; it the flight is full, large bags will get checked. If you are carrying your CPAP in its own bag; it is small, easy to stow, and you can claim that it is medical equipment. You cannot claim that it is a medical equipment bag If your CPAP is packed in a large bag with other things.

It is also a good idea to have a second CPAP that is used for travel and as a backup.