flying in airplane with cpap

[Alsacienne]

As cabins are pressurised it will make no difference to your machine. And there is no reason why you should have to check your CPAP.

Always check with your airline well in advance of travel so that if you need to get manufacturer documentation you have time to do so. And even if you can't USE your machine in flight, don't let it get put into the hold .... it'll never survive the gentle movements of the baggage handlers in any country.

You could always ask that it be stored in the Cabin Services Director's 'office' during the flight to avoid your using it accidentally and for it to be sure of travelling with you.

I have never had any problems with AF, BA, LX, EZY, FR or Aegean. But you DO need to grasp the nettle and contact the airline yourself and be prepared to use independent battery power, as the usual reason given for refusal is that the xPAP will draw too much power from the aircraft's internal power system.

[Jade]

...while others are forced to check their CPAP machines because they don't pass the X-ray check...

I haven't see that posted here before. Is this anecdotal or do you have any stats?

[M.D.Hosehead]

it's sounds like getting through security screening with a
CPAP machine can actually be hit or miss. It's definitely not guaranteed.

Denver, it is guaranteed. DOT regulations don't allow the airline or TSA agents any choice about it. Follow this link to read the regs. They apply to all US airlines and to any foreign airline on flights that serve the US.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61778&p=579092#p578600

Alsacienne is right--never check your CPAP as baggage. When you get to your destination, it will probably be broken, and then what will you do?

[billbolton]

DOT regulations don't allow the airline....... any choice about it.

It is still not guaranteed.

The DOT regulations only effectively cover business as usual operational conditions. When operational conditions get significantly out of the reasonable bounds of business as usual, flight safety considerations which are pretty much arbitrated by the air crew on the spot, can prevail in terms of how much carry-on may be taken into the cabin of an aircraft, no matter what other directives may say.

IMO, for xPAP users, Plan A should always be to pack everything else beyond a single carry-on (and for me personally that means truly carry-on, not roll-on) bag that holds at least your CPAP kit, so that those other bags could go as checked baggage if the air crew decides that is necessary for flight safety in the prevailing conditions.

Cheers,

Bill

[Danskman]

As cabins are pressurised it will make no difference to your machine. And there is no reason why you should have to check your CPAP.

Always check with your airline well in advance of travel so that if you need to get manufacturer documentation you have time to do so. And even if you can't USE your machine in flight, don't let it get put into the hold .... it'll never survive the gentle movements of the baggage handlers in any country.

You could always ask that it be stored in the Cabin Services Director's 'office' during the flight to avoid your using it accidentally and for it to be sure of travelling with you.

I have never had any problems with AF, BA, LX, EZY, FR or Aegean. But you DO need to grasp the nettle and contact the airline yourself and be prepared to use independent battery power, as the usual reason given for refusal is that the xPAP will draw too much power from the aircraft's internal power system.

I have been travelling with my CPAP machine for the last month on several airlines but have not used it on board. It was surprising that I never had to take the machine out of the bag at security check points. This was in Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Russia and Latvia) and even Turkey. I have a long haul flight on Lufthansa coming up next week so I'll post my experiences when I get back.

[EricinNC]

Here are some good TSA jokes you can bring with you and show the TSA screener:

Grope discounts available.


Can't see London, can't see France, unless we see your underpants.


If we did our job any better, we'd have to buy you dinner first.


Only we know if Lady Gaga is really a lady.


Don't worry, my hands are still warm from the last guy.


Throw a few back at the airport Chili's and you won't even notice.


Wanna fly? Drop your fly.


We've handled more balls than Barney Frank.


We are now free to move about your pants.


We rub you the wrong way, so you can be on your way.


It's not a grope. It's a freedom pat.


When in doubt, we make you whip it out.


TSA: Touchin', Squeezin', Arrestin'


You were a virgin.


We handle more packages than the USPS.


The TSA isn't silly, they just want to inspect your willy.


Stroke of the hand, law of the land.


No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem.


Let your fingers do the Walking.


Cough.


Reach out and touch someone.


Can you feel me now?


When we're done with you, you'll need a cigarette.

[M.D.Hosehead]

It is still not guaranteed.

flight safety considerations which are pretty much arbitrated by the air crew on the spot, can prevail in terms of how much carry-on may be taken into the cabin of an aircraft, no matter what other directives may say.

We're both correct, Bill. DOT regulations don't allow the airline, as a matter of company policy, the option to exclude FAA-approved CPAPs.

When flight safety, is the issue, the pilot of a flight can disallow any parcel or person onto an airplane.

I think it would take a pretty unusual situation to make it reasonable to consider a CPAP machine a flight danger. But I agree, not impossible.

I was trying to inform denver, who seemed to think it's capricious whether CPAPs are allowed on flights.

And my Plan A is the same as yours.

[billbolton]

I think it would take a pretty unusual situation to make it reasonable to consider a CPAP machine a flight danger.

I think you are missing the point.

Flight crews can decide that an aircraft is already at maximum practial capacity (for the unusual circumstances at hand) at any point in time and simply arbitrarily restrict ANY carry-on, without considering in the slightest degree what it may contain, so its not a matter of a xPAP machine per se being a flight danger.

I can easily recall several places in the world just over recent weeks where airlines were operating in pretty unusual situations..... most of which could just as easily easily occur within the borders of the US. Storm, tempest, flood, earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, nuclear disaster, terrorism, political unrest, etc, etc can lead to large and unanticipated movements of distressed people by any means possible, which in turn may put huge strains on commercial airlines.

The concerns of an individual in terms of getting their xPAP machine transported in the aircraft cabin are easily lost in such circumstances. No one plans for this sort of thing to happen, but none the less is does happen from time to time all around the world.

Cheers,

Bill

[Sleepy62]

Transcend travel CPAP from Somnetics LLC runs off from at battery pack that would last 6 to 8 hours & its FAA certified to be used on flight. I do not need to be dependant on the airplane power supply.