Airlines and cpap

[sleepnasta]

Talk to me about traveling with my machine. Do I need a prescription to carry on? If I do will TSA want to put their dirty hands all over my equipment? is it better to just pack it in my luggage?

[WestCoastCdnGrl]

Good idea to take a travel letter... I have a copy of one in my bag... but I've never had to use it. All of the airport screeners are familiar with CPAP, so there's generally no call for them to open up the carry case to have a look... at least I've never run into any problems in the 3 years I've been sleeping with Darth Vader (this is travel between Canada and the US, Canada and the UK, and UK and France).

It might also be handy to get a luggage bag tag that states "Medical Equipment" on it and attach it to the bag. I printed one off myself on a piece of manilla tag (just have a look online for the exact wording to use) and had it laminated at the local Staples for about CAD 6$ + tax... I refused to pay for a pre-printed tag with the necessary wording that was more or less an ad for an online DME.

[Drowsy Dancer]

There's a bunch of information in this thread: viewtopic/t88573/Travelling-with-CPAP-f ... -time.html

There's a subpage on the TSA website about what they can and can't do. You can put your CPAP in a clear plastic bag during screening (you supply the bag). http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information ... -and-apaps

For purposes of the Air Carrier Access Act (google "ACAA") you are considered to have a "disability" and your CPAP is an assistive breathing device. It's a great idea to have your prescription with you but they're not "supposed" to be able to require you to show them your prescription.

Do not, for the love of all that is holy, check your CPAP machine. Carry it on, they can't charge you for it (at least on a domestic flight).

Using your machine onboard is a little more complicated than just carrying it on the plane.

[WestCoastCdnGrl]

You can take it as a piece of carry on luggage on international flights and it won't count against your carry on baggage allowance... I've flown from Vancouver to London and London to Dublin and have never had any problems with the screeners wanting to look at Darth Vader (I just tell them that it's a CPAP unit and I don't have to open the case) and the on board aircraft crew have never had any problem with it either (they've found room for it in the overhead bins for me on a couple of occasions on full flights).

But to repeat what Dozy has said... DO NOT check it in as a piece of checked baggage... Goodness Forbid that it get damaged or (even worse) mis directed to the other side of the Earth! It is a "free" piece of carry on baggage, so why not take full advantage? (this doesn't mean that you should load up the outside pockets with random stuff that doesn't fit into your other carry on bags - if it's CPAP related, then sure otherwise no... after all, the airlines are kind enough to give us this concession, so it'd be good if we not abuse this privilege).

ETA: If the screeners insist on opening up the case to have a look, you are within your rights to ask that they change their gloves before doing so. The equipment has to go onto your face, so it's not unreasonable for you to ask them to have clean hands when they're touching your equipment.

[greyhound]

Unless things have changed recently, when flying out of London (and perhaps other parts of the UK) you are only permitted one carry-on - and that includes your CPAP.

[ughwhatname]

[quote="WestCoastCdnGrl"]You can take it as a piece of carry on luggage on international flights and it won't count against your carry on baggage allowance... I've flown from Vancouver to London and London to Dublin and have never had any problems with the screeners wanting to look at Darth Vader (I just tell them that it's a CPAP unit and I don't have to open the case) and the on board aircraft crew have never had any problem with it either (they've found room for it in the overhead bins for me on a couple of occasions on full flights).

But to repeat what Dozy has said... DO NOT check it in as a piece of checked baggage... Goodness Forbid that it get damaged or (even worse) mis directed to the other side of the Earth! It is a "free" piece of carry on baggage, so why not take full advantage? (this doesn't mean that you should load up the outside pockets with random stuff that doesn't fit into your other carry on bags - if it's CPAP related, then sure otherwise no... after all, the airlines are kind enough to give us this concession, so it'd be good if we not abuse this privilege).

ETA: If the screeners insist on opening up the case to have a look, you are within your rights to ask that they change their gloves before doing so. The equipment has to go onto your face, so it's not unreasonable for you to ask them to have clean hands when they're touching your equipment.[/quote


I put my tube and mask in a gallon ziplock bag to keep grubby hands off them, however no one at TSA has ever opened my bag or even asked about it. I get stopped for my purse sometimes but never for cpap.

The only time I've been questioned about the extra carry on was with United, both flights. I just told them it was a medical device and said it didn't count as carry on. No further trouble.

[NateS]

Talk to me about traveling with my machine. Do I need a prescription to carry on? If I do will TSA want to put their dirty hands all over my equipment? is it better to just pack it in my luggage?

You have an S9. It comes with an air travel bag with a compartment for everything. Just came back from another airtrip and it is always the same routine with no problems. Just keep everything is separate ziplock bags when you insert the components into your air travel bag for sanitary reasons. They may ask you to pull the cpap and humidifier out of your bag but usually leave it in your see-through zip locks.

Don't put anything else in your cpap air travel bag except cpap components including masks, tubing etc.

Regards, Nate

[billbolton]

You can take it as a piece of carry on luggage on international flights and it won't count against your carry on baggage allowance

That only applies to international flights that originate or terminate in the US, otherwise the regulations that apply will be different depending on where you are in the world, and they may not exempt xPAP kit for being counted in normal carry-on item limits

Cheers,

Bill

[beautifuldreamer]

You can take it as a piece of carry on luggage on international flights and it won't count against your carry on baggage allowance

That only applies to international flights that originate or terminate in the US, otherwise the regulations that apply will be different depending on where you are in the world, and they may not exempt xPAP kit for being counted in normal carry-on item limits

Cheers,

Bill

I had no problem with flying with United, with the extra carry on bag with my cpap- but when I was transferring to another airline (Avianca), they seemed to not be as open to it, so I checked one of my carry on bags with them (not the one with the CPAP-

One thing I noticed, when I gave the airlines the advance notice I was bringing my CPAP, I was added to a disabled list, and was not allowed to check in online for my flights. Other than that, there was no problem with going through airport security. Nobody requested to inspect the CPAP, it just went through the scanning on the conveyor, and it was good to go.

[LaurieRenz]

I just came back from a trip yesterday. I had no problems bringing my machine either way. I threw a copy of my prescription in my bag just in case but I never needed it. I had my mask and hose in a ziplock bag in case they handled anything, which they didn't. I carried on a tote bag, my purse and my cpap and I never had a single issue.

[njbeast]

I have traveled on United many times with my CPAP. Unless you plan on using onboard the flight there is no need to give advance notice. Most TSA check points required the device be scanned seperately from the bag and many times it is wiped down for chemical/explosive residue. If you plan on using the device onboard then advance notification is needed if you are using a battery to power the device. The airlines would prefer you did not use their power connections but I do not know if anybody would stop you or would it screw up the machine. If using onboard, You can not check-in online. The check-in agent will check the device and battery paperwork to confirm it is a FAA approved device. I would let the flight attendants know that you plan to use it. Make sure they are OK with it. I had a FA freak out on me saying it was not permitted. Waking me up multiple times on a red eye flight. Had to provide all the paperwork I had (MD letter, device FAA approval, battery FAA approval, battery LI-ion content [there is a limit to the amount of grams of Lithium allowed]) which she brought to the Captain. She finally relented when she asked if it was possible I might die on the flight if I do not use it and I said It is slightly possible that I could die. It did not matter because she woke me up so many times to ask more questions that I did not get enough sleep anyway.

[araminta]

I travel by plane every few months. I've never had a problem EXCEPT on VIRGIN AIRLINES. The person checking tickets at the gate insisted that I count the cpap bag as regular carry on. Rather than continue arguing, and risk being refused entry on the plane, I gave my extra bag to my travel companion. The airline was not particularly apologetic or interested in any compensation.

United folks have always been extremely accomodating in terms of finding space in the overhead bin.

[islandboy5150]

I hate flying. It's such a PITA anymore. I'd rather drive, go by rail, cruise, or not go at all. Airlines and the illiterate security
goon squads can kiss the darkest part if my Lilly white arse. So, I don't need CPAP on a plane lol.

[glen4cindy]

I have ALWAYS and EVERY TIME I have flown had to open and unpack my CPAP machine, and allow the TSA to wipe it down for chemical/explosive residue. I've had to place it in it's own tub, and it's always been very inconvenient because with my last machine, I had a backpack that I packed, with the CPAP at the bottom, the mask and hose above, and several other things on top, and this only because it was convenient to do it this way.

Upon arriving at the airport, and getting in line, not only did I have to unpack all of this, but, I had to unpack my laptop too, and before my daughter was old enough, her too, and her stroller, and to top all this off, my wife has to go thru the airport in a wheelchair because she cannot walk long distances, so, all of this, all at the same time in the TSA check point, all because some idiot wants to light his shoe or his underwear on fire!

UGH!

[StuUnderPressure]

I have ALWAYS and EVERY TIME I have flown had to open and unpack my CPAP machine, and allow the TSA to wipe it down for chemical/explosive residue. I've had to place it in it's own tub, and it's always been very inconvenient because with my last machine, I had a backpack that I packed, with the CPAP at the bottom, the mask and hose above, and several other things on top, and this only because it was convenient to do it this way.UGH!

Don't you think your packing in itself makes you subject to this treatment.
Packing it at the bottom of the backpack with other things on top might suggest to TSA that you are trying to "hide" it.