Traveling with a CPAP

Hello,

I am preparing to travel for the 1st time since I starting using my CPAP, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I will be flying to San Juan from Indiana for a cruise, and I am concerned on how I should transport my CPAP.

Is it better to take it as a carry on, or would I be better packing it in a hard side luggage? Obviously security screeners concern me, but so does my baggage ending up missing because some machine thinks its got a bomb or something stupid in it.

Also, I know I will have to go through customs as well. Am I worrying about nothing, or should I be generally concerned?

Thanks

carry on - always carry on. It is medical so you are allowed an extra carryon. The TSA has seen them add nauseum - most off them don't even bother with them.

The search box is your friend. Look up and to the left - there must be a 1000 threads on the subject.

I've traveled a LOT within the US with my CPAP, mostly from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Las Vegas, Nevada and Florida.

Mostly likely, if you pack it in your checked luggage, it will be completely ignored. However, there is no way I would subject my CPAP to possible rough handling, loss, or theft by checking it - bad idea.

In my experience, it has been a hassle to go throught the security checkpoint with it. But I have not flown in over a year so I don't know about now.

Every time I go through the security check point, they put it through the x-ray, and they make you take it out of it's carry case and put it in a plastic bin to do it. Then they pull you out of line, and they do an explosives test on it. To do that, they put some kind of liquid on a piece of cloth, rub the cloth patch on your CPAP, and then they put the cloth patch in some kind of sniffer / analyser to check for explosives.

In my experience, it's been a pain in the a** and made me want to fly a LOT less.

Lee B.

I too will be traveling for the first time with a CPAP machine. My manual specifically says only to bring it on as carry-on luggage. As mentioned, this is in addition to your regular carry-on. I plan to print out the airlines page regarding medical equipment to prove it at the check-in counter if need be.

Also, because of this forum, I've added an extension cord to my carrying case. You never know where the outlet is going to be. I *may* even add an electrical outlet light bulb socket to my case.

Good Luck and enjoy the cruise....Your are concerned about nothing!!

Your CPAP is a Medical device...((CARRY ON)) On the airplane AND ((CARRY ON)) the ship...keep it with you at all times, except to have TSA run thru the scanner. As Spinner said,. they have now seen CPAPs (double ad nauseum).by the thousands.

On the Cruise suggestions>> take along a short (6ft) extension cord.(just in case) If you use/take the humidifier( I don't know why you would want one in the Caribbean) and want distilled water.. Your porter will bring you a gallon if you request. The housekeeping staff will keep their "hands off" of your CPAP. THey have seen thousands by now also.

Thanks everyone for your information. I guess carryon it is. I noticed that CPAP has a medical luggage tag available...do most use this or other options?

There is no need to worry about traveling with Cpap. Carry it on. I recently traveled to New Jersey from Florida, but the Cpap case in the tray, it went through screening with no question asked. Coming home the same procedure. I have a folding step stool which I packed in my luggage. Use the stool to place my Cpap on since the hose should be lowed then your mask to prevent
condensation. In the cabins the little night table is usually level with the bed. I have been cruising since 1993, 2-4 times a year.
It's wonderful. Enjoy your cruise.

Runcy12 wrote:Thanks everyone for your information. I guess carryon it is. I noticed that CPAP has a medical luggage tag available...do most use this or other options?

No medical tag is required but certainly you can add whatever you choose. A name tag is a MUST.

Besides the ext. cord I also carry both 1to3 and a 2to6 outlet adapters along with a power strip. Bring a copy of your prescription but don't put it with the machine. IF your machine should get lost or stolen you will need a script, so keep it with your tickets, money, or other important papers. A script is also helpful should you either forget something or damage/break any of your needed parts. Even a national chain DME won't have access to your records when you are in another part of the country/world.

I like to travel with a spare machine. Make a packing list for yourself. And be sure to empty your water chamber before packing or you could damage your machine.

IF you also take meds they can be packed with your cpap. I got a carry-on sized bag w/wheels to pack my cpap and meds for carry-on. They never leave me. A couple bungy cords to strap my laptop to my wheeled bag and I'm off.

HTH

I have been traveling with a CPAP all this year. Go to TSP rules and print a copy of the rules covering CPAPs. Carry the rules with you. I learned that if I put my CPAP in a large Zip Lock or a zipper bag (like drapes are packaged in), they won't bother to open the bag. Just take the CPAP (in the zip bag) and set it on top of the carrying case and they don't give me any problem. Before They would throw it across the counter onto another counter and jerk the top open. Bang it around some and throw it back at me. I underlined the paragraph in the rules that state that a CPAP is medical equipment and does not count as a regular carry on bag.