Flying - Carry On or Checked

Other than the fear of theft, is there any reason not to put my CPAP into my checked baggage?

Popi wrote:Other than the fear of theft, is there any reason not to put my CPAP into my checked baggage?

Fear of loss, fear of damage, to name two other good reasons NOT to check your equipment. Most airlines (in the U.S., anyway) don't count medical equipment against your carry-on luggage allowance.

What she added.

Yep, what she said. I have only flown with mine once and the peace of mind carrying it with me was well worth going through security with it, which really wasnt that bad.

I have "gate checked" my CPAP when taking commuter aircraft many times with no problem. On short trips I just pack it in my roller to avoid having an extra bag, and there it is padded by clothing and a reasonably rigid frame. I would not want to check my S8 in the case it came in, which doesn't feel up to the challenge of baggage handlers. I have yet to check it on a regular flight where it goes through the airport baggage system. Theft doesn't worry me, and I think I could pack it well enough to protect it from damage, but I would hate to face a night or nights without it due to loss of a bag or delay in its arrival.

In the last 12 days, my machine went Chicago > London > Zurich > Hannover > Amsterdam > Boston > Chicago. I wish now I had decals to paste on it for everyplace it has visited. One thing I noticed is that European hotels are less likely than American to have a spare electrical outlet near the head of the bed. I hate to add things to pack, but I may start carrying an extension cord.

Popi wrote:Other than the fear of theft, is there any reason not to put my CPAP into my checked baggage?

So you're going on vacation. When you get there and you have no cpap, how much fun will that be? How long will this vacation be?

Then find out how long it will take to get a replacement. Who will pay for it?

You gotta ask yourself - do you feel lucky today?

I vote carry on. I've seen what baggage handlers can do to luggage.
Now that I have rediscovered how wonderful sleep could be, I wouldn't chance losing it that way.
Shar:)

The TSA routinely inspects baggage. It is possible that a mask part can be lost. It happened to me at the xray stage. A missing mask part ruins your night pretty quickly, especially if you discover the fact that it is missing right before you go to bed. Take the machine with you. Also beware of gate checking. I gave up a space in an overhead bin so someone could put a guitar in its place. The airline put my bag on the next flight. That was a major issue.

Due to aircraft equipment problems, on a flight from Las Vegas to Washington, DC, we had to spend the night in Phoenix. Our luggage went on an earlier flight and was in DC while we were in a hotel in Phoenix. I had my CPAP with me, and the hotel provided a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste. We were able to enjoy the afternoon and overnight stay at a very nice hotel with a great hot tub and pool in the desert. If my CPAP had been checked, that night would have went badly and next day would have been much worse than just having to wear the clothes that we had worn the day before.

Popi wrote:Other than the fear of theft, is there any reason not to put my CPAP into my checked baggage?

Hi,

I have done it both ways.

I typically get pulled out of line for additional searching. On one trip to Dallas and back, I was screened 9 times, including 3 times here in the Twin Cities on the first flight. One time the TSA folks pulled everything out of my carry on and disassembled everything that they could, including all my CPAP stuff. At the very least, they will make you open it up to run it through the belt, and often will pull you aside for an explosives wipe down. As a result, I don't like doing carry on if I can avoid it.

I have recently been flying with the CPAP in my checked luggage. This has worked well for me, so far. I know that there is a risk of loss or theft, but I only travel with my backup machine. If I do have an issue, I suspect that Walgreens can set me up with a machine just about anywhere given enough $$$.

Due to all the searches, I have minimized my air travel and have been going by car much more recently. This is nice because I can take my pillows and pack a backup bag that has more stuff in it like spare parts and an extension cord. Plus I can take water with me so I don't have to hit a Walmart on the first day after flying.

Even if you don't check the bag with your CPAP in it, you can put water in your checked luggage. I found that some small 8-OZ Diet Coke bottles work really well for carrying distilled water. They reseal very well, they are stronger than water bottles, and diet coke rinses out very well so it doesn't pollute the water.

Of course, now that I have complained about all the searches, I flew MSP to BWI and back (4 legs), and wasn't searched a single time (other than the check point screening).

-john-