Someone please give me update on flying with CPAP

I fly with my CPAP several times a month on a variety of airlines. It is always my 3rd carry on bag. I have never had a problem once I said it was a CPAP. Not all gate agents will allow one to preboard, but some will. It often depends on where you would be in the normal boarding process. If you are scheduled to board early enough in the process that they are confident (rightly or wrongly) that you can find overhead space by your seat, many times they will not let you preboard.

The requirement to automatically swab the machines has gone away now that the technology has changed in both the scanning equipment and the CPAP machines and they can see what they want to see more easily. I find that 99% of the time, as long as I unzip the case and fold the lid back so they can see the machine, I don't have to take it out of the bag and they never touch it. This is my preference so that I don't have to place it directly on the bins. I have never had to remove the mask from it's bag.

I have never been asked for documentation of any kind, as long as I was not planning to use the CPAP on the flight. Last summer my mother and I flew to Europe. We both used our CPAP machines during the overnight flight. (plugged them right into the outlets on the plane.) To do this, we had to request permission in advance from the airline, have documentation of need from our respective physicians, and, once we got to the gate, get permission from the pilot (who is allowed to deny permission even though the airline has granted it.) It was necessary to expain to the airline and then later the pilot that the CPAP machines were going to use ambient air, not bottled oxygen. It is also possible to use CPAP with a battery on planes, but this requires the extra step of making sure everyone approves the battery also.

Well, I'm back and thought I'd let you know what happened. I ended up taking only my laptop and cpap to Venice (two bags).

At Houston, I didn't have to take the CPAP out of the bag and they didn't swab it. That's a first for me, but also the first time I've traveled with the S9 instead of the S6.

At Frankfurt, just changing from a US inbound to a European gate I had to take the CPAP out, tell totally confused xray technicians with poor English skills (and I have zero German) what it was, and have it swabbed. The technician first coughed onto her gloved hand before grabbing my cpap and dousing in what seemed like a gallon of testing fluid. Quite upsetting. At the outgoing gate, they said at most one carry on, so I asked if my CPAP (medical device) was OK. They said they don't care what it is, but because my laptop+cpap in total wasn't too big they'd allow it. (This being sufficient for me, I thanked them and shut up.)

Coming back, no issues at all.

There is an item called a cpapflask that holds 32 ounces of distilled water and doesn't leak. I checked here in San Antonio and was told that I can
carry it on with me. On the bottle it says that it is TSA certified.It doesn't take up a lot of room.
http://www.sleepapneamouthpiece.net/blo ... l-solution

@Jointpain: For flights that are not to, from or between US locations our rules for security and carry-on medical equipment don't apply. They have their own guidelines/procedures. Lucky for you they were flexible! But too bad they man-handled your machine.

Bluecat wrote: ....Electronic CPAP machines are acceptable, however if the CPAP machine is battery operated the batteries used for CPAP are required to be non-spillable and the outer packaging must be marked "NON-SPILLABLE" or "NON-SPILLABLE BATTERY." If a battery is not labeled non-spillable, crew members will treat the battery as a spillable battery and will be unable to accept the CPAP for carriage.

I'm not sure, but I think I may have just been lucky so far.....and don't want to push it to the point of a really bad event. I have an Aeomed Everest 2 with dedicated battery which easily fits in the cpap carry case that I always take on board wherever I fly. I have never been questioned about the battery except in Egypt, and they just pointed to the cpap and said "Battery?"----so I am guilty of just saying (with hand motions to explain) "It has a cord that plugs into the wall." No mistruth there....just a further explanation.

My question is to the many airlines travelers here. Is it usually against the rules to carry the Everest type battery on board? If so, I will definitely pack it in my checked luggage from now on! I have no clue if it's "spillable."

bumping this ttt in hopes of responses.

According to this page (click on "Important Tips" tab), that battery can be carried (within the USA at least).

However, batteries can be dangerous things and deserve respect. Have you seen the videos of laptops bursting into flames from a few years ago (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4DlUUZxFvs)? Scary stuff, especially in an airplane, and battery fires have been implicated in at least one fatal crash. That's why there are rules about what kinds and capacities of batteries can be carried.

The TSA states here that you should keep the battery in your carry on. If something adverse does start to happen, the crew has a much better of keeping the situation under control.

I would suggest getting some documentation more official than the first link above and carrying it with you whenever you fly.

plr66 wrote:I have an Aeomed Everest 2 with dedicated battery which easily fits in the cpap carry case that I always take on board wherever I fly. I have never been questioned about the battery except in Egypt, and they just pointed to the cpap and said "Battery?"----so I am guilty of just saying (with hand motions to explain) "It has a cord that plugs into the wall." No mistruth there....just a further explanation.

My question is to the many airlines travelers here. Is it usually against the rules to carry the Everest type battery on board? If so, I will definitely pack it in my checked luggage from now on! I have no clue if it's "spillable."

The Everest battery is not spillable. I have no idea whether it will be labeled as such.

It's a lithium battery. I seem to recall reading somewhere that lithium batteries couldn't be in checked baggage, only carry on.

I'm flying 11 hours overnight from Phoenix,AZ to London England in about a month.

I've checked with British Airways

CPAP machine
•Medical clearance is not required for the carriage or use of CPAP machines (used in the treatment of sleep apnoea) as fitness to travel will not be in doubt.
•CPAP machines can be plugged into a laptop power-point, where available, with a suitable adaptor.
•Maximum power output from the laptop points is 75 Watts and, if your equipment draws more than this, the outlet will be automatically deactivated.
•We cannot guarantee that any of the laptop points will be serviceable. If you intend to use one in flight, we recommend that you use a dry-cell battery-operated device.

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In early July and early August, at both Boston Logan and Tampa airports, my CPAP was *not* swabbed. My lithium battery for use with CPAP was double scanned and cause for attention "Hey Joe, have you ever seen one of these??" and swabbed on at least the return trip.

I have my CPAP protected in a gallon zip lock bag, and I do take it out of the backpack it travels in because it travels in the padded bottom section of a backpack designed for fragile camera lenses and equipment. I don't think they could scan a clear view without me removing it. I use a new ziplock each time!!

Those scanning always ask if the cpap is mine, even when they don't pull it aside for swabbing....not sure if that is protocol or curiosity about what users look like! Some admire the machine (or did more when I first got it 3 yrs ago) so clearly some have a more personal acquaintence with CPAP----either users or family/close to users.....

J

JayC wrote:Those scanning always ask if the cpap is mine, even when they don't pull it aside for swabbing....not sure if that is protocol or curiosity about what users look like!

I think that is more to make sure they don't hand the CPAP back to someone other than the owner AND to make sure that the owner is watching them when they do swab it.

I was referring especially to when they did *not* take it off the scanner belt in order to swab it. If it doesn't leave the scanner belt, they are *not* in danger of releasing it to the wrong person....just like the rest of our bags and effects.

When they do take it off the belt for inspection, yes, they know it is mine and have always made sure to stay in my eyesight as I collect my other bags. (and maybe that is helped by me sending the CPAP through last so I am somewhat collected before they even take it off the belt!