Travelling abroad?

[Tigers Fan]

Using and carrying

Hi Tom

There seems to me to be a lot of confusion between the rules for using a CPAP during the flight and the rules for merely carrying the CPAP on a flight. Perhaps a few lines in your blog making clear the difference between the two would be helpful to many.

TF

[Richard]

Flying with CPAP

Hi Tom,

It is interesting to hear of your 'Flying with CPAP' blog.

I have been involved with the 'Flying with Oxygen' campaign run jointly by the British Lung Foundation and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association which highlights the dreadful treatment that oxygen-dependent airline passengers experience when they want to fly.

As an example (and completely true), a middle-aged lady, flying alone to Dubai to visit her daughter books an economy-class return ticket with Emirates Airlines. The price is £350.00. She then mentions to the booking-clerk that she has an oxygen-dependency and can she take her own portable oxygen-concentrator on board?

No she can't, comes the answer. She must use the oxygen supplied by the airline, and in doing so, she cannot fly economy-class; she must travel Business-Class. And the price of a Business-Class return ticket to Dubai? Oh, that's £1600.00, but of course, we're happy to supply your oxygen free of charge.

This is utter nonsense, but the airline is doing nothing wrong. The law clearly states that an airline is not obliged to supply oxygen for its passengers, but if it does, then it is entitled to charge. But it doesn't say how much, hence the anomalous situation whereby BA and Virgin do not charge, but pretty well everybody else charges what they like.

There is a very efficient and cost-effective solution to this, but while the law allows airlines to charge, then it will take a change in European Law before anything will happen. You can read more about this by going to:

http://www.phassociation.uk.com/breathefreely/

An airline will seldom risk a passenger plugging in his own equipment on board their aircraft without seeking permission first; a compatible usage-rate and a PAT certificate would be a minimum requirement, I would think.

Try: http://www.flying-with-disability.org/index.html

Richard

[Billy Proudfoot]

Using my cpap on a flight

i am flying to the states early next year(on BA, dont know if that makes any difference to the awnser),i want to use my mask on the overnight flight back because i have a long drive home after landing! Has anybody used one on a plane befor, is it possible, are there any tips or pitfalls! thanks

[Richard]

Travelling Abroad

Hi Billy,

BA have a good reputation when it comes to accommodating passengers with 'special needs.'

You should call their Customer Relations line on 0844 4930 787 explaining your requirements.

Personally, I feel that using a CPAP on board an aircraft can be counter-productive, since the ambient air on board is at a higher pressure than at ground-level and there is a higher percentage of CO (carbon monoxide). Ever thought how many passengers fall asleep?

Another problem is where do you get the power for your CPAP? But I feel sure BA will be able to answer all these questions.

Regards

Richard

[MrsDanvers]

Hi Billy,

BA provide this information on their website:
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.

I'd summarise that as "you can use your CPAP if there is a power-point available, but we can't gaurantee one, so you better use a battery pack".

Sorry but I've no personal experience of trying to use CPAP on a flight.

You may get a definitive answer from talking to the special assistance line for BA.

[MrsDanvers]

I am due to travel to Belfast in the autumn on business and will have to stay overnight , so the CPAP is coming too. I've been trying to work out the best airline to fly with, from a rather limited choice, and as far as I can see Ryanair will allow me to take the CPAP as an addition to my hand luggage allownace, providing I get a letter from my doctor saying I must have the equipment and one to say I'm fit to fly, and fill out a questionnaire in advance and advise them of all of this well in advance of the flight. Easyjet are similar, EXCEPT ,only one piece of hand luggage , INCLUDING the CPAP and you must speak to someone in their customer services to get approval.

So,Debbie your post is interesting as everthing on the Easyjet site says 1 bag only and CPAP must be in your 1 piece of hand luggage. It looks to me like there may be flexibility at the airport, but of course, there's no guarantee of that.

As for putting it in the hold, I was told by a tech at Papworth never to do that. The last thing you want is for it to be dropped and get to the other end and it not work.

Following on from my own post: I flew with Ryanair last week, removed the humidifier to reduce the weight of the machine and took it in my hand luggage. At security in Stansted and Belfast no one was interested in what it was just X-rayed it and tested for explosives. Essentially I opted for Tigerfan's "hair-dryer approach" as my travel plans couldn't be confirmed until the week before I was due to fly. That meant I paid for a bag in the hold too.

I spoke to the special asssistance line and, if I'd had the time, I could have had permission to take the machine as an allowed extra cabin bag which would have saved me the cost and time of putting a bag in the hold. However I'd have to send in dimensions and weight details to the airline to get written permission.

So, in future I'd get permission to take it as an extra cabin bag for short stays when I can travel with less.

[Fredxx]

i am flying to the states early next year(on BA, dont know if that makes any difference to the awnser),i want to use my mask on the overnight flight back because i have a long drive home after landing! Has anybody used one on a plane befor, is it possible, are there any tips or pitfalls! thanks

I have used my CPAP on long flights with BA a couple of times. In Club World (business class) it was no problem at all, with the seat providing 240v, although I did have to turn the humidifier off on the old Fischer and Paykell machine to get it under the 75w limiter...even then it cut out with an overload ton the first try.

I also used it on another BA flight in World Traveller Plus, although that wasn't as successful as it was difficult to find somewhere to have the machine sat working. That was a 12v socket with an adapter. When I flew just World Traveller the some seats seat had power points (not all), but the one I had was disabled anyway. It is worth using the Seatguru website to find whether your seat will have a power point.

[Frank Booth]

I have been travelling lot with my cpap recently to the US and Europe and have had no problems at all. What I tend to do if in doubt is to have it as a bag within a bag. For security I keep the CPAP seperate so it is easy to check and then I put it inside my larger hand luggage bag for boarding. The carryon allowance allows a big bag so I still have plenty of space, especially if I leave the dehumidifier behind. Of course on a lot of major airlines they allow a carry on bag plus a briefcase/laptop bag anyway (which is almost a Resmed S8 sized bag). Also I travel with my sleepweaver mask which takes up less space.

To be honest though I am not even that sure how much anyone cares how much stuff you bring on looking at how much people seem to buy in duty free! If you put it in a WH Smiths carrier bag I doubt anyone would look twice.

[DebbieT]

I have just returned from Las Vegas this week and had no problems taking my CPAP on as extra hand luggage in addition to my normal allowance with both Virgin Atlantic and Air Southwest. Virgin told me I should have contacted customer services beforehand to let them know but then just made a note on check in. Leaving Vegas my machine was taken to one side and examined and wiped over with some sort of testing cloth but that was it, other than that it just went through the normal xray machine.
The biggest problem I had was that in dismantling the machine to pack it in its case i left out the cable that goes from the box to the electrical socket so I had carried it all that way and was unable to use it !! Luckily just taking the modafinal managed to keep me going for the two weeks.

Debbie

[Wombara]

Took mine to Portugal on easy jet last week. No issues at all, carried in the cabin. Whilst I has a copy of a hospital letter, no one asked. Easy.

[dozi lad]

Took mine to Portugal on easy jet last week. No issues at all, carried in the cabin. Whilst I has a copy of a hospital letter, no one asked. Easy.

You don't say if you took it in your one cabin baggage or as additional cabin baggage.
The hospital have just issued me with a ResMed S8 in a nice carrying case which they reckon I can take as additional with a covering letter.
I'm travelling on EasyJet in January so would appreciate any comments.
Thanks,
Dozi Lad

[Fredxx]

I always just plan for it to be part of my standard hand luggage. I have a bag that is just within the allowed (for easyjet it is 56x45x25cm), and the machine and all the bits leave plenty of room for books and anything else I want as hand baggage...I have always just accepted that I will have to have hold baggage as well.

[ElleCee]

I took mine to Malta and back again in my hand luggage and no one asked anything. I didn't have a letter, didn't mention it and it went through the x-ray machine with no problem at all.
I certainly would do the same again. I think if there was a problem it wouldn't be with the airline, just the security.

Lorraine