Traveling with CPAP

[DariaVader]

No way in heck would I put my CPAP in my luggage. I'm not talking about it getting lost, I'm talking about it getting busted. Or, worse, it showing up on the xray and they pulling it to examine then not putting the suitcase back together right and then it getting busted. Airplane cargo holds are being crammed to the gills. And unless you have a hard sided suitcase, that CPAP is getting pushed on, shoved on, etc.

not only that, but last time I flew, my bags showed up drenched everything inside was sopping wet. Sucked for my clothes... but at least I had chosen to stay at a hotel with laundry facilities, and had packed durable washable items. Really happy my CPAP was not exposed to that!

[wp6529]

And why waste space in the bags you may get charged for, when your medical device can be carried on and not count against your regular baggage allowance?

[GWild]

My worst experience with carry on was when after x-ray the TSA team decided to swab my CPAP for bomb residue ... and the detector went off. Several FBI forms and a detector reset/retest later I was on my way to the plane... but I tend to be lucky that way. I later figured out it was my motocross back brace that I usually kept in the garage, right next to the rose food, that I had packed into my CPAP bag because my back was acting up that trip.

Even with that, I would never ever leave my CPAP unattended in plane cargo - I depend on it way too much.

[cant_sleep_in_nj]

carrying on is too much of a hassle for me personally. im lazier than i am worried about it getting broke I guess. like i said, i fly A LOT and never had a problem

[OMyMyOHellYes]

carrying on is too much of a hassle for me personally. im lazier than i am worried about it getting broke I guess. like i said, i fly A LOT and never had a problem

But out of a small airport..... Not even top ten. Heck, even Idlewild don't make the top 5.....

[ClarkK]

I just traveled this week. While in the security line at the airport, they specifically mentioned CPAP machines and asked that they be removed from the bag and placed in a separate bin -- same as what they request for laptops.

I had a tag on my bag marking it as "medical equipment", a copy of my prescription, instructions and supplies for the machine -- everything I'd been advised to have to make it smoother. Meanwhile, the TSA was obviously on top of it and aware of CPAP equipment. It went on the plane with me and was secured overhead for the trip.

During my trip, I found I really missed my overhead hanger for managing the hose, and I missed my CPAP pillow (shaped to accommodate the mask/hose/etc). I used Michigan tap water instead of distilled water for a few days -- then gave the humidifier basin a good vinegar soak when I returned.

I won't worry much on traveling with it again -- it's always a pain to keep track of something extra -- but it wasn't that big a deal.

[thefer]

Hi

thanks everyone. I leave tomorrow for Oakland and then on to Hawaii. I am planning to carry it on the plane because I have an overnight layover and if my luggage gets lost, then at least, I will have my CPAP with me. I just put an ID tag on it and on the other side, labeled it "medical equipment". I put a copy of the prescription in the pocket of the bag. I use distilled water at home because our water is so hard. I will probably just pick up some in Hawaii or just use the tap. It is also so humid over there that I may not even need to use the humdifier and may disconnect that piece.

The one thing that I didn't think about is that on the way back, I am doing a red-eye flight so I won't have any way to plug it in. I probably won't sleep well but once I get home, I will take a nap.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

The one thing that I didn't think about is that on the way back, I am doing a red-eye flight so I won't have any way to plug it in. I probably won't sleep well but once I get home, I will take a nap.

Depends on the airline and the kind of plane they fly. Most newer aircraft have 110 V AC power at the seat that you can use a normal plug for. Some of the older aircraft have a 15 V DC system that you could run an inverter from (google "EmPower"). Some of the really old jets, the Jurassic jets, don't have power. Call your airline and ask. They should be able to tell you exactly what your flight will have and assign you a seat near whatever outlet they have.

OMMOHY

[thefer]

Hi

Yah! Just called the airline and there is a 110V outlet at my seat. It is new on all of the Alaska airlines flights, so that means I can use my CPAC machine on the red-eye. Hopefully, my neighbor won't mind. It is very quiet. So it is either that or hear me snore and choke all night.

Thanks. I never knew this.

Jennifer

[OMyMyOHellYes]

If I were you , I would NOT use humidification onboard the aircraft. It may draw more power than the in seat plugs are designed to handle ( some are limited to around 50-60 watts) and more importantly, in flying an aircraft, sometimes weird G-forces can be encountered that might slosh water back into the blower unit and that is a bad thing. Think turbulence.

OMMOHY