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Airport hand baggage allowance and CPAP
My husband has a CPAP . Due to the weight of his NHS CPAP he is not allowed to take extra personal items as hand luggage wiith him on board a plane at UK airports.
My husband has a letter from his GP stating the CPAP is medical equipment but the airport staff are saying that the hand luggage weight regulations still apply so he is only allowed to take the CPAP- unlike me who can take the full personal hand luggage weight on board.
I have heard that in Australia the CPAP is treated as medical equipment and hand luggage is also allowed.
Could anyone please tell me the CPAP + hand luggage regulations elsewhere around the world?
I have contacted a disability advice service regarding my husband's experience and I am awaiting a relpy.
Our worst experiences has been at Heathrow. Coming back from China my husband had his CPAP and another small bag when we queued for our next internal UK flight. He was not allowed to take 2 bags through so I had to put his bag into mine. The one bag rule was enforced even though we had shown the GP letter for the CPAP.
All information or advice would be appreciated
My husband has a letter from his GP stating the CPAP is medical equipment but the airport staff are saying that the hand luggage weight regulations still apply so he is only allowed to take the CPAP- unlike me who can take the full personal hand luggage weight on board.
I have heard that in Australia the CPAP is treated as medical equipment and hand luggage is also allowed.
Could anyone please tell me the CPAP + hand luggage regulations elsewhere around the world?
I have contacted a disability advice service regarding my husband's experience and I am awaiting a relpy.
Our worst experiences has been at Heathrow. Coming back from China my husband had his CPAP and another small bag when we queued for our next internal UK flight. He was not allowed to take 2 bags through so I had to put his bag into mine. The one bag rule was enforced even though we had shown the GP letter for the CPAP.
All information or advice would be appreciated
Views: 6492
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
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The regulations are the same in the USA Christine - in that they are allowed their CPAP as extra hand luggage.
Here in the UK, there is no set rule yet. The CPAP Luggage Tags we've had designed usually do the trick, and I've been to Europe lots of times over the years without having any problems in carrying my CPAP as extra hand luggage. However, to be absolutely certain we advise people to contact the airline they are flying with, as they do have different policies. It is also VERY IMPORTANT to contact them if people intend using their machines during the flight.
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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on
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I have just had a twitter conversation with Glasgow Airport , they are advising us to always check with airline re baggage allowance. Our problem was not with plane from China but with Heathrow staff and internal UK connection.
I told them I have asked the advice of a disability centre and would talk to my MP if required!
I read in a couple of 2007 USA air travel and CPAP discussions some comments regarding returning home from a UK airport so perhaps my partner and I are not alone with our experiences??
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No you're not alone Christine, as other people have had bad experiences too - I've just been lucky! Do a search at the top right on the forum and other posts should show up from the past, as we've discussed air travel a few times on here. Keep us posted how you get on please.
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Permalink Reply by Tigers Fan on
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Let'1s begin by pointing out that OSA is NOT a disability.
Thee are two ways of flying with CPAP - the easy way and the way you appear to be doing it, Christine.
You can carry your CPAP extra to your luggage allowance but it MUST go in the hold to qualify. You'd have to be nuts to do that! So we carry it as hand luggage. Two things come into play then - the airport security restrictions and the airline regulations. You can circumvent both by carrying only one piece of hand baggage. Ah! I hear you cry - but my husband's NHS CPAP takes up all his hand baggage allowance. The way round that is to buy a small, compact CPAP for travelling (and back-up at home). Why should you? No reason - it's a choice. Battle on as you have been or take a pragmatic approach. From the trips you discuss, a travel CPAP is within your reach - or take a more modest trip next time and use the difference to buy a small machine.
Our fellow countrymen and women are indeed the worst for making a huge fuss about a piece of medical equipment. I've found it doesn't even get to the airline regs because the airport security people have decreed that we can carry but a single piece of hand luggage - too much work for them to look at two bags in the X-ray machine?
Another thought: if a CPAP takes up all your hand luggage allowance, it is a very cumbersome machine - so I guess it is old so I guess you should get onto your sleep clinic for a modern machine. You need one that detaches from the humidifier base if you intend travelling with it. (Not as nice, but smaller, lighter, more compact without a humidifier.)
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Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive, British Lung Foundation
is a good person to lobby
Airport hand baggage allowance and CPAP
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Why do you say OSA is not a disability?
Tigers Fan said:Let'1s begin by pointing out that OSA is NOT a disability.
Thee are two ways of flying with CPAP - the easy way and the way you appear to be doing it, Christine.
You can carry your CPAP extra to your luggage allowance but it MUST go in the hold to qualify. You'd have to be nuts to do that! So we carry it as hand luggage. Two things come into play then - the airport security restrictions and the airline regulations. You can circumvent both by carrying only one piece of hand baggage. Ah! I hear you cry - but my husband's NHS CPAP takes up all his hand baggage allowance. The way round that is to buy a small, compact CPAP for travelling (and back-up at home). Why should you? No reason - it's a choice. Battle on as you have been or take a pragmatic approach. From the trips you discuss, a travel CPAP is within your reach - or take a more modest trip next time and use the difference to buy a small machine.
Our fellow countrymen and women are indeed the worst for making a huge fuss about a piece of medical equipment. I've found it doesn't even get to the airline regs because the airport security people have decreed that we can carry but a single piece of hand luggage - too much work for them to look at two bags in the X-ray machine?
Another thought: if a CPAP takes up all your hand luggage allowance, it is a very cumbersome machine - so I guess it is old so I guess you should get onto your sleep clinic for a modern machine. You need one that detaches from the humidifier base if you intend travelling with it. (Not as nice, but smaller, lighter, more compact without a humidifier.)
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Thanks
99 said:Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive, British Lung Foundation
is a good person to lobby
Airport hand baggage allowance and CPAP
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Re OSA and disabillity could I please draw attention to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea discussion blog April 2nd 2009 which includes a reply from the Equality Human Rights Commiission Helpline England . Clear guidance given from the helpline was shared in this blog from a sleep apnoea sufferer to raised the issues of OSA and DDA. Regards
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Www.rightsatwork.co.uk:
"The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their disability, their perceived disability or because they associate with someone who has a disability. This would, for example, include an able bodied person who cares for a disabled family member......examples of disabilities include diabetes, epilepsy, long term depression and sleep apnoea"
As a sleep apnoea partner then it would seem I am correct to pursue the issue of unfairness toward my partner regarding airport/airline varied regulations in UK for CPAP and personal hand luggage allowance. I look forward to receiving any further comments or guidance. Thanks
Christine Woods said:Re OSA and disabillity could I please draw attention to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea discussion blog April 2nd 2009 which includes a reply from the Equality Human Rights Commiission Helpline England . Clear guidance given from the helpline was shared in this blog from a sleep apnoea sufferer to raised the issues of OSA and DDA. Regards
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Extra to my reply below www.rightsatwork.co.uk re Equality Act 2010 also states:
'It is also unlawful to indirectly discriminate against a person because of theiIr disability by imposing a provision, criterion,or practice which puts them at a disadvantage when compared to others'
My personal view at this time regarding CPAP and travel has been raised earlier in my original discussion item. I think it is correct and reasonable for safety reasons to inform an airport/airline about carrying a CPAP on board a plane. What I think is unfair is for my partner not always being allowed the same personal hand luggage allowance as myself. Whether or not he decides to use this personal allowance would then be up to himself to decide. There seems to be a one bag rule for some UK airports/airlines, a rule which perhaps needs to be challenged??
.
I have sought guidance from a disability advice service and I am awaiting a reply.
':
Christine Woods said:
Www.rightsatwork.co.uk:
"The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their disability, their perceived disability or because they associate with someone who has a disability. This would, for example, include an able bodied person who cares for a disabled family member......examples of disabilities include diabetes, epilepsy, long term depression and sleep apnoea"
As a sleep apnoea partner then it would seem I am correct to pursue the issue of unfairness toward my partner regarding airport/airline varied regulations in UK for CPAP and personal hand luggage allowance. I look forward to receiving any further comments or guidance. Thanks
Christine Woods said:Re OSA and disabillity could I please draw attention to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea discussion blog April 2nd 2009 which includes a reply from the Equality Human Rights Commiission Helpline England . Clear guidance given from the helpline was shared in this blog from a sleep apnoea sufferer to raised the issues of OSA and DDA. Regards
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Christine, you are clearly exercised about OSA being a disability so I shall leave you to persue your perceived case of discrimination - but not without leaving you a couple of points to ponder.
There is no difference between an properly treated OSA sufferer and the next person - both sleep well, neither are disabled.
Whilst accepting that there are many, many this OSA sufferers and sufferers due to all sorts of reasons, most sufferers are fat - a self-inflicted condition not a disability.
Why would an airline want to carry a disabled person who may, at any moment whilst airborne, suffer an "OSA attack" and cause the plane to be diverted? They would claim the person is un-fit to fly. They would not be discriminating, merely safeguarding a life. Further, they provide power for CPAP in certain seats - expensive 1st Class seats - so the choice is yours.
Finally, which part of this planet is so far from any starting point you choose that you cannot fly there without sleep? Or stop off half way and check into a hotel.
Some rugby players have OSA. Imagine them claiming Disability Benefit! I have OSA - I'm not disabled.
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