Airport hand baggage allowance and CPAP

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tigers Fan on May 7, 2012 at 19:09

Just for clarity and because this old chestnut seems to be headed down a familiar path, we need to keep two separate agendas separate.

1. Carrying CPAP as hand baggage.

2. Using CPAP on board during a flight.

 

BTB, of course no-one in their right mind would ever dream of putting a CPAP into the aircraft hold but that is entirely different from the airline being able to claim that you can carry it for free.

 

They can drive a coach and horses through disability discrimination law because OSA still isn't a disability and never will be - it's a medical condition. Not only is it a medical condition, it is a TREATED medical condition if your concern is about carrying a CPAP on board. Why will it never be a disability? Because HMG don't want to open the flood gates of DLA claims whilst they are busy trying to get current DLA claimants off benefit. Can you work if you have OSA? Of course you can! No DLA claim then - so why declare it a disability when it isn't???

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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on May 7, 2012 at 19:11

I wonder these are worldwide rules agreed by all airports or are they worldwide rules agreed by airlines?
Similarly I don"t know who is responsible for setting the hand baggage allowance rules. I think it is individual airlines but could be wrong.

As far as claiming allowances for a condition this is now so difficult to claim, the best person to advise about eligibilty would be eg citizens advice bureau or welfare rights advisor. There is a way to fill in the forms with an appeal process involves.

I think what I am trying to clarify is a different issue and is more linked to equality. I wonder if all airlines/airports are under the same equality rules? If so then according to what I am reading (and OSA has earlier been referred to as a disability) then providing the aiport/airline knows my partner has OSA then they are required to take reasonable steps to help him for his disability. Issue is -would CPAP + personal hand luggage be reasonable??
I await the guidance from the disability advice centre

Kath Hope said:

Have copied and pasted the info below from the CAA, link here PDF OF WHAT CAN I CARRY?

Portable medical electronic devices (Automated External Defibrillators (AED), Nebulizer, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), etc.) containing lithium metal or lithium ion cells or batteries carried by passengers for medical use. No more than two spare batteries may be carried. Spare batteries must be individually protected so as to prevent short circuits (by placement in original retail packaging or by otherwise insulating terminals, e.g. by taping over exposed terminals or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch). Each installed or spare battery must be of a type which meets the requirements of each test in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, section 38.3;
In addition, each installed or spare battery must not exceed the following:
i) for lithium metal batteries, a lithium content of not more than 8 grams; or
ii) for lithium ion batteries, a watt-hour rating of not more than 160 Wh.
NOTE: Spare batteries may be carried in carry-on baggage only.
99 said:

CPAP batteries over a certain capacity are not allowed for air  transport 

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Permalink Reply by Colette Walsh on May 7, 2012 at 19:36

I use a Tesco canvas bag. I can get my CPAP  in and also a small handbag in. As I use a Kindle I am also able to carry as many books as I like. You can also pack other small items, I have travelled all over Europe with no problem using thid bag as hand luggage. As I normally travel with Easyjet and other cheaper airlines they all insist on only one bag.

I hope this helps

Colette Walsh

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Permalink Reply by Roz B on May 7, 2012 at 21:06

Christine.. I hope you manage to get some answers as i am sure it would help many other travellers. Friends of mine only went over to Jersey, i dont think they had any issues with carrying the CPAP until they came back into the UK…despite letters from Philips and stickers on the CPAP machine they still insisted on nearly stripping the machine down to check for drugs!!

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Permalink Reply by Roz B on May 7, 2012 at 21:12

I think its discrimination of any kind that one Airport can treat someone different to the next…. There should be the same rules throughout! Sorry I have no info to help you regarding this but I am rather shocked at Tigers Fan's commnet...

i doubt I will ever fly again as its too much hassle and nerve wracking for me since being diagnosed with OSA……...

AS I am disabled…and well before being diagnosed with OSA.

Weight isnt the issue, its my hips  and I was born with them..or should say without part of them!!! So if I were to go anywhere its bad enough that my husband has to carry everything as I can't,….. so extra hand luggage for us isnt easy….. so please dont say that people who have OSA and are disable are ''as quoted by you'' 

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.

Sorry kath... I had to add that as I think its unjust to assume OSA is caused from being fat and or disabled!!

Tigers Fan said:

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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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on May 7, 2012 at 21:26

Thanks
My partner has asked his NHS Sleep Clinic if he could have a smaller CPAP but he has been told he would only get it changed if damaged -perhaps he should drop it!!!
Someone I spoke to in the north of Scotland said they got a smaller model from their NHS clinic with no trouble. I guess resources for individual sleep clinics must vary, a major issue for those running the service.
We may eventually have to buy a smaller travel CPAP but this should be through choice and not because we are forced to do so by the airport/airline hand baggage regulations.
It could be argued that if everyone took their CPAP plus hand luggage onto a plane of a certain size there would be no room for everyone else's hand luggage. This is fair comment and perhaps one for plane designers to tackle.
I am grateful for everyone's views. />

Colette Walsh said:

I use a Tesco canvas bag. I can get my CPAP  in and also a small handbag in. As I use a Kindle I am also able to carry as many books as I like. You can also pack other small items, I have travelled all over Europe with no problem using thid bag as hand luggage. As I normally travel with Easyjet and other cheaper airlines they all insist on only one bag.

I hope this helps

Colette Walsh

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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on May 7, 2012 at 21:51

Thanks
I would also add ,from quite a few experiences at home and abroad, the time taken to have the CPAP checked can be stressful especially if your flight connections are narrow.
Time waits for nobody and we nearly missed a flight once due to this. My partner nearly had a coronary thinking we would miss our connection.
It would be really good if there was a to fast track system for a CPAP check with perhpas a personal assistance service for connecting flights -is this already available around the world and we have still to meet?


Roz B said:

Christine.. I hope you manage to get some answers as i am sure it would help many other travellers. Friends of mine only went over to Jersey, i dont think they had any issues with carrying the CPAP until they came back into the UK…despite letters from Philips and stickers on the CPAP machine they still insisted on nearly stripping the machine down to check for drugs!!

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Permalink Reply by Philip on May 7, 2012 at 22:08

Thomson have recently confirmed I can take my CPAP as hand luggage in addition to normal hand luggage allowances when flying to Spain.. I contacted their specialist assisance number and it was not even a remote issue for them

 

Phil

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on May 7, 2012 at 22:24

That's great to hear Philip, as one of the calls I got 6 weeks ago was from a lady who said Thomson were insisting she get an official medical equipment sticker as well as the luggage tag.  I advised she photocopy the CPAP Luggage Tag we sell on the main website and sellotape it on.  We had them designed especially with careful clever wording saying it 'should' not be counted as carry-on luggage rather than 'is not' counted as........ ;)  We used to sell one from the states, but it had the 'apnea' spelling and mentioned US airlines.  Seems like Thomson have moved on and hope all the other airlines do too :)  My guess is they will, as more and more people are getting diagnosed for this 'common' condition they'll get inundated with telephone calls without hard and fast rules.
Philip said:

Thomson have recently confirmed I can take my CPAP as hand luggage in addition to normal hand luggage allowances when flying to Spain.. I contacted their specialist assisance number and it was not even a remote issue for them

 

Phil

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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on May 7, 2012 at 22:29

Thanks this is really helpful.
Perhaps this is the route we should also now go down .We also book online for many of our flights so next time will see if there is a special assistance section info when booking.
I don't think we have ever been asked online to say my partner has a CPAP. Disability is mentioned - hence our quandry about whether or not sleep apnoea is a reportable condition for this criteria. .



Philip said:

Thomson have recently confirmed I can take my CPAP as hand luggage in addition to normal hand luggage allowances when flying to Spain.. I contacted their specialist assisance number and it was not even a remote issue for them

 

Phil

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on May 7, 2012 at 22:46

Roz there's honestly no need to apologise to me.  Within reason, people can post what they like, but it doesn't mean we all have to agree ;)  The only thing I won't tolerate is downright rudeness to other posters, and they will be zapped and banned at the click of a button.  Thankfully, I've only had to do this once!

Whilst being 'fat' is classed as self-inflicted, it's not all cut and dried, as there are so often many emotional and physical contributory factors involved - let alone sleep deprivation from untreated OSA.  I honestly believe that if I wasn't so determined not to pile on too much weight through watching my mother struggle all her life with weight issues, I'd have ended up obese too when undiagnosed, but I chose to stuff my face with healthy food for energy.

Roz B said:

I think its discrimination of any kind that one Airport can treat someone different to the next…. There should be the same rules throughout! Sorry I have no info to help you regarding this but I am rather shocked at Tigers Fan's commnet...

i doubt I will ever fly again as its too much hassle and nerve wracking for me since being diagnosed with OSA……...

AS I am disabled…and well before being diagnosed with OSA.

Weight isnt the issue, its my hips  and I was born with them..or should say without part of them!!! So if I were to go anywhere its bad enough that my husband has to carry everything as I can't,….. so extra hand luggage for us isnt easy….. so please dont say that people who have OSA and are disable are ''as quoted by you'' 

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.

Sorry kath... I had to add that as I think its unjust to assume OSA is caused from being fat and or disabled!!

Tigers Fan said:

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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Permalink Reply by Roz B on May 7, 2012 at 22:54

thanks Kath xx

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