Airport hand baggage allowance and CPAP

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan on September 21, 2012 at 19:52

Tigers Fan said:

We are talking in this thread of people fit and well enough to fly and travel, are we not? I think Jonathan almost sums it up nicely, "....it's just a pesky box of tricks I have to cart around with me." I would add to that, "so I can sleep restfully." Peace, calm, no thought of dying.

 

Your experience is very different to mine.  Compare "skipped a night's sleep" with "went to sleep and was woken up 86 times an hour, for 8 hours".  The first I can do.  The second I cannot.

 

Jonathan.

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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on September 21, 2012 at 22:45

Without wanting to interfere with the above discussion which is really interesting could I just share that we have now arranged our holiday insurance. I was really amazed at how having sleep apnoea really increased the cost of going on holiday. The basic premium was quite reasonable but on stating my husband's sleep apnoea the cost shot up . Is this a common experience , would really appreciate your guidance for future holidays.

Jonathan said:

Tigers Fan said:

We are talking in this thread of people fit and well enough to fly and travel, are we not? I think Jonathan almost sums it up nicely, "....it's just a pesky box of tricks I have to cart around with me." I would add to that, "so I can sleep restfully." Peace, calm, no thought of dying.

 

Your experience is very different to mine.  Compare "skipped a night's sleep" with "went to sleep and was woken up 86 times an hour, for 8 hours".  The first I can do.  The second I cannot.

 

Jonathan.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on September 21, 2012 at 23:02

Hi Christine,

 

Having OSA has affected my holiday insurance premiums as well and my car insurance! I have associated medical issues and these are probably also impacting on the premium. Can't be certain how much is directly connected to the OSA as such therefore. Life can be fun can't it?

 

Rosemary

Christine Woods said:

Without wanting to interfere with the above discussion which is really interesting could I just share that we have now arranged our holiday insurance. I was really amazed at how having sleep apnoea really increased the cost of going on holiday. The basic premium was quite reasonable but on stating my husband's sleep apnoea the cost shot up . Is this a common experience , would really appreciate your guidance for future holidays.

Jonathan said:

Tigers Fan said:

We are talking in this thread of people fit and well enough to fly and travel, are we not? I think Jonathan almost sums it up nicely, "....it's just a pesky box of tricks I have to cart around with me." I would add to that, "so I can sleep restfully." Peace, calm, no thought of dying.

 

Your experience is very different to mine.  Compare "skipped a night's sleep" with "went to sleep and was woken up 86 times an hour, for 8 hours".  The first I can do.  The second I cannot.

 

Jonathan.

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Permalink Reply by Christine Woods on September 21, 2012 at 23:26

Thanks Rosemary this forum is so helpful -real guidance and support.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on September 21, 2012 at 23:51

Christine and Rosemary - there was a discussion a while ago about travel insurance if you want to check it out http://hope2sleepguide.co.uk/forum/topics/travel-insurance-with-sle...

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan on September 22, 2012 at 0:30

Christine Woods said:

Without wanting to interfere with the above discussion which is really interesting could I just share that we have now arranged our holiday insurance. I was really amazed at how having sleep apnoea really increased the cost of going on holiday. The basic premium was quite reasonable but on stating my husband's sleep apnoea the cost shot up . Is this a common experience , would really appreciate your guidance for future holidays.

Hi Christine,

You need to shop around.  I have used a high street brand name insurer for years.  I wasn't surprised when they bumped the premium when I was diagnosed with OSA, and also with a heart condition (both treated successfully and asymptomatic).  When I booked my last holiday, the same insurer took all my medical details, and then declined to offer cover for my conditions!  I suspect they had changed the underwriter they use. So I checked the insurers recommended by various organisations (including the British Heart Foundation).  Some wanted a hefty premium and others offered cover excluding my medical conditions.  Finally I came across http://www.livabilityinsuranceservices.com/ who included cover for my medical conditions for no more than the basic premium I would pay for the high street brand.  I cannot comment on their customer service, or claims processing, as I did everything on-line and didn't have a claim.

More generally, if you are travelling within Europe don't forget to apply for an EHIC card, which entitles you to state health care overseas (not necessarily free).  Some other countries also have reciprocal health care arrangements with the UK.

Enjoy your travels!

Jonathan.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan on October 14, 2012 at 23:33

Hi,

I said I'd follow up when I received a reply from Singapore Airlines.  This is what they have to say:

I am writing to follow up on my email of 26 September 2012. Please accept my sincere apologies for not getting in touch with you earlier, as investigations have taken longer than expected.

We understand that prior to your flight SQ319 / 15 August 2012, you had corresponded with our UK Reservations department via emails in May, enquiring on the use of your CPAP machine onboard.

Informatively, the CPAP machine is actually permitted for use onboard for passengers who are affected by the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea condition; provided that they can confirm their medical condition and that they have a doctor’s letter to confirm that they are fit to travel. We note that you had sent a copy of the required letter to us on 12 August and were advised to bring it with you for your flight.

However, we understand from your account that our check-in staff had given you the impression that the model of your machine is not approved and that you were not allowed to use your machine onboard.

We would like to clarify that no approval from our engineers is required for the use of CPAP machines. However, passengers are advised to bring their own battery supply for the machine, as shared with you in our Reservation staff’s email dated 29 May 2012. This is because our in-seat power supply is subject to availability and compatibility and we are unable to guarantee a continuous supply of power throughout the flight. We sincerely apologise for the confusion.

Please be assured that our Station Manager London has been apprised of this incident and has followed up on the matter with the staff involved, to ensure that they are updated on our standard procedures regarding the use of CPAP machines, and that they provide the correct advice to our passengers.

As a token of apologies for the inconvenience caused, we would like to offer you an SGD100 inflight gift voucher which you may use to redeem inflight gift items onboard your future flights or to purchase mail-order items from our online Kris Shop. While this may not reverse your experience, it is a gesture of our sincerity which we hope can alleviate your disappointment. If you would like to accept this offer, please kindly furnish me with your mailing address for me to despatch the voucher.

Once again, thank you for the opportunity to address your concerns. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you onboard again soon, under more pleasant circumstances.

Yours sincerely

I think "given you the impression" is slightly understating telling me that under no circumstances was the equipment allowed to be operated from the on-board power, but I accept their apology and hope that my experience means that someone else won't run in to the same problems in due course.

Happy travelling!

Jonathan.

Jonathan said:

[...]  However, I have just returned from a trip LHR-Singapore-Perth-SIN-LHR.  That did not go so well.  I checked with Singapore Airlines whether I could use the machine in-flight, giving them exact details of the machine, and a copy of my NHS consultant's letter stating I was fit to fly, but would need to use CPAP.  They replied:

"Singapore Airlines does permit you to use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) for Sleep Apnea on-board.

"We do recommend that you use a battery operate machine although we do have in-seat power supply but this is subject to availability and compatibility, and we are not able to guarantee the continuous power supply throughout the flight as the power can be interrupted or turned off depending on the needs of the aircraft.

"If you still wish to go ahead and use the in-seat power we will require you to complete a disclaimer on departure and you will have to bring your own power supply adaptor.The batteries for battery operated machines have to be either gel or dry cell batteries and you must carry enough battery supply for the entire journey (that is not only the duration of the flight but also any unexpected delays.)

"Please note that for safety reasons, the use of a CPAP is restricted to the cruise phase of the flight only you are not allowed to use it during take off and landing. Please check with crew when you are permitted to use your machine.

"We request you to confirm your medical condition requiring you to use the CPAP machine during the flight.

"Please note you will need to carry a doctors letter confirming you are fit to fly, and your need to use the CPAP during the flight also listing any medication you may require during your trip.

"We hope this information helps with your query. "

At check-in at Heathrow, the check-in staff paged a Singapore Airlines employee, who told me there had been a mistake, the machine was not approved, and could not be used on the flight.  This was a 13 hour flight leaving at 6:30pm.  There was no point in getting upset with the poor soul who had to break the news to me.  But staying awake all night wasn't the best start to a holiday!  Instead, at every stage of the journey I was dutifully asked whether I would need assistance getting on/off the plane -- normally by some hapless Singapore Airlines employee who was confused at why they were asking a healthy individual this question!  I have written a formal letter of complaint to Singapore Airlines, and will follow-up when/if they reply.

[...]

Jonathan.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on October 15, 2012 at 1:02

Thanks for the update Jonathan, and well done for pursuing the matter, which will hopefully help other travellers via Singapore Airlines.  Hope you can use their token gesture on another flight in the future

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