Travelling with a CPAP (any incidents?)
Mar 24, 2014, 11:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
Travelling with a CPAP (any incidents?)
I have been flying with a CPAP for a few years and I have logged a lot of miles recently, in the order of a few hundred thousand a year. I usually take my CPAP as a separate carry on or put it in my roller board. I have never been questioned about it or had any problems with it UNTIL THIS WEEK. I was just going away for the weekend so I packed it in my roller board with my clothes on top and around it. At both of my flights, boarding in LGA and YYZ I was called in for secondary inspection specifically to examine the CPAP. Were there any incidents that would have lead to this increased scrutiny or was it mere coincidence?
Mar 24, 2014, 8:53 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
No. First time they asked if I had a CPAP and said they had to look at it, second time they said we need to look at your CPAP, so they knew what it was.
Mar 25, 2014, 8:45 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
Funny. I have literally taken it through security hundreds of times and this was the first and second time it was ever "checked", one after the other. That's why I asked if anyone was aware of any incidents or perhaps a new directive.
Apr 23, 2014, 2:01 am
#8
Moderator: Mileage Run, United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: The City/Honolulu
Programs: UA 3MM; Hyatt Glob*****; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,473
Occasionally, you get the stickler that has to run it through outside the case and/or swab it. I usually hit 2 airports a year that require it. Most don't bother.
Apr 23, 2014, 5:43 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
May 4, 2014, 5:49 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
I fly weekly and almost always get TSA pre-check and am consistently told to take the motor part of the cpap out.
since were talking cpap, any tips to make it easier to travel with it--I know it doesnt count against carry on limit but its another thing to carry....
since were talking cpap, any tips to make it easier to travel with it--I know it doesnt count against carry on limit but its another thing to carry....
May 5, 2014, 11:24 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 47
If you travel enough it's worth investing in a travel size CPAP. I use the Transcend 2 which weighs just a little less than 1 pound and the main unit measures about 6"x4"x3" and fits in my briefcase with mask & hose (I use 2 18" hoses with a coupler as that's plenty long for me & takes less space than the 6' hose). It's a great little unit and makes travel so much easier. There is also a new unit called the Z1 which is even a bit smaller. One additional benefit, TSA seems to have no interest in checking this unit... when I traveled with my full size unit it was flagged for swabbing or additional inspection almost half the time.
May 5, 2014, 2:58 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
If you travel enough it's worth investing in a travel size CPAP. I use the Transcend 2 which weighs just a little less than 1 pound and the main unit measures about 6"x4"x3" and fits in my briefcase with mask & hose (I use 2 18" hoses with a coupler as that's plenty long for me & takes less space than the 6' hose). It's a great little unit and makes travel so much easier. There is also a new unit called the Z1 which is even a bit smaller. One additional benefit, TSA seems to have no interest in checking this unit... when I traveled with my full size unit it was flagged for swabbing or additional inspection almost half the time.
May 5, 2014, 7:15 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
I have a Medigas. Not that large. If I am on a short trip, I usually leave the humidifier unit behind and use the spare room in the case for some of my packing and put the case in my rollerboard. I still have room for a pair of shoes, shirts, slacks, jeans, etc which is good for a week or so.
Jun 21, 2014, 11:13 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Fresno
Posts: 195
I travelled last week for the first time with a CPAP. I was dreading the extra hassle only to find out I had NONE. At both checkpoints I went thru, I pointed to my bag and said "medical" to the person manning the xray belt and one said "yup" and the other one said "that's a cpap, I've seen millions of them."
I was also expecting grief over having an extra carryon bag and I was careful to only pack medical items (medications) in the extra space in my cpap bag. No one said a word to me.
Cali
I was also expecting grief over having an extra carryon bag and I was careful to only pack medical items (medications) in the extra space in my cpap bag. No one said a word to me.
Cali
Jun 24, 2014, 1:54 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Tri-State Area
Posts: 4,728
I do 3-4 overseas trips a year, each 2-3 wks and hitting 4-5 countries each time. Personally I prefer getting a good night's sleep over the portability of a 'travel' unit. I've been carrying a ResMed S8 autoset II for almost 5 years [don't use humidifier]. I also never ever check bags. I hand carry on-board a Tumi roller bag and a eBag.com weekend convertible jr size bag.
Only time I ever had a problem was in Cambodia; they want me to throw up the blue painters tape in my bag! Never a problem domestic or international with the machine.
And I also use cpap in-flight on the longer trans-pacific routes without ever a problem.
And I also use cpap in-flight on the longer trans-pacific routes without ever a problem.