Air Travel With Oxygen

Airline Travel With Oxygen

Quick link: POC Information

Airline travel is available to persons who require in-flight supplemental oxygen. Negotiating the many obstacles, however, can be challenging. As an oxygen user it is your responsibility to make your own arrangements. Patience, perseverance and having the appropriate information available will help you plan your trip. A helpful tip: keep written information in front of you, note with whom you speak, and write down contact information. Airline policies are subject to change without notice. It is recommended that you notify the airline at the time of reservation and 48 hours before flight time that you will be flying with oxygen to verify its policy, and that you carry a copy of the policy and your oxygen prescription with your airline tickets while traveling.

ADVANCE PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL

Your trip begins with the airline. Each airline has its own policy for on-board oxygen transport and in-flight oxygen usage. You will need to contact the individual airline for their current policies regarding oxygen. For general information about traveling with oxygen, click on:www.airlineoxygencouncil.org. You must carry your prescription for oxygen and your Doctor's letter approving air travel with you at all times. Many of the airlines have their own airline specific medical form for your Doctor to fill out. These are generally good for one year. A helpful tip: keep your other medications, prescriptions and forms with you while traveling and not in your checked baggage.

You must carry your prescription for oxygen and your Doctor’s letter approving air travel with you at all times. Many of the airlines have their own airline specific medical form for your Doctor to fill out. These are generally good for one year. A helpful tip: keep your other medications, prescriptions and forms with you while traveling and not in your checked baggage.

Effective May 13, 2009 the Department of Transportation final rule "Nondiscrimination on the Basic of Disability in Air Travel" contains air carrier requirements regarding the use of respiratory assistive devices on aircraft. In the final DOT rule, section 382.133 generally requires that air carriers conducting passenger service must permit someone with a disability to use an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC) on all flights (on aircraft originally designed to have a maximum passenger capacity of more than 19 seats) unless the device does not meet applicable FAA requirements for medical portable electronic devices and does not display a manufacturer’s label that indicates the device meets those FAA requirements.

There are now 21 portable oxygen concentrators approved by the FAA to carry on board your flight.Approved POCs include:

• AirSep Focus
• AirSep Freestyle 5
• AirSep FreeStyle
• AirSep LifeStyle
• Delphi RS-00400
• DeVilbiss iGo
• LifeChoice by Inova Labs
• LifeChoice Activox by Inova Labs
• Inogen One
• Inogen G2
• Inogen One G3
• International Biophysics Life Choice
• Invacare XPO2
• Invacare Solo 2
• Oxlife Independence
• Oxus RS-0400
• Precision Medical EasyPulse
• Respironics EverGo
• Respironics Simply Go
• Sequal
• SeQual SAROS

They can be stowed under the seat in front of you during flight and can be battery powered when not plugged into an electrical socket if available and the Airline allows. Remember: YOU must confirm with your airline carrier 48 hours prior to flight time that you will be bringing on board and using a POC.

NOTE: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE ANY OTHER PERSONAL OXYGEN SYSTEMS ON BOARD. FILLED OXYGEN TANKS (LIQUID OR COMPRESSED GAS) CANNOT BE CHECKED AS BAGGAGE ON ANY AIRLINE. Some airlines may allow empty oxygen equipment to be stowed in baggage but it must be verified as empty and the regulator removed. Check with your airline ahead of time to see if they will allow empty systems/tanks as stowed or checked baggage.

Once you have decided on your oxygen needs, you will need to contact your oxygen provider to see if they can provide you with a POC approved for air travel. If not, you will have to rent or purchase one independently - see POC Information for more details. You will need sufficient battery power to cover pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight time. Remember you will need to arrive at the airport 1 – 2 hours ahead of your flight time. At Gate Check-in you must have battery power for at least 50% longer than your scheduled flying time. For example – if your flying time is 3 hours, you will need 4 ½ hours of battery power) You will need to cover your travel time to the airport, airport waiting time, your flight time and the time it will take you to deplane, pick up your checked baggage and travel to your final destination. Plan ahead for any possible delays. Non-Stop or direct flights will keep the battery time to a minimum.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) provides public tips on safe carriage of batteries and battery-powered devices such as medical equipment. For information on how to safely travel with oxygen equipment batteries, please visit the DOT web site.

You may want to contact your insurance carrier to determine coverage for your oxygen needs while traveling.

At the Airport you will need to pass through Airport Security. If you are traveling with an approved POC, that will need to be identified on the POC itself. All TSA approved oxygen systems can safely be x-rayed if requested. If you are traveling with a portable oxygen system, you will be allowed through the security area after inspection and may take the system to the gate. If the system is not an approved POC you may NOT be permitted to take it onto the airplane and will need someone with you to remove it from the airport. If you do not use an approved POC oxygen supply you will need to arrange for an oxygen supply at your destination. It is very important that you are familiar with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines for “Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions” before you go to the airport. Go the TSA website @ http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/travelers-disabilities-and-medical-conditions for this information.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), of which virtually all US airlines with international routes are members, has a medical manual which includes forms and procedures for documenting medical conditions. Included is a FREMEC (frequent medical travelers medical card) from, which seems designed to streamline the medical clearance process across member airlines. The medical manual can be found here. The IATA site is www.iata.org.

Traveling with CPAP, Bi-Level Device or a Non-Invasive portable ventilator:

If your Physician requires you to travel with CPAP, Bi-Level Device or a Non-Invasive portable ventilator, here is an excellent resource to watch: Traveling with Trilogy: Taking it on the Road.

Other Modes of Travel With Oxygen

Traveling on Amtrak and Cruise Ships:

If you are traveling on an Amtrak train or want to take a cruise, check out these links for their policies and guidelines before booking your trip.

Amtrak: http://www.amtrak.com/accessible-travel-oxygen-equipment

Carnival Cruise Lines: http://www.carnival.com/legal/guests-special-requirements.aspx

Holland America: http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-planning/AccessToExcellence.pdf

Royal Caribbean: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/otherNeeds.do

Top Ships for Cruisers with Disabilities: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=105

Please help us keep this list current. If you are aware of an updated policy, please contact us at:ExecOffice@homeoxygen.org

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

Air Travel With Portable Oxygen Concentrators

What You Need to Know About Flying With POCs.     By Nancy Parode, About.com Guide

While the Air Carrier Access Act obliges air carriers in the U.S. to accommodate passengers with disabilities, there is no regulation requiring airlines to provide medical oxygen during flights. Oxygen is considered to be a hazardous material, and airlines will not allow passengers to carry it onto an airplane. While airlines may, if they wish, provide supplemental medical oxygen, most do not, and the few who do (American Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, as of this writing) assess per-flight segment setup charges for oxygen service.

Airlines may, however, allow passengers to bring portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) onto airplanes, as explained in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular Number 120-95 and Special Federal Air Regulation (SFAR) 106. These documents spell out the requirements for POCs and explain what air carriers may and may not require from passengers who need supplemental medical oxygen during all or part of their flights.

If you are taking an international flight, you may need to comply with two sets of regulations – for example, U.S. and Canadian rules – and you should contact your airline to be sure you understand all the procedures you must follow.

Approved Portable Oxygen Concentrators

If you need supplemental medical oxygen and plan to fly, you'll need to make sure your POC is on the FAA's approved list, which is published in SFAR 106. As of January 7, 2009, the FAA has approved the following portable oxygen concentrators for in-flight use:

AirSep Lifestyle

AirSep Freestyle

Delphi RS-00400

Inogen One

Invacare XPO2

Respironics EverGo

SeQual Eclipse

Portable Oxygen Concentrator Use

While FAA regulations do not require that you tell your air carrier about your POC in advance, nearly all airlines ask you to notify them at least 48 hours before your flight that you intend to bring a POC onboard. Some air carriers, such as Southwest and JetBlue, also ask you to check in for your flight at least one hour before takeoff.

In order to bring your POC onto the airplane with you, you'll need to furnish a copy of a physician's statement to your airline. You should check with your airline to find out whether you'll need to use a special form. Most air carriers require the statement to be written on your doctor's letterhead. Some, like American, AirTran and Delta, expect you to use their form. If you're flying on a code share flight, be sure you know the procedures for both your ticketing airline and the air carrier actually operating your flight.

The physician's statement must include the following information:

A statement about your ability to see, hear and respond to the warning signals on your POC, which are typically flashing lights and audible alarms. You must be able to understand the warning alarms and respond to them without help.

A description of your oxygen requirements – do you need medical oxygen during the entire flight, or only under certain conditions?

A statement describing the maximum oxygen flow rate you require while the aircraft is in flight.

FAA regulations also describe where passengers using POCs may sit and where they must stow their POC. Passengers using POCs may not sit in exit rows, nor may their POCs block another passenger's access to seats or to the airplane's aisles. You must be able to see the alarm lights on your POC when it is stowed. Ideally, you should keep your POC under the seat in front of you.

Powering Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Air carriers are not required to let you plug your POC into the airplane's electrical system. You will need to plan ahead and bring enough batteries to power your POC for your entire flight, including gate time, taxi time, takeoff, in-air time and landing. Almost all U.S. air carriers require you to bring enough batteries to power your POC for 150 percent of "flight time," which includes every minute spent onboard the aircraft, plus an allowance for gate holds and other delays. You will need to contact your airline to find out what your flight time will be, add in a reasonable estimate for delays and transfer times, and multiply that time by 150 percent.

Extra batteries must be carefully packed in your carry-on luggage. You must ensure that the terminals on the batteries are taped or otherwise protected from coming in contact with other items in your bag. (Some batteries have recessed terminals, which do not need to be taped.) You will not be allowed to bring your batteries with you if they are not packed properly.

Your POC and extra batteries are considered medical devices. While they will need to be screened by TSA personnel, they will not count against your carry-on baggage allowance.

Renting Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Several companies rent FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators. If your POC is not on the FAA-approved list, you may wish to bring it along for use at your destination and rent a POC to use in-flight. Two companies that rent FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrators in the U.S. are OxygenToGo and Advanced Aeromedical.

The Bottom Line

The secret to successful travel with a portable oxygen concentrator is advance planning. When you begin to research flights, take a look at each airline's POC requirements. Notify your air carrier that you intend to bring a POC with you as soon as you book your flight. Make sure you understand how soon before your flight your physician should write the required statement (United has particularly restrictive rules) and whether it has to be on letterhead or an airline-specific form. Check on the length of your flight and be generous with your estimate of possible delays, particularly in winter or during peak travel times, so you will bring enough batteries with you.

By planning ahead and preparing for delays, you'll be able to relax both during your flight and at your destination.