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Flying With A CPAP


Daniel A
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This is a little off topic but I have to get a BPAP machine (similar to CPAP  but a little different and I think a little stronger).    The medical equipment price is about $3,000 but on Amazon it is only about $800?   The more expensive one does include them monitoring the efficiency  (there is a modem) and setting up numbers etc. remotely for pressure and humidity levels.    Does anyone know if that can be done by any other place if I buy the machine from Amazon?

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Hubby used to carry his CPAP in the hand luggage type piece to a 4 piece set of luggage.  His old machine case would not hold his mask.  There was enough room to add my nebulizer and a power strip. Occasional there was an extra item that was not medical but if questioned was moveable if need be.   I recently got a cpap and he got this replaces. I looked hard for a carryon case that met the minimal dimensions for a carry on and couldn’t find one that would actually hold them inside, so I made one! The dimensions were 21x14x 8 I believe as a small British air had a more restricted measurement and were claiming medical equipment was not free.  We now have a near perfect bag for 2 CPAPs, a nebulizer, and a spare scooter battery.  Yep, the scooter chargers and the power strip too.  The power strip is needed for hotels but we put it in our checked luggage for cruises so it makes it on the ship.  After that we normally don’t need it until the hotel at the end of the cruise. 

 

The plan was a success.  I put an expense Medical Equipment luggage tag on the outside and with the exception of airports not liking how batteries X-ray and needing to actually see it even in precheck it’s relatively quick.  The bag fit nicely in the overhead and since I made it out of upholstery fabric will probably outlast the CPAPs.  

 

Never would we consider shipping them as checked luggage!  If we are careful we may be able to get out medicines in the bag too.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

My wife and I both use CPAP, and we bought a carry-on spinner bag and purchased an egg crate mattress pad and cut it to fit under the liner. It fits both perfectly, and our sleep doctor actually told us we should make them to sell. Unzip the top, exposed for security and never hasseled.

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1 hour ago, dreric said:

My wife and I both use CPAP, and we bought a carry-on spinner bag and purchased an egg crate mattress pad and cut it to fit under the liner. It fits both perfectly, and our sleep doctor actually told us we should make them to sell. Unzip the top, exposed for security and never hasseled.

I needed a carryon for an very conservative airline that had an 8 inch limit.  Couldn’t get two cases in any carryon I tried.  Unfortunately I also needed to include a battery.   I like the idea of the shock absorption though.  I’d love to be able to ship in a suitcase and know the CPAPs would arrive safely.  Battery can’t be shipped. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/22/2019 at 11:39 AM, Id rather be diving said:

Just to answer your question about checking a CPAP.  We have checked ours numerous times.  It goes in the bag it came in and then that bag in a rolleraboard  size suitcase that is made for scuba diving equipment.  Also out other things related like extensions cords, tools for my husband’s scooter, and a non slip nat for the shower.  I ordered a luggage strap that has MEDICAL EQUIPMENT embroidered on it.  Thankfully, we never had an issue with losing or breaking.  I know it’s taking a chance but with all the other stuff we have to take it’s a chance I’m willing to take.  That being said we have now bought travel size ones that we carry on when doing an overnight flight so we can use on the plane.

Hello, would you have any recommendations on your travel size CPAP’s? Just have the standard size model and are considering options since we love to travel!

 

thanks!  Rick & Diana

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4 hours ago, rjs412 said:

Hello, would you have any recommendations on your travel size CPAP’s? Just have the standard size model and are considering options since we love to travel!

 

thanks!  Rick & Diana

 

Rick and Diana

We have the Z2 travel cpap.  I chose this one because it’s small, runs on batteries or can be plugged in, the battery can be charged in the power shell, and most importantly, for us, was the fact that we could use the mask that we use at home.  That way we didn’t have to adjust to a different mask.

 

https://www.apriadirect.com/z2-travel-auto-cpap-machine-by-human-design-medical

 

 

It is a little different than our home ones so took a little getting used to but we do really like them now that we've got used to them.  We bought the Q tube but don’t seem much difference in the noise with it or without so I’d buy the machine first and see if the noise bothers you before investing in the Qtube.  They are louder than our home ones but just another thing to get used to.

 

we ended up having to return our batteries and power shells as one of the batteries would not charge.  We could not figure out if it was the battery or the power shell so they just exchanged both batteries and power shells.  The new batteries are bigger than the ones we had but last longer.  We usually only take the batteries if we are flying overnight and need to sleep on the plane.

 

Apria direct is having a sale now so if you are interested I’d check them out.  Our insurance wouldn’t buy them since we already had home ones, but we felt the investment was worth it.  I love if we have an early morning flight I don’t have to pack our machines after we get up...the travel ones are all ready to go.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

 

Kari

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26 minutes ago, Id rather be diving said:

 

Rick and Diana

We have the Z2 travel cpap.  I chose this one because it’s small, runs on batteries or can be plugged in, the battery can be charged in the power shell, and most importantly, for us, was the fact that we could use the mask that we use at home.  That way we didn’t have to adjust to a different mask.

 

https://www.apriadirect.com/z2-travel-auto-cpap-machine-by-human-design-medical

 

 

It is a little different than our home ones so took a little getting used to but we do really like them now that we've got used to them.  We bought the Q tube but don’t seem much difference in the noise with it or without so I’d buy the machine first and see if the noise bothers you before investing in the Qtube.  They are louder than our home ones but just another thing to get used to.

 

we ended up having to return our batteries and power shells as one of the batteries would not charge.  We could not figure out if it was the battery or the power shell so they just exchanged both batteries and power shells.  The new batteries are bigger than the ones we had but last longer.  We usually only take the batteries if we are flying overnight and need to sleep on the plane.

 

Apria direct is having a sale now so if you are interested I’d check them out.  Our insurance wouldn’t buy them since we already had home ones, but we felt the investment was worth it.  I love if we have an early morning flight I don’t have to pack our machines after we get up...the travel ones are all ready to go.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

 

Kari

My goodness that’s small!  The cost is similar to the battery cost for the Dreamstation.  We decided against the battery because we can make it overnight, reasonably without the CPAP.  If the flight attendants did wake me up just walking down the aisle which causes my seat to vibrate, I might consider one just to stay asleep.  As for snoring, the planes are so noisy that they coverup any snoring that someone might hear.  

 

I now have a scooter so we carry external batteries already.  I’m not sure whether I’d exceed the allowed batteries, whether it is per device or per person!  The z2 would eliminate that problem.  Since I use a nasal cushion the bulk for the Z2 is the hose and the charger.  And there is always the problem with water! 

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On 12/12/2019 at 11:56 AM, Id rather be diving said:

 

Rick and Diana

We have the Z2 travel cpap.  I chose this one because it’s small, runs on batteries or can be plugged in, the battery can be charged in the power shell, and most importantly, for us, was the fact that we could use the mask that we use at home.  That way we didn’t have to adjust to a different mask.

 

https://www.apriadirect.com/z2-travel-auto-cpap-machine-by-human-design-medical

 

 

It is a little different than our home ones so took a little getting used to but we do really like them now that we've got used to them.  We bought the Q tube but don’t seem much difference in the noise with it or without so I’d buy the machine first and see if the noise bothers you before investing in the Qtube.  They are louder than our home ones but just another thing to get used to.

 

we ended up having to return our batteries and power shells as one of the batteries would not charge.  We could not figure out if it was the battery or the power shell so they just exchanged both batteries and power shells.  The new batteries are bigger than the ones we had but last longer.  We usually only take the batteries if we are flying overnight and need to sleep on the plane.

 

Apria direct is having a sale now so if you are interested I’d check them out.  Our insurance wouldn’t buy them since we already had home ones, but we felt the investment was worth it.  I love if we have an early morning flight I don’t have to pack our machines after we get up...the travel ones are all ready to go.

 

Let me know if you have other questions.

 

Kari

 

Kari,

 

Thank you very much for your kind and informative reply!  We appreciate it!

 

Rick & Diana

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an FYI...if you are on Bi-Pap, thé travel version is not configured for that.

I just flew last evening with Bi-Pap and portable oxygen, the Bi-Pap in its own bag and the oxygen in an under the seat roller. 
No issues at TSA or on the plane , 

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