Advice for flying!

S

Salmepal

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi there, first holiday as Type 2 and flying from Manchester to Tenerife.
Can I pack my blood glucose monitoring stuff in my hand luggage it does it have to go in the hold? Big thanks xx
 
You can put it in your hand luggage...it will fine there.By the way have a good holiday.
 
Salmepal said:
Hi there, first holiday as Type 2 and flying from Manchester to Tenerife.
Can I pack my blood glucose monitoring stuff in my hand luggage it does it have to go in the hold? Big thanks xx
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Keep it in your hand luggage - and get a letter from your GP saying that you need to carry needles, so that you can show it to the Customs people if necessary. Sometimes when I'm flying I need to show the letter and sometimes I don't.
 
I always have a copy of my prescriptions on me, just in case, and I carry all my medication in my hand luggage.
 
CliffH said:
Keep it in your hand luggage - and get a letter from your GP saying that you need to carry needles, so that you can show it to the Customs people if necessary. Sometimes when I'm flying I need to show the letter and sometimes I don't.
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I would not bother with the letter. In 20 years and, literally, hundreds of flights around the world, I have needed my letter once.
I do not think it is worth the money a GP will charge to write a letter.
If you are concerned, take your prescription.

(Actually, Customs have never been concerned. Airport security are the guys who may ask questions but they are really only interested in sharps longer than 5cm.)
 
I just travelled to Tenerife without a letter but I did take a recent prescription with my insulins listed on it. To be honest, apart from it being liquid, I don't see any reason why we need to justify our possession of it because other travellers on tablet forms of medication do not need to carry authorisation for their medication and they are also prescribed drugs. It is purely the safety risk with liquids as far as I can see, so if they were to query it, the prescription would be your proof that it has been prescribed to you and therefore is most likely insulin and not something that has been "substituted" and made to look like insulin. We should not really feel any more concerned about it than a container of moisturiser or whatever other liquid we carry on except that we could not afford for it to be confiscated and therefore go out of our way to prove it is what it appears to be.
 
Salmepal said:
Hi there, first holiday as Type 2 and flying from Manchester to Tenerife.
Can I pack my blood glucose monitoring stuff in my hand luggage it does it have to go in the hold? Big thanks xx
Click to expand...

helli said:
I would not bother with the letter. In 20 years and, literally, hundreds of flights around the world, I have needed my letter once.
I do not think it is worth the money a GP will charge to write a letter.
If you are concerned, take your prescription.

(Actually, Customs have never been concerned. Airport security are the guys who may ask questions but they are really only interested in sharps longer than 5cm.)
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Sorry, I meant airport security rather than Customs. In a few places that I've flown to, security have insisted on seeing inside the cool bag: in such situations the letter certainly gives me peace of mind. In some countries I've been to (Belarus and the USA spring to mind), a British man travelling by himself seems to be regarded with suspicion anyway.
 
Carry on into the cabin. Never had an issue with a finger pricker. I assume if the meter has batteries it will be swabbed & cleared as non-explosive. Have a great trip!
 
CliffH said:
Sorry, I meant airport security rather than Customs. In a few places that I've flown to, security have insisted on seeing inside the cool bag: in such situations the letter certainly gives me peace of mind. In some countries I've been to (Belarus and the USA spring to mind), a British man travelling by himself seems to be regarded with suspicion anyway.
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Do you not put your insulin vials/pens/cartridges in your clear plastic bag of liquids for airport security. If not, then carrying liquids through security in an obscure cool bag will likely attract more attention as it is like not declaring it or if you declare it it is not presented as security ask which makes it more suspicious I would say.
Why do you need them in a cool bag?
 
rebrascora said:
Do you not put your insulin vials/pens/cartridges in your clear plastic bag of liquids for airport security. If not, then carrying liquids through security in an obscure cool bag will likely attract more attention as it is like not declaring it or if you declare it it is not presented as security ask which makes it more suspicious I would say.
Why do you need them in a cool bag?
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It's the sharps that I'm more concerned about: I keep all my diabetes stuff together in a cool bag.
 
Absolutely fine in hand luggage @Salmepal

Have a smashing time!
 
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rebrascora said:
Do you not put your insulin vials/pens/cartridges in your clear plastic bag of liquids for airport security. If not, then carrying liquids through security in an obscure cool bag will likely attract more attention as it is like not declaring it or if you declare it it is not presented as security ask which makes it more suspicious I would say.
Why do you need them in a cool bag?
Click to expand...
When I flew the other weekend from Manchester airport, the posters up were advising one clear bag for liquids and one for medication - I didn't pay much attention at Dublin on the way back as we only had inhalers by then (it was a day trip so I had taken just one day's worth of my prescriptions with the original packaging just in case I had any problems- with not being on insulin if they had taken my medication I would have been OK waiting until 2am when I got home, but preferred to have my medication and take at normal time).

But if that's generally acceptable by airports then a medication clear bag inside the cool bag with the insulin, to be removed and put beside it in the tray just to go through the security checks, might be an easier option for @CliffH - keeps all the diabetes stuff still together but also shows the medication clearly
 
Sounds like another great reason to get reusable insulin pens so you only have to put the cartridge(s) in the bag rather than pen(s).
As I have a pump, the only liquid medication I carry is a vial of insulin plus two spare pen cartridges in case my pump fails. They easily fit in the clear bag with my toiletries.
 
For sharps when I am away I just gather them in a pot, and out that in my checked in bag. If you only have hand luggage there should still be no problem. I carry needles in the small case with my spare pens.

I have also found that there are often sharps disposal bins available in airports.
 
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