Flying - Lancets in hand luggage

[GregP]

I'm flying for the first time since I got my meter. Am I going to have any problems with taking the lancet device/spares through in hand luggage?

 

[Lynn Davies]

Just flew with Jet2 last week - not even mentioned. Had the test kit and spares in my hand luggage.

 

[Amberzak]

Always worth getting a doctors note to say you're diabetic just in case. I'm type one so carry more than just lancets (needles and all my insulin must remain with me). So I got a doctors note.

 

[GregP]

Thanks both for the responses! I'll just have to wing it this time, but will get a doctors letter for the future.

 

[AndBreathe]

Thanks both for the responses! I'll just have to wing it this time, but will get a doctors letter for the future.

I have flown lots and lots since diagnosis, always carrying testing kit, and last time wearing a Libre sensor too. I don't have a letter from my GP explaining anything.

Let's face it the sharp on the lancet is incredibly tiny - fine and short. Unless you have been able to coat it in some radioactive substance, I doubt anyone could come to serious harm from encountering it - even unexpectedly.

For some reason, which I conclude is a wired bra, I always, always have to go for a pat-down by Security staff. This time, wearing my sensor, I though there might be a little chat ensue, but absolutely nothing, despite the sensor (about the size and thickness of a £2 coin) attached to me and felt during the pat down. She didn't even look at my eyes to gauge if I was uncomfortable about her "finding" it.

Just relax. It'll be seamless.

 

[Copepod]

I got a letter some years ago from hospital clinic, not stating a specific date or place of travel, so keep it in my money / passport belt for all overseas travel, although I've never had to show it. Unfortunately, many GPs charge over £10 for such a letter, so winging it will probably be cheaper and as effective.

 

[Stitch147]

I flew with virgin in october and emailed them before I went and they were fine about it, just had it in my hand luggage with no problems.

 

[@Fractis]

I fly a lot, and have never had an issue with my lancet. The luck of the draw is that my bags get searched once in a while (about 20 times since diagnosis) but it has never been a problem. If I am subject to a hand search I always tell them to take care with my test bag as a courtesy.

 

[Matt Cycle]

I don't fly a lot but it seems to be down to the luck of the draw. Not unexpectedly post 9/11 there seemed to be a lot more checking. I have had one of the GP's letters on occasions. The only time I have had an issue was in Antigua when the lady doing the checking started waving my pen around and asking for a doctor's note. Of course on this occasion I didn't have one. She then said it would be the captains's decision. The captain happened to be standing in the queue a couple of places behind me with all the rest of the passengers. (No fast track through for them at that airport - stand in line with the rest of the plebs ). He asked me what it was, I showed him and he shrugged his shoulders and said fine.

 

[GregP]

No issue with lancet on bag check. However the bottle of water i had accidentally left in the side pocket did cause concern! Lol

 

[pottersusan]

I find it amazing that I don't set off the alarms going through the arch with a pump and a cgm!

 

[GregP]

I find it amazing that I don't set off the alarms going through the arch with a pump and a cgm!

I'm lucky that I don't have to go through the arches (pacemaker!) so that won't be a problem 🙂

 

[AndBreathe]

I don't fly a lot but it seems to be down to the luck of the draw. Not unexpectedly post 9/11 there seemed to be a lot more checking. I have had one of the GP's letters on occasions. The only time I have had an issue was in Antigua when the lady doing the checking started waving my pen around and asking for a doctor's note. Of course on this occasion I didn't have one. She then said it would be the captains's decision. The captain happened to be standing in the queue a couple of places behind me with all the rest of the passengers. (No fast track through for them at that airport - stand in line with the rest of the plebs ). He asked me what it was, I showed him and he shrugged his shoulders and said fine.

In the new Antigua Airport there is a crew fast track booth through immigration and Customs, so they have addressed that bit, and added significantly more booths in general, so waiting times are (thankfully) reduced. The general smile rate hasn't gone up much though. I find for a sunshine nation it, they can seem fixated by looking bored in their work, wherever that is. 🙂

Sorry for going off-topic @GregP .

 

[Cowboy Bob]

In the new Antigua Airport there is a crew fast track booth through immigration and Customs, so they have addressed that bit, and added significantly more booths in general, so waiting times are (thankfully) reduced. The general smile rate hasn't gone up much though. I find for a sunshine nation it, they can seem fixated by looking bored in their work, wherever that is. 🙂

Sorry for going off-topic @GregP .

I used to work in Antigua, and the old airport was hilarious, you could tell who had been before because as soon as their feet touched the tarmac they'd run towards the customs area no matter how hot it was outside. If you walked, you be facing a 3 hour+ queue. They love to take their time with everything. Once ordered a taxi at 1am, it turned up at 2am with the driver saying it was "gridlock man", didn't see anything other than a few dogs on my journey. Loved the place, even though it was infuriating at times.

 

[SB2015]

With Singapore airlines, I made the mistake of asking beforehand whether it was going to be okay to use the Bluetooth on my pump and handset. That triggered lots of letters, form filling and the provision of assistance at each change of plane, which I rejected. Now I just take my letter which I have only had to show once, and the pump never seems to trigger the metal detector.

 

[Sally71]

Most airport security people see loads of diabetics and are so used to all the paraphernalia that they barely raise an eyebrow. We always take a doctor's letter just in case though. Funnily enough the only thing which they wanted to see in our baggage was the insulin, which I had put in a Frio bag to keep it cool. I guess the gel stuff inside the bag, with vial shapes inside that, must have looked rather exciting on the scanner! Once I started to explain what it was they lost interest and didn't even want to look inside the Frio.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I'm flying for the first time since I got my meter. Am I going to have any problems with taking the lancet device/spares through in hand luggage?

When I first read the title at had a good giggle as was imagining lancets flying around the hand luggage 😱

 

[AndBreathe]

I used to work in Antigua, and the old airport was hilarious, you could tell who had been before because as soon as their feet touched the tarmac they'd run towards the customs area no matter how hot it was outside. If you walked, you be facing a 3 hour+ queue. They love to take their time with everything. Once ordered a taxi at 1am, it turned up at 2am with the driver saying it was "gridlock man", didn't see anything other than a few dogs on my journey. Loved the place, even though it was infuriating at times.

I have transited through Antigua more times than I care to recall and learned very early on there was a way to ensure a much more rapid transition. It no longer applies, now the new airport in open, and on my most recent journey through officialdom there it took less than 30 minutes.

At Antigua, I've had lost luggage, almost missed connecting flights, run across the tarmac barefoot as the flight was leaving without me, got drenched between terminal and plane, been delayed overnight (several times!) and many more adventures. Not all on the same trip, I hasten to add!