Flying with pump + usual diabetic clobber?!

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Twitchy

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all...i'm having to go on a flight soon (hate, really hate flying!!!) & was just wondering - i know i have to switch pump & handset bluetooth off, avoid scanners etc, but what does everyone do wuth their cannulas etc? I know insulin, test strips etc must go in hand luggage as can't risk freezing in hold, but what about the spare canula & cartridges etc?? :confused: Bit worried aboutspace in hand luggage what with all thebaby clobber/ ents stuff i'll need to carry too... Argh, stressed!!!!! 😱
 
Sorry, lots of 'etc's lol! Stressed... 🙄
 
Twitchy said:
Hi all...i'm having to go on a flight soon (hate, really hate flying!!!) & was just wondering - i know i have to switch pump & handset bluetooth off, avoid scanners etc, but what does everyone do wuth their cannulas etc? I know insulin, test strips etc must go in hand luggage as can't risk freezing in hold, but what about the spare canula & cartridges etc?? :confused: Bit worried aboutspace in hand luggage what with all thebaby clobber/ ents stuff i'll need to carry too... Argh, stressed!!!!! 😱
Click to expand...

Hi Just phone the airline and let them know that you need to take a medical bag on with you as hand luggage - depending on the airline they may want to know the dimensions of your extra bag and the weight. I just flew to Mexico with Thomson and they would allow up to 15kg as extra hand luggage for medical stuff. They want a copy of a Drs letter to confirm you need to have the stuff with you as handluggage and the meds that you are on. My diab nurse did mine. I bought a rucksack with wheels on it to make it easier for me to carry all my medical stuff alongside other handluggage. I carried all my diab stuff with me and didnt put any in the hold - if your luggage got lost you would be stuffed without it!

Manchester airport security said that the pump COULD go through the body scanner - even though I had a letter from my pump company medtronic stating otherwise - I chose to unclip my pump rather than risk ruining it. It didnt go through the x-ray and they just swabbed my pump and spare holiday pump (I imagine for explosives).

Oh BTW altitude does affect your insulin sensitivity and I had to have my pump set to 180% to keep my sugars at a reasonable level - but everyone is different - so you will have to test it out for yourself.

Hope you have a lovely trip - where you off to?
 
I never thought of asking for extra handluggage for medical reasons - what a good idea, thanks Cumbianlass.
I've flown a few times with pump and have put some spare cannulas and reservoir sets in my hold luggage without any problems. The plunger on the reservoirs moved, I guess due to the change in air pressure, but no problems when come to use them.
Personally I never detach pump at security and they usually just swab it to check for explosives.
 
Ooooh yes definitely ask for an extra bag. Easyjet let you take an extra piece of handluggage so I also put my towel in it to save space in my main bag!
 
Thanks everyone! Flying with Easyjet, have called & they have confirmed doc's letter & prescription list will be fine, plus get extra bag, phew!! 🙂 Just need to survive on the slopes now (not a natural winter sports bod by any means...!!!)

Thanks for the tips! xx
 
It's great that Easyjet allows extra hand luggage, but what if you only take hand luggage??? We're off to Switzerland soon and we're only taking hand luggage. So far Carol just took a normal handbag for her stuff. When told to put in hand luggage I told them (Ryanair staff) it was a medical bag and they let me off. I've never phoned beforehand.....
As we're only going for a few days, she won't need that much extra anyway. I actually said that we'd take 3 suitcases full of 2 suitcases worth of clothes, so that I can bring back some of my favourite foods.
 
Off topic, but Monica's comment about bringing back food from Switzerland reminds me of my first trip overseas, when I was 4 years old in late 1960s, travelling by train, ferry and train from Midlands of England, then across Channel, though France and onto Geneva. Our parents were responsible for a party of teenagers, but also took my younger sister and me.

On return journey, a suitcase was lost by French Railways. It contained all my sister's (she was only 2, so even smaller than me) and my clothes - in those days, children took pretty well all their clothes for a given season away on holiday, and as we needed both summer clothes for lake level and warm clothes for mountains, we took pretty well all that fitted us. Far more seriously, according to our parents, all the Swiss chocolate and jam they'd bought. Eventually, it was delivered by a railway worker, much to everyone's relief, as we'd been wearing some very odd clothes for around a week by then!
 
Monica said:
It's great that Easyjet allows extra hand luggage, but what if you only take hand luggage??? We're off to Switzerland soon and we're only taking hand luggage. So far Carol just took a normal handbag for her stuff. When told to put in hand luggage I told them (Ryanair staff) it was a medical bag and they let me off. I've never phoned beforehand.....
As we're only going for a few days, she won't need that much extra anyway. I actually said that we'd take 3 suitcases full of 2 suitcases worth of clothes, so that I can bring back some of my favourite foods.
Click to expand...

When I went to Croatia in May last year I only took hand luggage. I have one of those small suitcases that fits the dimensions of hand luggage exactly, and on top of that I took a big rucksack. I put all my pump stuff in the rucksack as well as my towel to save room in the other bag...🙄

Monica, I didn't ring ahead and tell them I was bringing an extra bag - I printed off the bit in their T&Cs where it says you can bring it, so if anyone questioned me, I could show them.
 
I always put my diabetes paraphernalia into a tupperware container in my hand luggage, doesn't take up that much room. I also raise my TBR to 200% whilst flying. I have always gone through the xray wearing my pump and they have always swabbed it.
 
TBR of 200% 😱
We'll be in the air for about 2 hours. On MDI we only ever had to correct a high on the way home. Never on the way out. Anyone else put a higher tbr on?

Thanks Shiv, I'll try and find that website too.
 
Copepod said:
Far more seriously, according to our parents, all the Swiss chocolate and jam they'd bought. Eventually, it was delivered by a railway worker, much to everyone's relief, as we'd been wearing some very odd clothes for around a week by then!
Click to expand...

Were the chocolates and jam still in the suitcase 😉
 
Yes, fortunately chocolate and jam was still in suitcase, Monica - otherwise there'd have been an international incident! 🙂
 
Copepod said:
Yes, fortunately chocolate and jam was still in suitcase, Monica - otherwise there'd have been an international incident! 🙂
Click to expand...

LOL, too right. Swiss chocolate is necessary 😉 (I do like other countries' chocs too though - except Cadbury's)
 
Monica said:
TBR of 200% 😱
We'll be in the air for about 2 hours. On MDI we only ever had to correct a high on the way home. Never on the way out. Anyone else put a higher tbr on?

Thanks Shiv, I'll try and find that website too.
Click to expand...

To be fair....my 200% TBR was to Antigua...it worked for me, I'm guessing I would still go 150% TBR on short flights.
 
Monica said:
LOL, too right. Swiss chocolate is necessary 😉 (I do like other countries' chocs too though - except Cadbury's)
Click to expand...

I remember when Cadburys did a cheap-and-nasty "chocolate" bar that (to judge by the taste) was only about 5-10% cocoa solids -- it was revolting. 🙄 I'm told that Hersheys (US choc manufacturer) does something similar.

I don't think I've ever had Swiss chocolate (except Toblerone, which probably isn't the finest); my favourite choc is Ritter Sport (German), especially the Mandel (whole almonds) variety.
 
This is very coincidental. I asked a very similar question on Friday somewhere else.

I called BMIbaby today and was told that I didn't need to advise ahead and that a doctor's letter would be enough to check-in with. However, I hadn't even thought about being able to carry extra baggage! As we're carry-on only anything that helps in that way is very useful.

After trawling their FAQs it seems a letter to them may be needed to confirm if an extra bag is allowed.
 
Hi Dave

Nice to see you 🙂

M
 
Still debating as to a holiday abroad this year, but thread has given lots of info I wouldn't have thought of re: flying x
 
Nice to be here Mike. I've watched lots but never contributed.

Adam and Artoo shall be like cousins who never meet!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top