Flying With a Medical Condition? Planning Ahead Can Make Your Flight a Breeze

Flying With a Medical Condition? Planning Ahead Can Make Your Flight a Breeze - Being disabled doesn't have to keep you from getting on a plane. A little advance planning can help make flying a pleasant experience. Would you love to get away to a tropical island, a distant country or even to another state to visit loved ones? If you have a disability, something as simple as getting on an airplane can be daunting. But there's no reason to let a medical condition keep you from taking to the skies.

The Air Carrier Access Act

According to the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines must treat all passengers equally. This includes people with disabilities or medical conditions.

• An airline cannot deny you transportation because of a disability.
• The airline cannot limit the number of people with disabilities on a flight.
• Sometimes a disability affects a passenger's appearance or causes involuntary behavior. Even if this behavior is offensive or inconvenient to others, that person will not be denied the right to fly.
• A passenger may be denied the right to board if a medical condition threatens the health or safety of others.
• In some situations, a certificate from a doctor may be needed. This should state that the passenger is well enough to fly or doesn't have a communicable disease that could infect other passengers.

Plan ahead

If you have a wheelchair, let the airline know in advance. This will ensure you an aisle seat, which makes getting in and out of your wheelchair easier. Some airlines provide aisle seats that are also wheelchairs. These are easily moved down the aisle, making access to the restroom easier.

Attendants

The airlines require certain passengers to travel with an attendant, including those who:

• Will be traveling on a stretcher
• Have mental disabilities that keep them from understanding safety instructions
• Have impairments that would keep them from evacuating the plane in an emergency

Clearing security

Once screened, all medical equipment, aids and devices are allowed through security. There are normally limits to the amounts of liquids, gels and aerosols that may be carried onboard. Exceptions are made, though, for people who require certain medications.

Disability-related items allowed through security include:

• Wheelchairs and scooters
• Crutches, canes and walkers
• Prosthetic devices
• Casts
• Orthopedic shoes, support braces and appliances
• CPAP machines and respirators
• Ostomy products
• Exterior medical devices
• Infant sleep apnea monitors
• Hearing aids and cochlear implants
• Diabetes medication, equipment and supplies
• Oxygen
• Service animals

Special screening isn't required if you can clear security without activating the system. Security may examine any assistive device you carry, though.

If you do activate the system, officials will do a physical search. You may request to have it done privately. Some airports will have handheld devices that can screen you without the need for a search.

Hidden disabilities

Ask your doctor if your medical device may be affected by metal detectors or hand wands. If so, you may request a patdown instead. This may include persons with:

• A pacemaker
• A defibrillator
• Metal implants
• An insulin pump
• Diabetes

The following diabetes supplies are permitted through security:

• Insulin and injectors
• Syringes
• Lancets, meters, test strips, etc.
• Insulin pumps and pump supplies
• Glucagon emergency kits
• Urine ketone test strips
• Sharps containers
• Service animals

Service animals may fly with you at no additional cost. They must have medical clearance certificates from a vet.

The plane

If you use an assistive device, you may bring it on board, unless it violates FAA safety regulations. It may be stowed in overhead compartments or under your seat. In some cases, wheelchairs might have to be taken apart. These items are given priority over other passengers' baggage. Disabled passengers are often able to pre-board the plane.

If you have a connecting flight, tell airline staff in advance. Try to schedule your flight so you have at least an hour lag time between them. Someone from the airline will help you get from one flight to another.

The flight crew can also help you if you need assistance with:

• Moving to and from your seat when boarding and leaving the aircraft
• Opening an in-flight meal package
• Moving to and from the restroom
• Loading and unloading your carry-on items, including assistive devices

Keep in mind that airline crew members are not permitted to lift or carry any passengers.

Have a nice flight

A medical condition doesn't have to keep you from traveling. Planning ahead can make that getaway possible and make your flight hassle-free.

Related Articles:

• Enjoy Your Flight With These Health Tips
• How to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) When Traveling
• How To Create and Make a Senior Travel Health Kit
• A First Aid Kit for Travelers

SOURCES:

• U.S. Department of Transportation. New horizons: information for the air traveler with a disability.
• Transportation Security Administration. Travelers with disabilities and medical conditions.
• Transportation Security Administration. Hidden disabilities.