Airline Oxygen

When the times comes for who have a respiratory condition and need to travel on an airline, oxygen supplies used to be a challenge. Today there are far more options than ever that can make it much easier than ever to travel. Thanks to recent changes is its regulations, the FAA now allows passengers to carry their own portable oxygen concentrators with them as carryon baggage. Prior to this you either had to go without your oxygen concentrator or request that the airline be prepared to supply you with a tank of oxygen. Depending on the airline, oxygen tanks may or may not have been available for you to use. You were not allowed to bring your own supply of oxygen, which could lead to other problems. One of the biggest problems that many people encountered was that while the airline might supply you with an oxygen tank to use while you are in flight, it may or may not have contained enough oxygen for the entire trip. In most cases this was quite obvious by the size of the tank as most people know how long a particular size of tank will last.

In other instances the tank of airline oxygen may not have been properly filled and end up running low before the flight was over. If you were lucky enough to realize that the tank was too small or low before the flight you could make other arrangements or cancel your flight. If on the other hand you did not find out until your were in mid-flight you could end up with respiratory distress and end up needing medical attention that was most likely not available on the flight. Beginning in May of 2009 to make sure that a person with a medical condition has access to the needed oxygen, all airlines must allow those with a written doctor's order to carry their own portable oxygen concentrators on all flights. This law is applicable to all US airlines whether the flight is a domestic flight or an international one. This applies as long as the portable unit is on the list of approved units, which is a fairly extensive list. If you must travel and use oxygen, the airline will probably ask that you notify them in advance to make sure that you do not suffer any unnecessary delays.

This will also help you in getting through security, unless you are lucky enough to find a security officer that has seen a portable oxygen concentrator he may not want to let you through the gates. You should also carry your prescription with you to make sure that you are not stopped from boarding your flight. If you are looking for an approved POC to supply your oxygen the airline will have no problem allowing you to take on board, you need to visit Liberty O2. Here you will find a complete selection of portable oxygen concentrators that all meet with the standards listed by both the FAA and most major airlines. With proper planning and the right equipment your trip should go off without a hitch.