United Airlines new carry-on policy goes into effect March 1

I haven't been to London for several years, so my experience may no longer be relevant. When I flew from London, I was permitted only one carry-on bag and no exceptions were made for CPAP machines. As a result, I had to jam my CPAP machine into my backpack, and put my hose and mask in the suitcase that was checked.

I recently check the luggage restrictions with British Airways. CPAP are not allowed in checked luggage. They are carry on only.

This may present a problem as next time i fly to London as i want to take my personal machine plus an additional machine to give to a family friend. Although i should be OK, one bag would be my regular carry on and the other cpap would be my medical device allowance.

British Airways word the restriction as follows

Portable medical electronic devices (Automated External Defibrillators (AED),
Nebulizer, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)), etc containing lithium metal
or lithium ion cells or batteries may be carried.

It sounds like they are implying that CPAP have lithium ion batteries inside Do they? I didn't think so

Computer boards [including the one in your cpap] have a watch battery (sometimes lithium) on board to maintain time.
--But so does a wristwatch; so that makes no sense. -- that's regulations for you.

Becky913 wrote:I used to work for the Transportation Security Administration screening airline passengers. I have never seen the TSA or airlines pay that close of attention to the dimensions of a bag unless its outrageously large. I am sure your bag size will be fine.

But from a different prospective.

I have seen people try to stuff those "over-sized" bags into the overhead storage bins or even under the seats.

Once, I told a guy I had a shoe horn he could use.
He did not think I was funny!

I, for one, would love to see the airlines more closely police those size restrictions.

Also I once missed a flight because the desk agent taking in checked luggage allowed 3 different people (they were all together) take stuff out of their checked luggage because they were overweight & subject to the overweight charge. Each of the 3 did this 2 or 3 times each & after each removal the agent would weight the luggage again for them.

I was at the airport in plenty of time to make my flight, but that fiasco took so much time, I could NOT check the 1 bag I had to check & therefore missed my flight. And that cost me $150.00 X 2 = $300.00 to change to another flight.

So, I would also like to see that people with overweight bags to be checked either be immediately assessed the overweight fee or be pushed aside to solve their overweight problem on their own.

Now, when I have any checked luggage, I always do it through the kiosk.
That way, they call you ahead of the other people in the line when they get your information at their computer.

The TSA doesn't have anything to say about bag size in this instance. It is the gate agent who will force people to use the "sizer". This is an revenue ploy and has nothing to do with safety or whether or not something will actually fit in an overhead bin.

If anyone is interested there is a full discussion about it at FlyerTalk http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-a ... 014-a.html

AND AGAIN.... This has nothing to do with being allowed to bring your CPAP on-board, except the size of the bag its being carried in.

If your bag doesn't fit easily in the sizer you will be required to check-it, FOR THE CHECKED BAGGAGE FEE. I'll report back how it goes.

I do use my CPAP on-board on a regular basis and the external battery is Lithium Ion that's why there is that stipulation in the British Airways blurb. Lithium Ion batteries aren't supposed to be carried in the hold of the plane because of the potential of them catching fire, if they are in the cabin at least something may be able to be done to deal with a fire caused by one, is the theory.

Becky913 wrote:I used to work for the Transportation Security Administration screening airline passengers. I have never seen the TSA or airlines pay that close of attention to the dimensions of a bag unless its outrageously large. I am sure your bag size will be fine.

backdoc wrote:If your bag doesn't fit easily in the sizer you will be required to check-it,

I was talking with a friend today who is fairly high up with the TSA about this new policy and this discussion. He said you could show up with a bag 4'x4'x4' and as long as it's medical necessary equipment and all contents within are medical it will be allowed as it Is not defined as "carry on" it is medical equipment, therefore exempt from size regulations by any airline now or in the future unless they redefine the regulations which is doubtful unless people begin to abuse it. If you have any issue you should have the TSA manager on duty to resolve it as they are trained to deal with "airline ignorance" on this type of matter.

greyhound wrote:I haven't been to London for several years, so my experience may no longer be relevant. When I flew from London, I was permitted only one carry-on bag and no exceptions were made for CPAP machines. As a result, I had to jam my CPAP machine into my backpack, and put my hose and mask in the suitcase that was checked.

I had the same experience at Heathrow...one carry- on...no exceptions.

I pack smart, I carry my toothpaste and shoes in my cpap bag. Jim

Not really, my flying days are over, nothing I need to see.

Are these United carry-on dimensions different than they were 6-12 months ago? I can't seem to find this information.

Sleepugly, I was able to find a website that indicated that United started using 3-D templates to size carry-on luggage in Denver in Nov 1998. The size that was reported for these templates was 22x9x14, which is the same as the OP reported for the "new" restrictions. My suspicion is that United intends to actually start enforcing the size restrictions. I fly United a lot and have never had them ask about the size of my carry-on bag. I also found a company posting for last November that indicated this was coming because some bags are taking up the space of two "legal" bags in the overhead bins.

As for the comments about one bag limits at Heathrow, this was a restriction that was instituted several years ago by the British Airport Authorities (BAA) and applied to all airlines and anyone even passing through an airport managed by BAA. According to the Heathrow website, you are currently allowed two carry-on items.

ubnoxus wrote:

backdoc wrote:If your bag doesn't fit easily in the sizer you will be required to check-it,

I was talking with a friend today who is fairly high up with the TSA about this new policy and this discussion. He said you could show up with a bag 4'x4'x4' and as long as it's medical necessary equipment and all contents within are medical it will be allowed as it Is not defined as "carry on" it is medical equipment, therefore exempt from size regulations by any airline now or in the future unless they redefine the regulations which is doubtful unless people begin to abuse it. If you have any issue you should have the TSA manager on duty to resolve it as they are trained to deal with "airline ignorance" on this type of matter.

It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the TSA - NOTHING! The airline can decide you can only carry on a wallet and your cpap machine. Nothing to do with TSA which is concerned with security. The fight attendant at the door can legally insist that you put your cpap and all your carryon into checked luggage if the feel there is already too much hand baggage on board and it is not safe to have more. Again nothing to do with the TSA.

Only flights originating or going to the USA have to let you bring your cpap free of charge.

FWIW, I have traveled all over the world with my CPAP in my checked luggage. I have had it for over 11 years and I use it nightly (don't sleep well without it). It spent 2 years with me in Iraq (06-08). I took it through Europe for 2 weeks on my honeymoon. I've flow domestically all over the country and never had an issue with checking it.

One of the reasons I check it is because it is huge. Back when I got the thing 11 years ago they were all excited because it was considered portable (I guess because it had a handle built in to it). It takes up the majority of a carry-on bag. In my checked luggage I can pad it with clothing and protect it.

BlackSpinner wrote:It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the TSA - NOTHING!

I didn't say it did, all I said was I talked to a friend that worked for TSA, very involved in the security portion which causes issues when an issue breaks out, (i.e. Flight attendant does not allow a CPAP machine to be carried on (allowed per FAA regulations). He must be aware of and train his minions what is and is not allowed. So he told me what information he is aware of, which is medical necessary equipment is not subject to size restriction or carry on guidelines. Was passing along what I was told so do not get you panties in a bunch, if you don't like the info don't use it. Was passing it along for those worried about the change.

Dear Ubnoxus,
Thanks for passing along your info. Some people like to beat a subject to death and make more of it and go on and on about things! Let them argue back and forth about a subject we already know the answers to Hahahahaha!

Yeah I get tired of the "well you know nothing attitude" but it's ok I read here for a fews years and never contributed I can go back to it again