has anyone seen people using CPAP on long haul flights?

[CPAPSteve]

Something that just crossed my mind - Have anyone here seen people on an airplane seen someone using a CPAP? Have you personally used your CPAP on a plane and have people stared at you wondering what was going on?

[chunkyfrog]

Not everyone would have the courage to use it--but the snoring and
struggling to breathe might be more disturbing to other passengers.
Ask a flight attendant. Please report back.

[LSAT]

Something that just crossed my mind - Have anyone here seen people on an airplane seen someone using a CPAP? Have you personally used your CPAP on a plane and have people stare at you wondering what was going on?

Why would they stare at you The only people with a view would be in your row.....Maybe they will wonder why you are using a "for Her" machine...

[Cardsfan]

I've used my Dreamstation GO with battery on flights. Nobody gave me a 2nd look. About the only person who can see you is your seat mate right next to you. Most people were busy with their own books, computers, sleeping, etc. I didn't ask permission to use it, I just set it up and used it. No big deal.

[CPAPSteve]

Something that just crossed my mind - Have anyone here seen people on an airplane seen someone using a CPAP? Have you personally used your CPAP on a plane and have people stare at you wondering what was going on?

Why would they stare at you The only people with a view would be in your row.....Maybe they will wonder why you are using a "for Her" machine...

Being new to all of this I sometimes wonder if anyone would go to the trouble of setting up their machines and since I've never seen it on a plane before that I wonder if people would take notice (not that it would actually matter). I doubt I'd use mine on a plane - I mean I use a FFM so it would look like I was flying the plane like a fighter pilot... lol

[trekwars2000]

Just started mine a week ago and I plan to use it in the future on int'l flights. I dont see much of a benefit to use it in Economy, only business or first.

My next int'l flight is in about two months. LAS-SFO-TPE-BKK. SFO-TPE is 13.5 hours and leaves at 0100 in the evening. After the meal, I plan to get out the machine and see how much sleep I can get with it. Of course it helps that there is a ledge to set the machine on and there will be a power port at the seat.

EVA.jpg (493.4 KiB) Viewed 20458 times

[palerider]

I doubt I'd use mine on a plane - I mean I use a FFM so it would look like I was flying the plane like a fighter pilot... lol

Well, then, stay awake, lest you end up with bruised ribs and other contusions from people throwing things at you while you drown out the engines.

[CPAPSteve]

Just started mine a week ago and I plan to use it in the future on int'l flights. I dont see much of a benefit to use it in Economy, only business or first.

My next int'l flight is in about two months. LAS-SFO-TPE-BKK. SFO-TPE is 13.5 hours and leaves at 0100 in the evening. After the meal, I plan to get out the machine and see how much sleep I can get with it. Of course it helps that there is a ledge to set the machine on and there will be a power port at the seat. EVA.jpg

OMG I WISH I could travel in style like that! I that case I'd totally crack out the CPAP for my sleeps.

[CPAPSteve]

I doubt I'd use mine on a plane - I mean I use a FFM so it would look like I was flying the plane like a fighter pilot... lol

Well, then, stay awake, lest you end up with bruised ribs and other contusions from people throwing things at you while you drown out the engines.

lol true that! I am oddly a quiet sleeper and don't really snore at all but for someone with bad apnea I can totally see that happening. Come to think of it... it DID happen once on a flight from Hawaii back to Canada. I can recall saying to my spouse "Dear lord where is a pillow so I can smother him!"

[Stom]

Something that just crossed my mind - Have anyone here seen people on an airplane seen someone using a CPAP? Have you personally used your CPAP on a plane and have people stared at you wondering what was going on?

Never. But I did once see a person wearing a parachute. Way more disturbing that seeing someone on CPAP

(Apparently sports parachutists don't trust the TSA riffling through their delicate, life saving packed chutes if they check them...)

I'm lucky enough to have only moderate/severe apnea, more on the moderate side. But if I had the kind of apnea I've seen some people post here, naps would the kind of utter sleep nightmare only experienced when I've had complete nasal congestion, so I'd totally use PAP on a plane to sleep if needed for a long haul flight, especially since I'm going to carry the machine on anyway.

[Arlene1963]

I don't fly a lot, maybe 4 times a year, but I haven't seen anyone using CPAP yet on a flight.

I'm a small person, 5ft tall and 110 pounds, and I find the seats in Economy class are getting smaller and smaller as the years go by. My husband who is over 6ft tall hates flying now because he can't get comfy no matter what.

I have family in South Africa so usually fly there once a year from Canada. I always take my CPAP with me on board, but I very rarely sleep, I can only afford cheap economy seats and we're crammed in like sardines, barely enough room to fart!

Trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep is virtually impossible for me, so I write off sleep time and watch movies and walk up and down the aisle.

I wouldn't think twice of using my CPAP if there was a tad more space and if I thought I might actually fall asleep (like the folk who recline their seats minutes into the flight, always in front of me!)

I must admit though that I am very aware of people snoring on the plane, and yes, a lot of folks snore (maybe have undiagnosed OSA?) or aren't using their CPAPs on the flight.

[Pugsy]

I can only afford cheap economy seats and we're crammed in like sardines, barely enough room to fart!

I hear you. The only flying I do now is to Vegas to see family and the only direct flight is with Allegiant (also the only one I can really afford even if I wanted to upgrade and do the layover thing which I don't want to do anyway).
All their seats are super economy seats. I swear you couldn't squeeze a gnat's ass in there. They keep fares "low" by cramming in as many seats as possible and they seem to get smaller every time I fly. No reclining of the seats anymore and I can barely breathe with the tray table down and I am not a big person...not even 5 ft tall.
The only way my hubby could ever travel with me (6ft 2in) would be if we requested the seats next to the emergency exit which have more room and even then it's a tight fit for a guy with claustrophobia issues.

For me..it's only a 3 hour flight and I usually can't sleep anyway but if I nod off I just do it upright which minimizes my OSA which is mainly in REM anyway and I don't usually sleep long enough to make it to REM anyway. I don't even bother considering using cpap.

I don't know what I would do if I had a flight that was prolonged and I just had to sleep...like to New Zealand which has long been a dream of mine to go to. Probably if I could afford that flight I could afford to upgrade to a seat that had more room and maybe power at the seat or something like that.

So to answer the original question...I have never seen anyone dig out their cpap and use it but I have seen a lot of people carry their machines on...but again this is a relatively short flight and between being crammed in like sardines and the screaming kid (always right behind you)...there's not much sleep anyway.

[Gryphon]

My one time trying to use my machine on a flight didn't end well... I found an electrical outlet under my seat and was all excited, "Oh Boy!!!, I'll finally be able to catch 40 winks like all the "Normies" do when we fly... Rummaging through overhead compartment to get my CPAP out."

I let the "Air Line" know like I always do when I'm traveling with my XPAP, but didn't run around and tell the flight attendants about it... So when I started setting up and put my mask on a fellow passenger like 5 rows down "hmmmmm, freaked out, I guess." "It probably didn't help that I have to use a FFM" - I have no idea what was going through her head but she must have thought something really crazy "like I'm masking up so I can gas the plane or something" Next thing I know almost as I'm falling asleep, I have like 3 flight attendants next to my seat with one tapping me on the shoulder, asking me what I'm doing and what is this machine and does it use oxygen and yadda, yadda, yadda.... by the time I finished explaining all the finer details of CPAP ad-nausium I was so annoyed I couldn't have fallen back to sleep if I tried. So I packed my PAP back up and went back to just staying awake like I do on all over seas flights. With the lady from 5 rows down stealing worried glances back at me the whole rest of the flight, like she just thwarted a possible terrorist attack, but she still wasn't quite sure about me, and I might still be dangerous and do something crazy!!!

Whoooooo!!!! "BOOOO!"

If you do happen to find the opportunity to use your CPAP on a flight - by all means do so... Just be sure to flag down a flight attendant or two and explain to them what your doing and what it is - so if or when someone else gets all overly inquisitive, you don't have to be woken up just as your drifting off - to give a detailed explanation of sleep-disordered breathing and the equipment used to treat it... blah blah blah...

If it's the flight people who're worried - they'll know. If it's a passenger who has no idea what CPAP is and they report you to an attendant thinking they're saving the day, they can let the passenger know it's medical equipment and leave you allone. Hopefully you won't even know it happened as you'll be strolling through dreamland.

Best wishes and rest well.

Gryphon

[rpiv45]

I purchased a Transcend with battery specifically for long haul overnight flights. The first time I used it was on United and I registered the device before I flew. I could not check into any of my flights except at the airport with a clerk, which was a royal pain, but at no time did any clerk ask about the CPAP machine. Second time was on British Air where I did not register the device so could check in on-line. In both cases I flew premium economy and had no troubles and no questions when I pulled out the machine. Also had no hassles or questions going through security.

My guess is that be registering a medical device ahead of time, the airlines want to see if you are carrying anything large which might impact your other carry-ons. The Transcend is small enough to fit in the carry-on with my tablet, phone and camera equipment.

I recommend their use if you intend to sleep on the flight.

[CPAPSteve]

My one time trying to use my machine on a flight didn't end well... I found an electrical outlet under my seat and was all excited, "Oh Boy!!!, I'll finally be able to catch 40 winks like all the "Normies" do when we fly... Rummaging through overhead compartment to get my CPAP out."

I let the "Air Line" know like I always do when I'm traveling with my XPAP, but didn't run around and tell the flight attendants about it... So when I started setting up and put my mask on a fellow passenger like 5 rows down "hmmmmm, freaked out, I guess." "It probably didn't help that I have to use a FFM" - I have no idea what was going through her head but she must have thought something really crazy "like I'm masking up so I can gas the plane or something" Next thing I know almost as I'm falling asleep, I have like 3 flight attendants next to my seat with one tapping me on the shoulder, asking me what I'm doing and what is this machine and does it use oxygen and yadda, yadda, yadda.... by the time I finished explaining all the finer details of CPAP ad-nausium I was so annoyed I couldn't have fallen back to sleep if I tried. So I packed my PAP back up and went back to just staying awake like I do on all over seas flights. With the lady from 5 rows down stealing worried glances back at me the whole rest of the flight, like she just thwarted a possible terrorist attack, but she still wasn't quite sure about me, and I might still be dangerous and do something crazy!!!

Whoooooo!!!! "BOOOO!"

If you do happen to find the opportunity to use your CPAP on a flight - by all means do so... Just be sure to flag down a flight attendant or two and explain to them what your doing and what it is - so if or when someone else gets all overly inquisitive, you don't have to be woken up just as your drifting off - to give a detailed explanation of sleep-disordered breathing and the equipment used to treat it... blah blah blah...

If it's the flight people who're worried - they'll know. If it's a passenger who has no idea what CPAP is and they report you to an attendant thinking they're saving the day, they can let the passenger know it's medical equipment and leave you allone. Hopefully you won't even know it happened as you'll be strolling through dreamland.

Best wishes and rest well.

Gryphon

OMG goodness, I'm dying laughing in my chair right now. I mean that's so crazy that I would've thought that would happen only in comedies. Obviously not funny to you or anyone that has experienced this but as I write this response I admittedly can't stop chuckling at the entire ordeal. BRUTAL to say the least and great pointers for those that will use their CPAP machine on a flight. Spouse wants to fly overseas eventually and I'm dreading the long flights to Europe and Asia.