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Flying with my pump

J

Jkm2010

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi everyone
I am flying to Budapest on business on Sunday night on business And its the first time I have been on a plane with my pump. I have a accu check combo, so I am looking for some help from my fellow pumpers....

Here are my questions.

1. I've heard security scanner break pumps, therefore, do I wear it through a scanner, then get searched....
2. I have a letter from the doc, but do I declare it?
3. I will need spare infusion sets, insulin etc, do I take this as hand luggage?

Please help!

Thank you


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Hia - you can walk through the arch metal detector machine but not the full body scanners that they have in some airports. I find that all airports vary with their procedures. I've always declared I have a pump before i go through and have my doctors and Medtronic letters to hand but have only been asked to show these at Manchester once.
The last 3 times, once I have walked thought the Arch, they then take me to a separate room and swab my pump whilst its on me to check for any nasty materials! I let all my spare cannulas, reservoirs, insulin pens etc go through the normal X-ray machine in my hand luggage. If I'm on an extended trip and I've taken a spare pump I tend to keep this with me and not let it go through the X-ray - they swab this too.
Only once in Manchester they insisted I had to take my pump off for swabbing - apparently they shouldn't do this but it was my first trip abroad with a pump and I was so stressed I just handed it to them!! My BSs rocketed to 16!!
So, hopefully you'll see from this, there's nothing to worry about. I do tend to suspend my pump during take off and landing. I don't think it's necessary but I'm a worrier so I read somewhere that you should do this because of the pressure thing. As I say probably OTT but it makes me feel better. Also, I have found in Europe that on my return they accept the pump just as a matter of course - no swabbing even. I just point to it and say medicine machine and they just usually let me through the side so no problem again.
Hope this helps and enjoy Budapest.
 
Hi, I travel often for work. Never had a problem. I always first say I have a pump before passing the control. I keep the letter with me but no one ever checked it.
I keep the disposables with hand luggage so they go through X-ray.
As said I never had problems in UK (heathrow, stansted, manchester ), Italy ( Rome , Milan, alghero, Cagliari), France ( Paris, Lyon).....so I guess it will be ok also in Budapest.


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Hi, thank you, this is all I needed to know. Thank you for your advise and explanations. I'm also a bit OTT so ill turn it off going up and down.

Thanks again.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Well, what a success, Heathrow staff were great at terminal 3! I told security, and they were brilliant, I just had a swab and I was on my way, not issues.

BIG TIP, tell security you wear a pump and you can't take it off, very simple.

Thanks for the advise. By the way, I turned off the pump on take off and had no issues.


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Great news - lovely to hear that everything went smoothly. I'm off to Greece on Wednesday so hopefully we'll have fairly friendly staff on duty there this time!! :wave: :thumbup:
 
Hi Riri

Hope it goes ok, I'm sure it will, I may have been lucky, but I made it very clear I was wearing a pump and there was no ways was putting it through a scanner. By the way I was with the rep from roche yesterday and she said by no means do you let them scan it, or put it through the full body scanner as it will break. 7 out of 10 pumps, regardless of brand failed after going in a scanner.




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When you say scan it you mean the X-ray scanner don't you not the metal detector arch?
 
Hi all - after recently having problems at Berlin Airport and looking into all this in some detail.

You can pass through metal detectors with your pump fitted.

With the Combo - the meter/controller can go through the xray machine with normal hand baggage.

The pump must not be taken through a full body scanner when its turned on, or turned off but with batteries still in it.

The pump can be taken through a full body scanner with its batteries removed.

If you have a dexcom G4 CGM then the body worn transmitter can be taken through a body scanner or metal detector, however the receiver must not be taken through a body scanner or xray machine.
 
Came thru Heathrow terminal 5 yesterday. They tried to make me remove my pump before going thru full body scanner. This didn't happen because I hadn't set off metal detector so they just swabbed pump and spare. First time I've had any hassle but they were insistent that I must remove pump and that I wouldn't be allowed to fly otherwise. I had just come in from Charleston S. Carolina thru Miami and had been travelling for almost 24 hours so didn't need their nonsense. One of them had some issue with letter from Medtronic not being dated! If they had a brain they would be dangerous! I find travelling with a pump (or maybe its just diabetes) tiring and stressful because I never know how security is going to react - they can be very good and facilitate an easy passage or they can be difficult and obstructive. Won't stop me travelling though!
 
Anyone travelled through the far east with a pump?

I'm hoping to get a pump within the next 6 months and I regularly fly to Jakarta via Singapore for business.

Thanks

Dave
 
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