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Hello and using a pump on the airplane.

Linda.croft

Linda.croft

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
My name is linda and I've done a year on my insulin pump. I'm going to Singapore this year. Can anyone tell me the procedures about using my pump on the airplane and going through customs.

Thank you
Linda.
 
I have a pump and have traveled twice by air in the last year. There is no "procedure". Just wear your pump, don't ask anyone's permission and carry on. When you get to the airport, you go through security. As you go through the gate, you can either wait till the pump alarms the gate (which it may not) or you can tell them before you go through, "I'm wearing an insulin pump." They will swab the pump for explosives. It's ridiculous but just smile benignly while they go through the ritual and you will be through in ten seconds. In fact, they are not permitted to discriminate against people with a disability, so of course you cannot be refused the right to wear it or use it on board. If it has a remote control, you may have to turn it off during landing and take off (just the remote, obviously) but I don't know for sure about that.
 
I take my usual 'air travel letter' saying I'm carrying sharps and insulin,,etc. That letter also mentions my pump. No one normally reads the letter and sometimes they hardly even glance at it.

I point out my pump at security and then they get me to walk round the scanner, scan me with that rod thing, pat me down and swab my pump. It's fine :) I've always been surprised at how familiar they are with pumps.
 
I do a return flight about three times a month with work and it really isn't anything to be concerned about.

You should have a letter from your hospital stating that the pump and controller should not be x-rayed, for the security check. expect it to be swabbed, otherwise no issues at all. Onboard, do nothing different, it's an absolute myth about blue tooth affecting airline control systems.

My experience is that some airports and airlines are better than others. France was typically bureaucratic, Trinidad was stereotypically laid back and nonplussed, Aberdeen are used to me by now, but I need to educate the offshore heliports.
 
I once read that it was best to suspend insulin doing take off and landing so I've been doing this. I have no idea if it's necessary but the article talked about air pressure and I'm the ultra cautious type! Everything else is as others say. I find most airports great but I find Manchester the most unhelpful - somehow or other they always manage to make me feel really uneasy and guilty for daring to wear a pump. Maybe I've just had bad luck with the staff I've met so far.
 
I was told never to suspend my pump. Even when you disconnect it, don't suspend it. And I see no reason to suspend it during a flight. The cabin is adequately pressurized.
 
Hi Linda - as stated above don't suspend there is no need. I wear my pump and dexcom through security and show them to the guards. They just wave me through than then swab check them. My Dex receiver and pump BT controller go through the bag xray without any issues.

Been told you should avoid full body scan machines, show before hand and they will allow you to go through a metal detector.

I'm flying to Penang this coming Saturday and will set my pump & Dex 4 hrs ahead on take off, then set it to local time on landing. Same on return journey except backwards instead of forwards.

Hope this helps.
 
Riri said:
I once read that it was best to suspend insulin doing take off and landing so I've been doing this. I have no idea if it's necessary but the article talked about air pressure and I'm the ultra cautious type! Everything else is as others say. I find most airports great but I find Manchester the most unhelpful - somehow or other they always manage to make me feel really uneasy and guilty for daring to wear a pump. Maybe I've just had bad luck with the staff I've met so far.
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Never let anyone make you feel bad for wearing a pump or doing anything you need to do for your health. Their opinion is worth nothing.
 
I once read a thread on here about a woman who was told to switch off her pump for the duration of a long haul flight. This makes me really cross with the airlines. If this happens to anyone, I would like to see a strongly worded letter go from their doctor to the CEO of the airline and copied to the relevant human rights authority or minister of health. If there wasn't an appropriate response from the airline (fullsome apology, promise never to do the same again, and compensation) then I would like the media to cover it.

Sorry, but ignorant people endangering, stressing, and inconveniencing others really gets my goat.
 
CatLadyNZ said:
Never let anyone make you feel bad for wearing a pump or doing anything you need to do for your health. Their opinion is worth nothing.
Click to expand...

And watch out for the officious security at airports, they know very little about it in soem cases, but those tat know a bit can be even worse.

With a letter from the hospital in my hand, I had one security chap telling me he was diabetic and had never been told not to x-ray his meter, despite a letter very clearly telling him "do not x-ray either pump or handset". I politely pointed out to him that i was following manufacturer's instructions and that I was not going to second guess them. His supervisor appeared before it could go any further;)
 
I did 4 flights this summer and it was all fine. I did tell security that I was wearing it before going through but the only effect this had was in 2 of the airports they made me walk round the metal detector rather than through it. It didn't beep at all going through stansted. It was all fine. I did bolus and then disconnect for take off and landing as I was concerned about air bubbles and I did get some which I had to prime out. I also used my old meter for testing on the plane as the bayer which talks to the pump uses wifi and I can't work out how to turn it off. Other than that it was all fine.
 
tigger said:
I did 4 flights this summer and it was all fine. I did tell security that I was wearing it before going through but the only effect this had was in 2 of the airports they made me walk round the metal detector rather than through it. It didn't beep at all going through stansted. It was all fine. I did bolus and then disconnect for take off and landing as I was concerned about air bubbles and I did get some which I had to prime out. I also used my old meter for testing on the plane as the bayer which talks to the pump uses wifi and I can't work out how to turn it off. Other than that it was all fine.
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Not to derail, but to illuminate. I was told not to disconnect/suspend because I can cause bubbles. And if you ever disconnect, to leave the pump running, to prevent bubbles in the tubing or connection point. I've had my pump for less than a year, though, so I'm still learning. Why would you get bubbles inflight?
 
tigger said:
I did 4 flights this summer and it was all fine. I did tell security that I was wearing it before going through but the only effect this had was in 2 of the airports they made me walk round the metal detector rather than through it. It didn't beep at all going through stansted. It was all fine. I did bolus and then disconnect for take off and landing as I was concerned about air bubbles and I did get some which I had to prime out. I also used my old meter for testing on the plane as the bayer which talks to the pump uses wifi and I can't work out how to turn it off. Other than that it was all fine.
Click to expand...
Do you mean it uses WiFi or blue tooth, very different, mine is blue tooth and has a comms range of about 2 yards, so never going to be a problem with onboard systems. Also, I'm working g on the assumption that not everyone turns off their mobiles, I've not been in a plane crash yet.
 
You don't need to do anything different at Airports.
Just go through as usual and only explain what pump is if someone spots it. Usually I don't even set off the metal detector! I don't carry a letter, just my printed repeat prescription list from my GP.

Obviously I wouldn't go through full body scanner though.
I've never had a problem in 8 years of air travel. The only thing I do is change the time on the pump when I get wherever I'm going.
 
If you consider what happens to your ears/bottles of water when you take off and land and then apply the principle to a small plastic bottle you get the air bubble answer. I don't understand why disconnecting would put air bubbles in. I put the guard over the end of both the tubing and the cannula so no extra air would get in.

I was told the bayer uses wifi to communicate with the pump by the hospital and not to use on planes. I'd be interested to find out if that's not the case.
 
Oh yes, the ear thing! I havent had that the last few years. Maybe my ears are tougher these days. My pump doesnt have a guard. It has some funny looking clips for the tubing. Maybe I'm supposed to use those.
 
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