Refused extra hand luggage for insulin and pump supplies

[DCUKMod]

Hi, Have you sent an email to their Special Assistance Dept, I am flying to USA (with Virgin) & they are allowing me another carry on bag for all my medication including my insulin free of charge .

Hope you get a satisfactory response to your query.

@celticwoman - I have travelled extensively on Virgin, and both myself and my partner used their sports bag and/or golf clubs policy many, many times. My advice when working with any exception with Virgin is to have your confirmation email to hand. I usually keep a paper copy in my documents wallet. No end of times, we have been queried on our extra baggage, and it's contents (like when I was carrying a sail), where the check-in agent wasn't at all convinced I had been granted permission, or that my OH is a member of their "Swingers Club". Yes, really. That's what they call their special arrangements for the golfing enthusiast travellors.

This emails have just ensured we had no need to be concerned by anyone else's uncertainty.

 

[alohanicky2009]

Hi all, I am flying alone with my (will then be) 18 month old to Australia next June. I have called Singapore Airlines to check that I can have additional hand baggage allowance for pump supplies I will need for the 2 months I will be away and they have said categorically not! Has anyone else experienced this and is there anything I can do to fight it? Between my baby and I and all my pump supplies we have a 7kg allowance and that is not going to cut it! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Bill_St]

The CAA governs all airlines flying from the U.K. Here is their guidance for medical professionals https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Be...y/Guidance-for-health-professionals/Diabetes/

 

[alohanicky2009]

I was travelling to NZ and ended up using a travel agent to booked my flights , like you I needed to carry my diabetic supplies and they are bulky , after the agent from travel shop had spoken to a number of airlines Singapore airlines allowed me to carry supplies , they didn’t charge me extra , I had to fly Quantas back . I had less supplies but they still charged , of the two airlines Singapore was the best , ( also if you have time Singapore Airlines will give you a tour of the island if you have a lond transit . Go to Singapore airline desk for free tour ,

 

[SallyEzra]

Gosh, that seems like a particularly unhelpful response from the airline & I find it hard to believe that the information they have provided you with can actually be the accurate airline policy- i’d be tempted to make another call to the airline to hopefully speak to an operative with a better grip of the correct policy & see if they can confirm the points they discuss with you in email.
We travel a reasonable amount with all my pump & cgm supplies, plus a baby < 12mths with all her supplies & a 4yr old who still sleeps so much he also needs a stroller to aircraft doors & we find almost all airlines are really supportive....thankfully! If anything creates a bit of consternation, it is usually my T1 Diabetic kit at security, but most of the time after looking through it all & satisfying themselves that it is genuinely a load of medical equipment, we then get moved forward.
That being said, we feel like we are at a stage in life where with 2 small children & all their kit, in addition to insulin pump, cgm etc that we can be a bit of a handful for some airports/airlines to deal with. Equally however we had to take an EasyJet European flight last week, which we were not particularly looking forward to as we thought it might be a bit ropey.....however ground staff dealt with us & all our kit brilliantly & when our son vomited so copiously on the aircraft that they had to strip & replace his seat, it was all handled so courteously & professionally that it left a very positive impression on the service.

 

[Nyxks]

Wow that's crazy weve flown many times with two medical bags plus a regular tag along that all people are allowed. Never been a issue (air france, air canada, american airlines, delta, west jet, or manx air).

 

[littlemolly]

I had exactly the same problem with Malaysia Airlines!! I was going away for 9 weeks to Australia and New Zealand in March this year, I phoned Malaysia to ask for extra hand luggage and I was told to send prescriptions in for them to see, after that they asked for a letter from my doctor, after that they asked for a photo of ALL the supplies I was taking (not easy when I only get 2 librefreestyle sensors a month!) and then said no!! I emailed the CEO (you can find email addresses for CEO's of all companies online) and did not receive a reply. I phoned Malaysia Airlines about 10 times over the course of 8 weeks and got NOWHERE! Virgin Australia were as bad and wouldn't allow medical hand luggage either, even when I said that Virgin Atlantic had said yes immediately (we flew home with VA after finishing our cruise from Auckland to San Francisco). We recently went to Crete for 8 weeks with BA and although they used to allow medical hand luggage they no longer do, they tell you to turn up at the airport (if their pilots aren't on strike ) and they make a decision then. I did this and there was no problem.So stick with Virgin Atlantic if you can. But it's not a very satisfactory state of affairs!

 

[Smeks125]

Hi all, I am flying alone with my (will then be) 18 month old to Australia next June. I have called Singapore Airlines to check that I can have additional hand baggage allowance for pump supplies I will need for the 2 months I will be away and they have said categorically not! Has anyone else experienced this and is there anything I can do to fight it? Between my baby and I and all my pump supplies we have a 7kg allowance and that is not going to cut it! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Most airlines I know let you carry a medical bag on board as well as you cabin baggage if you need to You just need to carry the letter from your doctor or host to say you need to carry these items with you

 

[Fairygodmother]

If you don’t get anywhere with the airline, maybe wear a coat or jacket with lots of big pockets and pack things in them?

 

[straygaijin]

I flew Singapore Airlines to Australia in July and took 6 months of insulin, and a couple of box of reservoirs and insulin sets in my hand luggage without issue. With all the things I had in my hand luggage it was about 15kg!
I recommend you keep everything in your handbag or backpack, don’t mention it and don’t strain when you are carrying it. As long as you are no obviously overweight you will probably go through without issue.
If they do complain about the weight, just stuff everything into your jacket pockets, they don’t weight passengers!

 

[LoopeyLu]

Hmmm...problem can start before you even get on the plane. London City Airport security insists that all inhalers are packed in the toiletries clear bag - the posters in security specifically state this - so when I’m travelling with a carry-on bag for a few nights (regardless of airline), I have to squeeze 2 inhalers, 2 insulin pens plus toiletries into the plastic bag. I’ve never actually had the time to challenge them about it, but surely it can’t be right to penalise people with medical requirements in this way??

 

[KK123]

Hmmm...problem can start before you even get on the plane. London City Airport security insists that all inhalers are packed in the toiletries clear bag - the posters in security specifically state this - so when I’m travelling with a carry-on bag for a few nights (regardless of airline), I have to squeeze 2 inhalers, 2 insulin pens plus toiletries into the plastic bag. I’ve never actually had the time to challenge them about it, but surely it can’t be right to penalise people with medical requirements in this way??

Hi Loopey, well I don't put any of it in those tiny transparent bags and never have done. To be honest it never even occurred to me, you can barely fit a lipstick in them. I keep all my stuff in a special shoulder bag and stick the bag in the trays intact, with my other stuff. I've never had a problem but of course that doesn't mean I never will. It can always be explained anyway. My extra insulin pens are always in their boxes (the rules also being to carry them in their original boxes) so you can't fit them in those clear bags anyway without undoing them all.

 

[AngelaPereira23]

That sounds disgraceful to me and I am sure it's against the Law in the UK but of course you are talking about Singapore airlines. Even so, if they are flying in and out of the UK, I wonder how they could get away with this? It's like expecting a person in a wheel chair or with a walking stick to pay extra for those items they CANNOT do without, it comes under the disability act as I'm sure you know. I would kick up a massive fuss, read all the small print on their website about disabilities etc so that you know whether what they have said is true and not the interpretation of a jobsworth, then complain to their highest authority. A bit dramatic I know but to charge you for having to take your diabetic gear on the plane with you?, it's not as if it can go in the hold. x

And all these years later today (1 March 2024) I had them refuse an extra bag to go to NZ. Very disappointing after all the years of travelling with them prior to Diabetes.

 

[EllieM]

And all these years later today (1 March 2024) I had them refuse an extra bag to go to NZ. Very disappointing after all the years of travelling with them prior to Diabetes.

Hi and welcome to the forums. That is very disappointing. Was this at the airport? I must admit that so far I've always managed to fit my insulin and sensor gear in with my other hand luggage but as I'm starting on a pump soon I suspect this will become more difficult. Having had luggage lost for up to 3 days at least 3 times I am not willing to check my medication into the hold, but I am prepared to devote most of my hand luggage to my meds. I definitely need a toothbrush, and a clean set of clothes in my hand luggage though, it was horrible not having a toothbrush last time it happened.

 

[searley]

Hi and welcome to the forums. That is very disappointing. Was this at the airport? I must admit that so far I've always managed to fit my insulin and sensor gear in with my other hand luggage but as I'm starting on a pump soon I suspect this will become more difficult. Having had luggage lost for up to 3 days at least 3 times I am not willing to check my medication into the hold, but I am prepared to devote most of my hand luggage to my meds. I definitely need a toothbrush, and a clean set of clothes in my hand luggage though, it was horrible not having a toothbrush last time it happened.

Pump supplies don’t take up much more space than regular supplies and most of them like pods or cartridge can go in your suitcase

 

[In Response]

Pump supplies don’t take up much more space than regular supplies and most of them like pods or cartridge can go in your suitcase

I would not put ANY of my diabetes supplies in my suitcase to be put in the hold. I have had too many cases go missing over the years. They have always turned up eventually but days of uncertainty without my clothes is nothing compared to days of uncertainty without my pump supplies.
In my experience, patch pump supplies take up far less space than tubed pump supplies (tubed pumps need tubes and cannulas as well as cartridges whereas patch/pod supplies are just the patch/pod and a syringe to fill it). But even when I used a tubed pump, I kept everything in my hand luggage and maybe sacrificed a change of trousers (I used to carry a clean set of clothes in my hand luggage) in preference for peace of mind on the diabetes front.