Flying with a medical device:
tips and testimonials
Need to know how to manage air travel with a medical device? Want to find out what you can do to make security a breeze? Covering wheelchairs, hearing aids, insulin pumps, prosthetics, colostomies, pacemakers and guide dogs, we have collected testimonials and tips from eight seasoned travellers.
Each medical condition or disability has a different impact on daily life. But even though every situation is unique, the precautions to take before flying are often the same. Preparing and communicating, both with your doctor and the airport, are the keys to travelling with ease.
Travelling with an insulin pump
Attached to the body by a catheter and connected to a wireless sensor, insulin pumps regulate the blood sugar of people with diabetes throughout the day. This relatively unobtrusive medical device may require inspection at security checkpoints and portals.
Alexandre, insulin pump wearer, always plans ahead
Alexandre, 30, is a sales manager and travels two or three times a year to Europe on long-haul flights: « when I travel, I plan ahead and I always pack 20% extra equipment, just in case ».
He also adapts this amount to suit the destination: in hot countries, where his catheter may come undone more often, he brings extra patches.
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Relax
Travelling is always a little stressful. But a lot of people fly with an insulin pump, so with a little planning, anything is possible.
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Remember to consider the time change
Adapt your pump rate if necessary.
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Have a good time!
Relax
Travelling is always a little stressful. But a lot of people fly with an insulin pump, so with a little planning, anything is possible.
Remember to consider the time change
Adapt your pump rate if necessary.
Have a good time!
Travelling with a prosthetic
When travelling with a prosthetic, good planning and preparation are pre-requisites for a successful trip. If this is a new situation for you, keep in mind that our staff encounter prosthetics on a regular basis and know how to provide assistance.
Gérard, prosthesis wearer, always asks for help
Gérard, 68, is a retired realtor. In 2009, a car accident took his left leg. Ever since, he has worn an electronic prosthesis.
His trick for not forgetting anything before a trip? An Excel spreadsheet! « I note down all the equipment I need to bring with me. For example, if I forget my charger, my leg will become rigid after 4 days, so I better remember it », he laughs. He also makes sure not to forget any equipment needed for his vacation plans, which may be harder to find abroad. For example, specific bandages for adequate coverage during sports activities.
At the airport, Gérard doesn’t hesitate to let staff know that he is a passenger with reduced mobility (PMR): « At some airports, you have to walk a long way to reach the exit! So I make a habit of asking for assistance ». In our airports, our teams can accompany you and help you get around the terminals, proceed to check-in, reach your gate and board the plane.
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Use an organised list
of what to bring so you don’t forget anything.
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Remember the most important items:
the charger and remote control for your prosthetic.
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Once on board the plane
use canes to move around, but also remember to book an aisle seat so you can stretch your leg.
Use an organised list
of what to bring so you don’t forget anything.
Remember the most important items:
the charger and remote control for your prosthetic.
Once on board the plane
use canes to move around, but also remember to book an aisle seat so you can stretch your leg.
Travelling abroad with a colostomy bag
A colostomy is the result of a surgery: colostomy patients wear a receptacle bag at all times around their abdomen. While there are no contraindications regarding travelling with these devices, they do pose several logistics questions.
Nolwenn and Myriam, colostomy bag wearers, adapt as needed
Nolwenn, 31, diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, regularly travels on domestic flights and has even travelled abroad several times in recent years. « Whenever I leave, I always make sure I have my prescriptions with me, including my colostomy bag prescription so I can always justify every item I have with me ».
In addition to her equipment, she also has a medical device ID card and a Flight Pass provided by her medical lab: its content is translated into six languages.
As you know, hand baggage is subject to certain restrictions. Myriam, president of the Union of Colostomy Patients of Southern France, adjusts her hand baggage to meet the regulations: pre-cutting her replacement bags to avoid carrying scissors or bringing scented diapers instead of a deodorant spray, for example.
Nolwenn’s 3 tips
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Plan ahead:
airlines offer an additional checked baggage item for cumbersome medical equipment.
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Pack at least
3 days of equipment in your hand baggage to avoid any last-minute surprises if your checked baggage is lost or stolen.
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Relax and enjoy your vacation!
Plan ahead:
airlines offer an additional checked baggage item for cumbersome medical equipment.
Pack at least
3 days of equipment in your hand baggage to avoid any last-minute surprises if your checked baggage is lost or stolen.
Relax and enjoy your vacation!
Boarding a plane with a pacemaker
Flying with an electric cardiac prosthetic is safe and easy. A few simple tips should help you enjoy your trip with total confidence.
Jean-Luc, cardioverter-defibrillator wearer, relies on planning
Jean-Luc, 58, travels up to six times a year with a cardioverter-defibrillator implanted under his skin. For him, there is just one essential that he can’t forget: his medical device ID card! Hospitals typically give out defibrillator passbooks, a kind of passport listing all the details of the device. He co-founded the Association for Wearers of Electric Cardiac Prosthetics (APODEC), which also delivers medical device ID cards if needed.
This card helps make it easier to get through security checkpoints. "With a pacemaker or defibrillator, even though it’s not dangerous, it is still better to avoid walking through security portals. All you have to do is show your card and ask for a hand search".
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Remember
to take your pacemaker card.
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Get to the airport early:
since you need a hand search, you should allow extra time for security.
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Bring
a list of all places where you can get your defibrillator repaired or ask for assistance during your trip if necessary.
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Remember
to take your pacemaker card.
Get to the airport early:
since you need a hand search, you should allow extra time for security.
Bring
a list of all places where you can get your defibrillator repaired or ask for assistance during your trip if necessary.
.
Flying with a guide or an assistance dog
Guide or assistance dogs ensure the autonomy, comfort and safety of blind and visually impaired people on a daily basis. A guide dog may travel free of charge in the cabin together with their handler, regardless of weight and size, but the airline must be notified when purchasing a ticket. If you have a disability and are accompanied by your dog, you must have your (MIC) Mobility Inclusion Card, or your disability card.
Karine, guide dog owner, offers reassurance
Karine, 50, is a volunteer at the French Association of Guide Dog Owners. She has travelled every year for the past two decades, both within Europe and on long-haul flights. She asserts that flying with a guide dog is easy: “dogs are often quite welcome on board.”
The biggest issue is comfort: the flight will be much more pleasant if you sit next to an empty seat. That way, your dog will have more room to move around. “The flight crew will generally offer a different seat than the one you are assigned and arrange to find two empty seats next to each other. But if they don’t offer on their own, don’t hesitate to ask,” advises Karine.
Karine’s 3 tips
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Remember your card
without a guide dog owner's card, your dog cannot board freely.
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Bring a muzzle
a collar is often sufficient, but the captain may ask for a full muzzle.
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Don’t worry!
the crew is not always familiar with this situation, but it can be arranged with ease by communicating with them.
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Remember your card
without a guide dog owner's card, your dog cannot board freely.
Bring a muzzle
a collar is often sufficient, but the captain may ask for a full muzzle.
Don’t worry!
the crew is not always familiar with this situation, but it can be arranged with ease by communicating with them.
.
Boarding with a hearing aid
Hearing aids take up little space and are often nearly invisible. They generally pose no problem at all when travelling. It is not necessary for deaf or hearing-impaired passengers to identify themselves either when purchasing tickets or at the airport.
Philippe, hearing impaired, travels without a hitch
Philippe, 70, is President of the DurdoreilleI organisation. A former executive of a large company, he has travelled the world both for work and pleasure for the past 40 years. His hearing aids have never posed any problem when boarding. He never needs to remove them at the airport, not even to pass through security. Passengers with cochlear implants may show their implant card to airport staff to bypass the security checkpoint.
However, wearing hearing aids at the airport may be uncomfortable: "Sometimes the transformers at the security gates or even the lighting can send a magnetic field through our devices. This can cause a buzzing sound that makes it hard to hear airport announcements and what people around us are saying." During these uncomfortable moments, don't hesitate to ask for help and get more information from airport staff.
Philippe’s 3 tips
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Stay calm
background noise in the airport can be unpleasant.
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Ask for more information
airport staff can offer additional assistance if the announcements are unclear.
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Relax
hearing aids are not a major obstacle to travel.
Stay calm
background noise in the airport can be unpleasant.
Ask for more information
airport staff can offer additional assistance if the announcements are unclear.
Relax
hearing aids are not a major obstacle to travel.
Travelling in a wheelchair
Wheelchairs, whether electric or manual, are essential for helping people with reduced mobility to get around. Passengers in wheelchairs will receive assistance from airport staff so that they can board without difficulty.
Leonel, with a motor disability, takes a few precautions
Leonel, 48, is a member of APF France Handicap. He travels by plane every year to Portugal. For him, flying with a wheelchair is not hard when you know the potential setbacks. "Upon arriving at the airport, we do what all other travellers do: we check in at the terminal, check our baggage and then go to a special disability counter that offers adapted support for boarding."
Several types of wheelchairs are available, and some can make travel more challenging. When boarding, passengers are transported in a wheelchair that is wide enough to move about inside the aircraft. However, the wheelchair they used to get to the airport may be more difficult to board: "Not all companies agree to transport electric wheelchairs because of the weight and batteries. It is important to get this information before travelling, so don't hesitate to call and ask questions," explains Leonel.
Leonel’s 3 tips
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Get to the airport early
for peace of mind, remember to arrive at least two hours before take-off.
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Protect your wheelchair
wheelchairs are delicate items. Remember to protect your chair and remind staff how to handle it.
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Plan your arrival
when travelling abroad, it may be difficult to find a vehicle that can transport your wheelchair from the airport. Seek out information in advance and remember to book a cab for your trip.
Get to the airport early
for peace of mind, remember to arrive at least two hours before take-off.
Protect your wheelchair
wheelchairs are delicate items. Remember to protect your chair and remind staff how to handle it.
Plan your arrival
when travelling abroad, it may be difficult to find a vehicle that can transport your wheelchair from the airport. Seek out information in advance and remember to book a cab for your trip.
Travelling with a walker
At the airport, passengers who use a walker to get around can receive special assistance for people with reduced mobility. Keep in mind: like canes and crutches, walkers may travel in the cabin and do not need to be checked in the hold.
Manuel, who has difficulty walking, asks for help
Manuel, 72, is a retired bricklayer. He travels within Europe at least twice a year. For him, travelling in comfort is made possible by the assistance offered to passengers with reduced mobility: “Airport staff have always been welcoming and helpful during my trips and at boarding.”
At the airport, passengers must often walk across long distances. For this reason, people with reduced mobility can receive assistance upon arrival. When buying his tickets, Manuel mentions that he has difficulty walking.
Upon arrival, airport staff will then give him a wheelchair to help him get around the airport with ease. He can then check his baggage like any other traveller. As a PRM, he can also receive assistance getting on and off the aircraft.
Maunel’s 3 tips
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Ask for help
assistance is available at the airport, so do not hesitate to take advantage of this service.
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Be patient
people with reduced mobility are the first to board the aircraft and the last to exit.
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Bring adequate protection
urinary protection may be helpful if it is difficult to move around inside the aircraft, especially on long trips.
Ask for help
assistance is available at the airport, so do not hesitate to take advantage of this service.
Be patient
people with reduced mobility are the first to board the aircraft and the last to exit.
Bring adequate protection
urinary protection may be helpful if it is difficult to move around inside the aircraft, especially on long trips.
And also...
Are you travelling with a medical treatment?
Pills, gel caps and other solid medicines can be transported in the cabin. Liquids and creams are authorised regardless of their composition. The amount of medicine you transport should be proportionate to the length of your trip. To facilitate security checkpoints, please bring a prescription in your name from a doctor or pharmacist.
Do you need assistance with your disability?
It’s clear that, with the proper organisation and assistance, flying is available to everyone. That’s why, at our airports, we remain available to help facilitate your trip. Don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know what you need at Paris-Orly or Paris-Charles de Gaulle.