air travel with medical equipment

[george2000]

Not really a cruise question, but we are traveling to Hawaii for two weeks in a few months and want to take our own medical equipment. I have located a large bicycle travel bag that our walker, portable commode and shower chair will fit nicely in. We would like to check this bag and I thought I had read somewhere that if you check assistive devices they did not count against your number of checked bags. Does anyone have first hand knowledge of this? All of the DOT and airline websites I have checked do not mention checking assistive devices. They just say that assistive devices can be carried on and do not count against your carry-on allowance. Thanks!

[Splinter]

Yes, there is no excess baggage charge for medical equipment or supplies. I would not recommend checking them though. They are more likely to get lost that way, and a lot of that luggage gets pretty thrown around.

 

I would recommend instead gate checking them. Take them with you to the gate (get a Sky Cap to help if needed) and then check them there. When you get off the plane, pick them up at the ship's door (like people do with baby strollers). Very unlikely to get lost, and much less likely to be damaged. We take not only a travel shower commode chair this way, but also our travel lift, and extra wheelchair. Be sure that only medical equipment is in the bag, and tag is with large letters that it is "Medical Equipment".

 

We do check an extra suitcase with extra bowel and bladder supplies, but also put some addition in each piece of luggage so if anything is lost we still have at least some supplies.

 

If you take a power chair, take everything off it that will come off (controller, leg rests, arm rests, backpack) before you gate check it.

 

Don't check your meds. Hand carry those.