Air travel

[lil'girl'sdad]

My family is taking a trip to florida and I was wondering if anyone could give me advise about getting my daughters pump and supplies through security

[spike]

My family is taking a trip to florida and I was wondering if anyone could give me advise about getting my daughters pump and supplies through security

The pump can be worn while going through the detector. Make sure she takes off ALL her jewelry, belt with metal buckle, pocket change, watch, eyeglasses, etc, so that the pump is the only thing she wears with metal in it. My wife and I (pumpers) go through metal detectors ALL the time and we never set off the alarm.

[gsager]

i always try to have a doctor's note or at least a pharmacy label on my supplies and that's always been good enough for the security people. sometimes they don't even open my bags (although i sincerely hope that all the sharp pointy things inside show up on the xray machine) but when they do it's pretty easy to convince them that it's all necessary stuff.
i wouldn't worry too too much about it

[spike]

i always try to have a doctor's note or at least a pharmacy label on my supplies and that's always been good enough for the security people. sometimes they don't even open my bags (although i sincerely hope that all the sharp pointy things inside show up on the xray machine) but when they do it's pretty easy to convince them that it's all necessary stuff.
i wouldn't worry too too much about it

In 10 years of air travel with a pump within the US, I've never had or needed a prescription to get through security.

[duck]

In 10 years of air travel with a pump within the US, I've never had or needed a prescription to get through security.

Agreed, but I think it's good to have. You NEVER know when TSA will get crazy about these things, and we all know they'll expect YOU to be prepared, not that they should be knowledgeable.

When I travel, I tell the screeners what I have and what it is...They always say okay, wand it and send me through...neither my 508 or my Cozmore has ever set off a metal detector.

[spike]

Agreed, but I think it's good to have. You NEVER know when TSA will get crazy about these things, and we all know they'll expect YOU to be prepared, not that they should be knowledgeable.

When I travel, I tell the screeners what I have and what it is...They always say okay, wand it and send me through...neither my 508 or my Cozmore has ever set off a metal detector.

I think that sort of change in TSA rules would make the front page of every newspaper in America. I'm not going to worry about having an Rx...imagine the uproar that would cause if thousands of passengers were denied boarding because they didn't have a prescription for pumps, pacemakers, etc!

[camjen1]

I took a DR's note with me also as suggested from DR's I work with. I also never removed my pump and it set off the metal detector only the one time and they knew what it was right away.

[ToddyC]

I found the below article on the American Diabetes Assoc homepage. It covers some procedures developed by the TSA regarding traveling with diabetes medications and equipment:

http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/public_accommodation/travel.jsp

[Tokyo Cate]

http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/public_accommodation/travel.jsp

That's a great link. Thanks.

In my pumping years, I never had any problems with airport security though I did usually carry a doctor's note, just in case.

lil'girl'sdad, I hope you and your family have a nice trip to Florida!!

[KrisinNM]

Have never had a problem with wearing my pump through the detectors but the extra battery and emergency stuff in my purse caused them some concern. How they managed to go through everything in that huge purse to find the battery and slap a sticker on it that said "pump" in about 2 minutes is beyond me.

[Scooter]

I always pack my supplies in a small bag inside my carry on. I have only flown a handful of times since I started pumping, but I've never had any trouble at all. Nobody has ever questioned me or asked for a prescription, although I did have one just in case.

[Mich]

Well, of the four times I've gone through metal detectors with my pump since February, I've set it off two out of the four times.

It's a Cozmo pump with the Cozmonitor on the back and I think it may be the little metal reinforcement on the top of the Cozmonitor hook. BUT...that doesn't explain why it sometimes goes off and sometimes doesn't.

Two of those were the same metal detector--in a courthouse: it detected me one time and not the other.

Last Saturday leaving Kauai, I buzzed again. They waved me over and did a wand search and pat-down. The female guard then asked to see my pump more closely...it turned out that her sister is diabetic and has been considering a pump. She asked me how I liked it and if I was under better control (yes! on both counts.) She also mentioned that their metal detector was sensitive but usually didn't buzz for insulin pumps.

I carried all of my supplies in see-through plastic zip cases. Everything I was carrying went through the process just fine. I do carry the Rx labels for everything just in case but nobody has ever asked to see them.

By the way, thanks Cinnibon for your beach comments. I disconnected and rolled pump and tubing into my Frio in the shade with just the end of the Cozmonitor out so it would stay dry. Had a wonderful time in the sun and noticed no difference being unplugged for two hours. I plugged back in to snack. Had a great time at Tunnels Beach that day.

[Diana]

I'm planning an overseas trip in a couple of months, and I have a question about packing infusion sets- Is it ok to pack them in checked luggage, or do you think they might get damaged? I am planning on taking some in my hand luggage, but cant really fit them all in there. Has anyone had any probelms taking infusion sets on as hand luggage? I am planning on getting a letter from my doc, of course.

[notme]

Diana, I would not pack your infusion sets in checked luggage. I have had my luggage disappear on overseas trips for days. Last time it was gone for four days. Pack enough for your trip in your hand luggage and take emergercy back up in checked.

I have traveled in the past five years at least ten or more times and never had my pump set off the metal detector. I did have a TSA agent see it once and ask me to take it off. I said it was an insulin pump and she waved me through. I have never had my supplies questioned except in South Africa.

That being said, I carry a letter from my doctor (I have been known to change the date on an old letter). But I will get a new letter this year as I am traveling back to Africa and the security coming back to the US is strict.

Carry-on bags today are pretty good sized. You should be able to carry a change of clothes and all of your supplies easily.

Nancy

[Tim_Roy]

I'm planning an overseas trip in a couple of months, and I have a question about packing infusion sets- Is it ok to pack them in checked luggage, or do you think they might get damaged? I am planning on taking some in my hand luggage, but cant really fit them all in there. Has anyone had any probelms taking infusion sets on as hand luggage? I am planning on getting a letter from my doc, of course.

I GENERALLY do that, but I always know it's not the smartest move I could make.

Luggage does get lost.

[Diana]

Thanks notme and Tim, I think you are both right and I shoud really just take them all on with me. It would really mess up my holiday to get there and have a limited supply of pump sets (well then again, it would also really muck up my holiday to get there and have no luggage too, but yeah..)

[Mich]

I will be flying to France in September. I am trying to do the "one bag" approach but of course I have the usual diabetic pharmacy to drag along with me. I am saving small Rx bottles for the trip to cover pills.

Granted, no syringes (taking one back up Novolog pen) but for three weeks I will need about 10 set changes and reservoirs. They are so conveniently packed in nice, sterile packages I hate the thought of repacking them for space economy. Has anyone tried slightly crushing the package corners to make them smaller? Does anyone repack them for travel, using sterile techniques?

Should I just give in and carry them the way they are? What's your opinion?

Mich

[notme]

I just pack them in their original sterile packages. What I do is face them toward each other and they fit together nicely. Then I put them in a BIG zip lock baggie and put them in my carry on bag. I always carry ten with me too. I would leave them in the original packages for security reasons also. They may question all that tubing if you don't have them in original packages.

[Diana]

I would probably just pack them as they are. I had fleeting thoughts about repacking mine as well, but I dont think it is worth it, its too likely that they would get damaged, and it would be hard to maintain sterility.

[kgm0612]

I just returned from a week's vacation in Naples Florida. I had no problems at all going through security. I was actually quite surprised that the TSA knew it was an insulin pump and not a cell phone!

I always carry a note from my endo written on an Rx pad and all my diabetic supplies in my carry-on tote bag. It is also wise to pack some snacks or a sandwich too.

Karen

[Tim_Roy]

TSA are well aware of insulin pumps. They see dozens of them a day.

Now back in 1982... there was no TSA, but I'll tell you, I had to explain my insulin pump to airline security several times. By the 1990s, pumps were common enough that usually they'd spot it for what it was before I had to explain it.