Excepts from Life with a Tracheotomy
by Jill M. Sybalsky
Airline Travel Tips
I do a BUNCH of airline travel and since Sept 11th it is NO fun going through security. Security always want to paw through everything because they have ZERO clue what they are looking at.
What if I need Oxygen?
You can fly on any airline with oxygen. BUT...you must set this up in
advance with their Special Assistance Department (or similar name).
There is
a charge since you can only use their O2. Any connecting flights you have
to pay for O2 on those planes also. The only way to get price reduced
on O2 is to check with each airlines regarding cost and tell the airline you
choose "that so and so airlines only charges xyz".
You might want to
check into an air ambulance if you would have to have multiple connections with
O2 needed. Some insurances cover air ambulance expenses. I know
nothing about air ambulance travel, but this URL might help:
http://www.travel-care.com
Talk with Special Assistance
I travel on American the most. In fact I travel so much I have a person in special assistance that deals with me on a personal level and makes things so much easier. They have a folder in their computer connected to my husband's million mile account. It lists each and every piece of equipment, manufacturer and the airline's approval for me traveling with everything. Yes it was a pain to set up originally, gathering all the information about each equipment, getting waivers when the company wouldn't provide info about the batteries, but now it's one phone call "Hi it's me", wham seat assignments up front, info put in passenger profile. This calms agents when they see you walking in with a million pieces of luggage, and luggage that is oversized--they panic and start with you can't fly with that--"read my passenger record, its a short novel"--they babble-"READ the record then we will talk!"--they read my short novel--oh....fine, no problem (relief from them--then a story about the horror of people and what they try to check as luggage).A few keys to traveling by air--
1. At the counter when you check in, ask for a supervisor to walk you through security. This gets you to the front of the line and they can help deal with security and FAA folks when they try to take equipment away from you. YES I have had FAA take away (temporarily) things that I would need to keep me alive, but a supervisor can override them and take the item back. You then have to have the FAA supervisor or FAA Complaints Resolution Official that handles complaints (which by law must be present at the airport) and airline supervisor walk with you to talk to the pilot, and it becomes the pilot's call if you can or can't have the equipment on board.BEWARE they will try dumb things like the stewardess will keep it and give it to you if you need it, or the pilot will keep it in the cockpit until you need it. All it usually takes is to ask to speak to the pilot privately and tell him in an emergency you can't wait for the stewardess or him to get you the stuff, for you will be dead by then. Second ask him what medical training his staff has for dealing with a trach patient and what they would do once an emergency occurs. Telling them you, and in my case whoever is traveling with me that they are trained to handle the emergency as long as you have your equipment with you.
Inform them that FAA rules do not fit every situation and it is your absolute
right to stay alive and be allowed to travel. I also tell them that if
they read my profile attached to my ticket they will see all this has been
pre-approved by the airline's corporate office. I also tell them I fly
regularly and this is outrageous treatment and not up to their standards for
customer satisfaction. I have never had a pilot disagree and they usually
repeat the last line about FAA rules and add something about how no one is going
to get through the cockpit doors so there is NO RISK for you to have your
equipment. Make sure he tells this to the FAA person, once they do the FAA
person usually says something stupid like don't let anyone see you have this
equipment or allow them to take it away from you and use it as a weapon. I
always just say sure and think to myself you give me a weapon when I fly--seat
belt extender, can of soda, a blanket...you get the idea.
2. Have a
letter (I suggest undated) from your doctor saying it is medically necessary for
you to travel with (insert list of items--nebulizer, suction machine, tweezers,
paramedic scissors, ambu bags, etc) Have your doctor use words like
"medically necessary"...."required to breathe"
It's a good idea to have
your doctor state items need to sterile; this slows them down in the pawing
through your stuff. Also if you have a latex allergy make sure that is in
the letter and insist they use non-latex gloves before searching your
stuff. This falls under FAA guidelines regarding items like syringes
for people that need medication instantly. You can show this to the FAA
supervisor and see if that is enough to offset the trip to the aircraft and talk
with the pilot.
3. Don't back down and let them intimate you. Hell,
I had the national guard threaten to call Port Authority Police on me at
JFK. I told him to do what he felt he had to, but his job was not to
interfere with people trying to resolve an problem. He backed down and did
nothing but stand there and act like an asshole. So be aware you will run
into jerks that are mad with authority and no clue about how to deal with your
special needs, let alone treat you like a human being.
4. Padlock
your carry ons. This slows them down in pawing through your stuff.
Demand they get NEW non-latex gloves (I have latex allergy so I don't want
them touching anything, let alone anything going into my trach tube) and tell
them the items you are carrying needs to remain sterile (this cuts down on
them pawing through your stuff). You will be amused to know most places
don't have gloves and will allow you to handle the equipment to show to
them--and usually they have no clue what they are looking at.
5. If they
want to do bomb swabbing, demand they use a fresh swab for your
stuff.
You may ask why I bother with gloves and new swabs--in this day
and age you have no idea who has what germs and security folks are handling
stuff that goes into your trach which goes into your lungs, why take a
unnecessary risk? Second with them pawing through someone else's stuff and
then yours--it is the fastest way to spread any bio-chemical threat (or
anthrax). All it takes is one terrorist to have what looks like spilled
powder in their luggage, security touches it as they inspect the terrorist
luggage (either by their hand or the swabs), along comes the next person, the
security persons contaminated hand/swab now goes in that luggage and so
forth--spreading from one luggage case to another sending the threat worldwide
very rapidly. NO THANKS.
6. Never check anything that will be
needed on the other end--what happens when your luggage doesn't make a
connection, you want to risk not having your medically necessary
equipment? Let alone trying to get a replacement at 1 or 2am.
Airlines must by law waive the limits of carry on baggage if it contains medical
equipment/items. They may require you to sign a wavier releasing them from
liability DO NOT sign it, they are NOT allowed to do this, point them at the
Dept of Transportation if they try.
7. If you every get a tag
that says inspected by (name of airline) leave it attached to your luggage and
use it EVERY travel, that helps let them know you have traveled with this
equipment before and were approved.
8. Go 3 hours early so you
don't miss your plane and you can calmly deal with all the idiots that have
power trips about YOUR SAFETY.
9. Always tell them you wish to
PRE-BOARD. Always tell them if you have a connecting flight, as it is
their responsibility to provide assistance so you and any checked medical
devices make the connecting flight. You have a cause for complaint against
the airlines if they mess up on any of these. This also guarantees you get
all your equipment in the overhead compartments or under the seats where you are
sitting (as long as you make sure to fit all your devices into luggage that
will fit in the cabin).
The personnel is supposed to assist you in
getting you to and from your seat, to and from the restroom, opening packages
and identifying the food, and load and retrieve carry-on items INCLUDING
assistive devices stored in the cabin.
10. Write Secretary of
Transportation (currently Norm Mineta) about how FAA needs to better accommodate
those with trachs and the medical equipment needed and how the airlines and
security checks hinder your safe travel by hassling you and threatening or
actually taking away your medically necessary equipment. (I can provided
you with a copy of what I have sent him if you wish to echo this to
them).
11. Seek FAA's Exemption for travel http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/exempt.htm
Why Paramedic Scissors?
Take paramedic scissors, those they have less issues with. Be aware you would need the scissors if the plane dropped the oxygen masks, you would need to cut the mask off and put the air tube in the trach tube. Tape to secure air tube would be handy as well.
Some helpful URLS
URLs regarding travel for those with disabilities, or where you should write
and complain:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm
Aviation
Consumer Protection Division
U.S. Department of Transportation
Room 4107,
C-75
Washington, DC 20590
Their e-mail address is airconsumer@ost.dot.gov
-------
http://www.faa.gov/arp/pdf/disab1.pdf
Rules
regarding handicap
--------
http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/
Industry
Letters
Guidance Regarding Aviation Rules and Statutes
U.S. Department of
Transportation
Office of Aviation Enforcement and
Proceedings
-------
http://www.nw.faa.gov/civilrights/factsht.htm
Facts
for Air Travelers... from the Aviation Consumer Protection
Division
Passengers with Disabilities
-------
Other ADA Links
http://www.dot.gov/citizen_services/disability/disability.html
For
things like Greyhound, Amtrak, etc
--------
Guaranteeing Access to
Transportation
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/fall94/p94au18.htm
--------
For a more detailed description of this rule, see DOT's booklet
New
Horizons: Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability
http://www.faa.gov/acr/dat.htm
New
Horizons
Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability
Key POINT from
this document
-All carriers are now required to have a Complaints Resolution
Official (CRO) immediately available (even if by phone) to resolve
disagreements
which may arise between the carrier and passengers with
disabilities. -Travelers who disagree with a carrier's actions toward them
can pursue the
issue with the carrier's CRO on the spot.
-------
Please
send your suggestions, comments or questions, as well as email for the Secretary
and other Department of Transportation officials, to
dot.comments@ost.dot.gov.
--------
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue,
S.W.
Washington, DC 20591
General Information and Employee Locator:
202-366-4000
Public Affairs: 202-366-4570
Hearing Impaired TTY (Hours
9:00am-5:30pm): 202-755-7687
9-AWA-TELLFAA@faa.gov
--------
http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/petitions.htm
Procedures
for Petitions for Exemption or Rulemaking
-------
FAA's Office of Aviation
Medicine @ 202-267-3535
http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/disabled.htm
It outlines the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986. This one is good too
http://www.dot.gov/ost/docr/accessibility/airaccess.html
-----------------
U.S.
Department of Transportation
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Washington, D.C.
20590
202-366-4000
--------
http://www.disability.gov/
Disability
Direct a government site of federal agencies working on disability
issues.
---------
WAPD Resources: Travel
http://www.wapd.org/links/Travel/
World
Association of Physically Disabled Main Page
http://www.wapd.org/links/index.html
© Copyright 2001 Jill
Sybalsky. All Rights Reserved.
To contact the author: Jill@Top2bottom.net
