How to Travel in a Plane with Liquid Oxygen
Traveling on a plane with liquid oxygen seems like a daunting task for most people. However, you just need to prepare the oxygen canisters, talk to your travel company, and talk to your physician about it. Once you’ve done this, follow these steps to travel with liquid oxygen in a plane.
Step 1: Talk to Your Airline
Talk to the airline about your plan to travel with the supplemental oxygen when booking the flight. This will enable the staff of the airline to make appropriate arrangements. In some cases, you may be required to inform the airline at least 48 hours before the departure time. However, the most preferable approach is to notify the airline for at least one month in advance. Find out if you can carry extra oxygen equipment as part of the checked baggage in the cargo hold.
Step 2: Seek Approval
Ensure that your oxygen liquid equipment is approved by the relevant authorities. These include the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s important to ensure that the equipment has the FAA-approval label. The flight may provide oxygen at a fee if you fill out their request form. However, this may not be an option for your airline.
Step 3: Arrange for Delivery
Talk to the supplier of your liquid oxygen to deliver it at the layover airport or arrival gate. If the supplier can’t deliver the oxygen, contact a supplier that can deliver it at an international or domestic airport that you will be using.
Step 4: Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Before you travel, talk to your healthcare provider about the possibility of disconnecting liquid oxygen when passing through security at the airport. Your doctor may advise you against this option. In that case, request the airport to allow you to undergo physical inspection.
Step 5: Carry Extra Batteries
Depending on the duration of your flight, it might be wise to carry extra batteries. This can come handy if you miss connections or your flight delays. What’s more, you will need the batteries to cover after flights and ground time.
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