Travel With Oxygen

In General

Being on supplemental oxygen does not mean you have to be housebound. Many of us have learned to grab the tank and go. Your doctors will tell you to stay as active as possible and to use your oxygen as prescribed. If you feel well enough and have your doctor's permission to travel, do it.

With some careful planning, it's possible to obtain oxygen on the road, in the air, across the country or around the world. There are limitations, of course, and any fallout can cause a lot of stress so you'll want to plan carefully, leave nothing to chance and confirm everything.

Before You Plan Your Trip

All oxygen suppliers are not equal. Some suppliers due to size or cost-cutting measures may not have the resources and/or the expertise to help you plan or execute your trip. If you do business with a national chain, they should have a lot of experience with patient travel details. If your supplier is a regional firm, most are connected to a web of other small companies that can help. So, before you get serious about your travel plans, call and ask for the travel desk, tell them where you want to go and find out what they can do for you. If they fail the test and you are relatively new to oxygen use, you may be able to switch providers but this is probably not an option for the well-established customer, especially if you are a Medicare patient or for those with insurance that limits the selection of DMEs you may choose from.

Road Trips

If you're driving straight through to a known destination, your oxygen supplier can arrange for portables and depending on the type of system, reservoirs to be delivered when you arrive at your destination. If you're using gas canisters, you may want to pack a few extra in case an unplanned stopover is necessary. If you're using a liquid system, you may request a 40 pound reservoir which can be strapped into a back seat with an ordinary seat belt. And of course, there are portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) which you may rent or purchase for your personal use.

If your trip is more free form, you may be able to work something out by carrying extra supplies and asking your supplier for some contacts along your route. This is more difficult for the suppliers to handle, but it never hurts to ask for what you want.

It's never a bad idea to play the "what if" game. You may ask your supplier what you should do if you run out of oxygen unexpectedly, who you should call and what you can expect to happen. After all, you are taking a vacation to get away from daily worries so do some contingency planning before you leave.

Keep this in mind when you're estimating your oxygen needs: if your destination is a mountain retreat, you'll be using more oxygen than if you are headed for the beach. Don't underestimate and make sure you have a copy of a doctor's signed prescription with you. You will be asked to show it to obtain additional supplies along the way.

Air Travel

In-Flight Oxygen

Gone are the days when no overriding policy concerning use of supplemental oxygen exited on U.S. flights. Effective May 13th of 2009 every U.S. air carrier was directed to permit the use of approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC) devices on all domestic and international flights. This is also true for foreign carriers but only on flights departing or returning to US soil.

This is not to say the policies for each airline carrier are exactly the same so you will need to talk to your airline about their requirements. The Portable Oxygen Council of America (POCA) is a good place to begin. You will find some useful advice and a link to the airline policy pages on this site.

Another very good source of advice and information can be found at the National Home Oxygen Patient Organization (NHOPA).

After the Flight

If your POC's battery(ies) will be depleted by the time you land, your oxygen supplier can arrange to have oxygen canisters or a full liquid portable waiting at your airline gate. If you run into any problems, ask to be taken to Traveler's Aid. If you must take connecting flights, make sure your supplier knows you need oxygen for each leg of your trip including a supply at the arriving gate between connecting flights. Don't be afraid to check and recheck to ensure everything is in place prior to your departure. It's much too important to leave to chance.

Who Needs In-flight Oxygen?

If you do not use supplemental oxygen in your daily life, but have experienced uncommon shortness-of-breath or tend to retain fluid at high altitudes or during a recent airline flight, ask your doctor about in-flight oxygen. Flying in a commercial airline is like being at 7,000 feet and if you're feeling very s-o-b, your blood saturation may be dipping to an unhealthy level. As many of you know, your heart is under tremendous stress when blood saturation drops below 90. Arranging for in-flight oxygen is a very good investment in your health so do arrange for it if your doctor thinks you need it.

Other Travel

Supplemental oxygen can be arranged on Amtrak trains and many cruise ships and offer another possibility to those of us seeking a little freedom. As with all things, you'll want to plan ahead asking about the availability of o2 before you finalize your plans. When it's time to finalize things make sure the room you're being assigned has space for the equipment you will be using and a sufficient number of electrical outlets etc.

There is a wealth of information on the Internet and we urge you to look further. We think the links you find in this article and below are a good place to begin.

If you're a seasoned traveler and have some info or links you'd like us to add to this piece, please send them to: contact/info+phcentral+org.

Good resources

International Society of Travel Medicine
Amtrak