Leaving for SA on May 1. First time on Emirates-previous 4 safaris on Delta. First time taking the wife. We both use CPAP machines. I got on the Emirates website today to inquire if we needed any special adapters to carryon to plug our machines in while we sleep and was told both on the website chat and on the phone line that we are not allowed to plug our CPAP machines in to the airplane's power supply? We have done this multiple times on American and Delta on international flights. WTF??? Anyone flown Emirates with a CPAP? I am not even sure I can get a battery supply for our machines on this short of a notice. Thanks for any advice.

Forgot to mention-we are flying Business Class, not Coach.

I plan to plug mine in this upcoming Friday in Emirates business class. I've done so on other airlines. I have a letter from my doctor stating it a medical necessity. You place it in airplane mode (for my Resmed) and they recommend you not use your humidifier in case of turbulence. I also have a lithium travel battery that I bring for use in camp once the generators are cut (which I guess you could also use in flight if needed).

Tell me about your battery and where you got it. I will be traveling in coach on Delta and dont think there is a plug on the seats in the cattle car section.

Here is the link the Emirates people gave me: https://bit.ly/2xzNBbJ. It plainly states that you are not allowed to plug in a CPAP on any of their flights. In this day and time of all the ADA BS how do they get away with this? I have been on CPAP for over ten years and have never had an issue with American, Delta, United, Alaska Air, Aerolineas Argentina, LAN, or Lufthansa. I wondering now about any more suprises!

https://www.resmed.com/us/en/c...ation-ii-rps-ii.html

Go to Resmed.com. I bought off cpap.com. There are many other similar sites.

Gentlemen, be sure to read TSA and individual airline rules for lithium batteries. There have been some changes due to a couple of incidences with hover boards IIRC.

I used to always pack extra lithium batteries for my Surefire and Fenix flashlights in my checked bags. IIRC, you may now only have them in carry on, packaged in a way that they can't make contact with each other.

However, there may be provisions for medical equipment and devices for both carry on and checked bags. Good luck.

Crisis averted-I found our battery packs on 1-800-CPAP.COM. There were two models that they carried that were compatible with both of our machines (they are different). The ones we ordered were about half the price of the other-difference the high dollar one would run both the machine and the humidifier for up to 18 hours. The ones we ordered will run the machine alone for 12 or the machine+humidifier for up to 4 hours. For an over $300 difference (each) we went with the lower priced one. The chat person told me to put "take10" in the coupon code at checkout-saved me almost $70. Net price beat Amazon my a fair amount.
Another note-the Emirates website states you must have a Doctor's letter stating you "need" the machine, and it must be submitted 48 hours prior to travel-don't know to whom yet.
Is anyone aware of any other airlines that treats CPAP users this way?
After all this hassle Emirates Biz Class better be a damn sight better than Delta or AA.

Update: I was a "good boy" today-I called Emirates and they gave me the "3rd degree" about my and my wife's CPAP machines. Had to give them all dimensions (length+width+height) plus weight, plus brand names and model numbers. According to our travel agent when Samsung (or whomever) started to have things "explode" a few years ago Emirates had a typical corporate knee-jerk reaction and like all other airlines restricted carry on electronics to include ipads, etc. As far as I can determine they are the only airline to restrict CPAPs, which are an approved medical device on virtually ever other airline. I hope they provide such an exceptional level of service that I consider them for future trips, but I am now concerned about any other "surprises".

quote:

Originally posted by drj:
Here is the link the Emirates people gave me: https://bit.ly/2xzNBbJ. It plainly states that you are not allowed to plug in a CPAP on any of their flights. In this day and time of all the ADA BS how do they get away with this? I have been on CPAP for over ten years and have never had an issue with American, Delta, United, Alaska Air, Aerolineas Argentina, LAN, or Lufthansa. I wondering now about any more suprises!

You do know that ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is an AMERICAN law right? Emerits is not an American company.

Yes, I am well aware that the ADA is an American law. I just know that most of the time when Americans want to do business in other countries we have to accommodate their laws, but we don't treat them the same way when they do business here.