Traveling with Portable Oxygen Concentrators

As a provider of different oxygen systems we frequently get asked not only by our clients on service with us, but oxygen users in general, if we provide Portable Oxygen Concentrators that are F.A.A. approved….and our answer is, “OF COURSE WE DO”.

As oxygen clients prepare for their travel, having their supplemental oxygen during their flight is a necessity. Planning to take their oxygen system with them for use is something that causes major questions to arise. Here are some key points when traveling, via an airline, that can be insightful and useful when a POC (Portable Oxygen Concentrator) is being utilized.

• Contact and notify your D.M.E provider of your travel needs (POC) and plans, as a minimum of 2-4 week advance notice is required. The duration of the entire flight time in hours should be conveyed to the supplier, as well as the time frame of your travel (departure date / return date) and the destination of your travel
• Notify your treating physician of your travel plans, to ensure that your condition does not negate you from traveling via airline (you may want to ask for a copy of your oxygen prescription to have and take with you on your trip)
• Contact your travel agent and/or airline for your travel and inform them of your travel oxygen needs and the utilization of a POC (a minimum 48hr advance notice is required) (if connecting to another airline during your flight schedule, notify that airline as well)
• • The airline will provide a listing of F.A.A. approved POC’s, as well as ask you what type of POC you will be utilizing for your travel
  • The respective airline will have a form (Physician Statement for POC Use/Medical Verification Statement) that will need to be completed by you (detailed flight information) and your physician, asking for the oxygen liter flow setting and if the oxygen delivery will be via “pulse- flow” or “continuous flow”
  • The F.A.A. requires 150% of flight hours in battery hours for your POC, the statement form will ask how many batteries you will have or will be supplied with (Example: 5 hour flight duration will require 7.5 hrs of battery life)
  • There is also an option on the Physician Statement form that will indicate that oxygen is not needed during the flight, and the POC is a carry-on item only, a physician signature is required stating such

Some Friendly Reminders

• Always carry your AC/DC charging components, as well as the POC user manual
• Identify A/C wall plug-in locations at airports
• Plug in your POC as often as you can, especially when waiting to board the airplane
• Package and secure any additional POC batteries you will take on your flight
• Keep an extra nasal cannula with your POC system
• POCS’s are considered assisted devices and do not count toward carry-on limits