CPAP machines on Virgin Atlantic and British Air

My family and I had boarded a Virgin Atlantic plane for a flight from London to Nairobi on Dec. 26, 2007.

I was ticketed in economy, but one of my travel companions in an upper-class section switched seats with me because I had just ended a stressful week with my very ill mother and was exhausted.

As I was looking around the upper-class seat to investigate its features, specifically, where to plug something in, a stewardess approached. I asked, “Is it permitted to plug in a CPAP machine on the flight?” She said she was new to this aircraft and would check.

A second stewardess wanted to know what I was interested in plugging in. I explained that I always travel with my CPAP machine and that in economy there were no outlets for it, but as this was my first time in upper class I was curious.

She had no idea what a CPAP machine was, so I explained that it is a breathing machine used by people with sleep apnea to improve their sleep.

(Sleep apnea is a disorder which makes people briefly stop breathing in their sleep when lying down. A CPAP, or Continuous Positive Air Pressure, machine applies gentle pressure to keep the airway open during sleep to stop this from happening. No oxygen is involved. There is simply a little pump attached to a facial mask. Visit www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html and, one of many info sources, www.cpapxchange.com/index.html.)

The stewardess asked if I needed to use the CPAP machine. I said, “No.” I emphasized that it was not a requirement in any way and I was merely enquiring about the possibility, as having it made me more comfortable. Without it I might have a headache in the morning, nothing worse.

The simple answer should have been, “There are no suitable power outlets on this plane,” but she was clearly spooked. A third stewardess came over, notepad in hand, and said that they needed medical clearance for the machine to be used.

Again, I answered questions about what it was, stating that it was not a big deal and I would willingly withdraw my question. However, things had escalated and I was asked questions about my luggage and travel companions.

The stewardess repeatedly told me that I should have requested prior medical clearance to travel with this machine. As a travel agent, I know that medical clearance is required for passengers needing oxygen during a flight but that it is not standard practice for passengers carrying CPAP machines.

With the “medical assistance” firm MedLink on the telephone, I was summoned to the door of the plane. I was not permitted to talk directly to MedLink, and the only question that was relayed to me was “Is this a CPAP machine?,” to which I answered in the affirmative. I was told that MedLink required extra oxygen to be carried on the flight and that it could not be done until the following day, therefore I had to leave the plane.

Later that evening I was shown a copy of the ticketing record where it had been noted I had stated that I NEEDED this equipment. I tried to have the ticketing record updated to include my correction of this statement but was told the system was down and no additions could be made at that time.

After exiting the plane, it took a further two hours to verify what happened to our luggage and determine that we had been booked on the following day’s flight.

Initially, we were asked to pay change fees on our tickets, but after talking with three staff members these were waived.

We were not provided with hotel accommodation, although eventually (by almost 11 p.m., after the airport help desk was closed) a staff member did call a hotel to determine if they had two rooms available for the four of us. We found our way to the public bus station as directed and discovered that a change of two buses or a taxi ride costing £60 was required to reach that hotel. We found another, more convenient, hotel on our own.

On returning to the airport the following day, we happened to check in with the same agent as the day before. She told us they had had a staff meeting regarding the incident the prior evening and that we had, in fact, been cleared to fly by MedLink but that the crew had the final say and had decided that additional oxygen was required.

We again went through the process of medical clearance and were told to wait at the gate for the final decision of the crew. No crew approached us, and as the lounge emptied we decided just to board the plane along with the other passengers. We were visited by the Chief Steward, who welcomed us on board and said he was fine with the situation.

My family and I incurred considerable expenses at Heathrow and missed a full day of our (very expensive, prepaid and nonrefundable) safari. Our travel insurance will not reimburse us the $2,400 of missed vacation because there was no “medical event.”

Our claim for recovery of the additional costs for accommodations, taxi fares and food for the 24-hour delay in London was not accepted because we were not able to prove “common carrier delay.” In other words, the coverage applied only when the plane was delayed, not individual passengers.

Name withheld by request

California

ITN sent copies of the above letter to Virgin Atlantic Airways (747 Belden Ave., Norwalk, CT 06850) and received the following reply.

Virgin Atlantic is very sorry for any inconvenience caused to Miss (X) on her recent flight to Nairobi. If a passenger has a medical condition and requires specialist equipment on board, it is the passenger’s responsibility to advise the airline in advance of their condition and any medication they are carrying.

As Miss (X) did not advise the airline in advance, the decision was made that she should not travel until MedLink, our specially trained experts, could clear her for travel.

As an airline, we have a duty to ensure that there is no risk to our passengers when carrying someone with any kind of medical condition, so this is in the interest of the passengers’ welfare.

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

JANINE DONOVAN, Virgin Atlantic Airways, 120 Campden Hill Rd., London, W8 7AR, U.K.

On the website www.virgin-atlantic.com is stated, “Virgin Atlantic does not have facilities onboard to plug in electrically powered medical devices. Clearance must be gained in advance of travel for any battery operated medical equipment which is required for use onboard during take off/landing, or during the flight.”

To show that airlines have different policies regarding CPAP machines, and to remind readers about the UK’s January 2008 rule regarding carry-ons, ITN is printing the following.