Your First Holiday Season With Oxygen: A Step-by-Step Checklist

First time medical oxygen users can feel overwhelmed at the idea of the logistics of planning a trip abroad – how to cope with regulatory requirements and ensure that you can travel while still accessing your vital medical equipment and supplies? Can I fly with oxygen? A simple checklist detailing each step of the way is what you need. 

This article will provide exactly that medical oxygen travel tips checklist so recent users of oxygen therapy are reassured that they can travel and explore the world and stay healthy while they do so.

Your First Holiday With Oxygen: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Pauline* had been struggling with breathlessness and fatigue for months, so it was no surprise when her doctor prescribed her a course of medical oxygen. The problem was, Pauline loves to travel. When she was first diagnosed, some of her family members told her that she would have to stay home, from now on, that she wouldn’t be able to travel any more – and certainly not as often as she liked to. But Pauline got in touch with OxygenWorldwide and talked to our experts who quickly reassured her that while her to-do list would now include a few extra steps and that she would have to be a little more regimented in her planning, she absolutely could still travel widely – thousands of people who use medical oxygen travel every year for a variety of reasons ranging from leisure to business and everything in between.

Let’s have a look at what Pauline should do before her first holiday using oxygen.

Step One: Speak to Your Doctor

People with chronic medical conditions often need something called ‘medical clearance’ before they travel. This is a form or certificate that lets airline officials, customs agents and any other relevant authorities know that the traveller is fit to travel, even though they depend on medical equipment. This is a very normal part of life, and will be quickly arranged for most patients by your doctor’s office.

Once you have received your medical approval, you can get in touch with OxygenWorldwide. Do note we will need you to obtain medical approval before OxygenWorldwide can begin to handle the logistics for you. You will also need to obtain an up-to-date prescription, in hard copy, to take with you – this is often needed to confirm your need for medical oxygen in your destination country. Prescriptions are often tweaked as your condition is better understood or as your needs change, so you must make sure that the prescription you take with you is the latest version, and in date.

Finally, while you are at the doctor’s surgery, let your medical team know where you are going and what you will be doing there. Regina* let her doctor know that she would be travelling to a high-altitude country and doing quite a lot of walking around. Bearing that in mind, he increased her required flowrate so she would be able to access more oxygen to account for the thinness of the atmosphere and her additional exertions.

Step Two: Know the Regulations Regarding Your Equipment 

Pauline uses LOX at home as she has limited space and a high flowrate for night times. During the day she uses LOX at home, and a portable concentrator for short trips outside the home. But for her trip she may need to switch to cylinders – but what does this all mean?

LOX is liquid oxygen, a pale blue-green (cyan) liquid which is actually highly compressed gaseous oxygen – when LOX is used, it ‘boils’ off into gas, expanding tremendously as it does so. This means that an LOX tank can hold a huge quantity of oxygen in a relatively small tank – but it can be highly explosive under the wrong conditions. For this reason, LOX cannot be transported on a plane, and access to it is usually strictly controlled. It is ideal for patients with high flowrate needs who are using their oxygen in their homes or while travelling terrestrially – such as in a motor home, for example.

Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) are small and relatively light devices that filter nearly pure oxygen from the atmosphere by removing the nitrogen content. They are ideal for short term use during flights and while commuting, and are also ideal for travellers who need oxygen during day trips and excursions. Many oxygen therapy users have an oxygen concentrator for travel abroad.

Cylinders range in size from fairly small – about the length and thickness of a man’s arm – to impressively large, but these last are usually used in hospital settings. They are ideal for high-flow rate requirements in static situations: in your hotel bedroom, for example, for use overnight.

Julio* suffers badly from cluster headaches and these tend to worsen with the stress of travelling. His doctor has prescribed him high flowrate oxygen therapy during which he uses up to 12l of oxygen per minute for thirty minutes at a time, as this has been found to be effective. When he travels, he uses OxygenWorldwide to liaise with local suppliers so he can use the treatment as soon as he signs into his hotel – he has found this prevents the onset of a headache which would otherwise ruin the first few days of any trip.

NB: OxygenWorldwide does not currently supply oxygen in the United States. OxygenWorldwide is also unable to provide oxygen in aircraft cabins.

Step Three: Fill in OxygenWorldwide’s Enquiry Form

Navigate to our travel form and read through it to see what information you will need. It is all laid out simply and in a logical fashion, so you will easily see what details you will need before you begin. Fill in all the fields carefully and hit submit. Once you’ve sent in your form, one of the team will read it through and ask you any clarifying questions should they need to. Once they have all the information, they will send you through a comprehensive quotation. If you accept the quotation, simply make your payment and confirm that you are accepting the quotation. OxygenWorldwide will begin to coordinate your oxygen and equipment supply with local suppliers in your destination country, keeping you informed along the way. You can sit back and relax, knowing that your oxygen needs will be met without having to chase up your oxygen supplier or liaise with your hotel about your medical needs – those extra towels in bathroom, however? Yeah, that’s for you to take care of!

Step Four: Check Airline Requirements

As soon as you’ve confirmed your oxygen supply at your destination country, you will be booking your flights. You must ascertain the unique regulations of the airline you have chosen when it comes to travelling with your medical oxygen. In almost all cases, you will only be able to take a POC on board with you, and if you are permitted to carry cylinders, they will have to be empty and checked into the hold.

Find out from your airline what documentation they require from you: their in-house forms, the deadlines for registering your medical needs, and – if needed – what kind of doctor’s letter they need from you.

Remember, OxygenWorldwide cannot provide in-flight oxygen, so you must be sure that you take care of this step yourself. Best practice would be to contact the airline as early as possible and be as clear as possible in stating your needs and your proposed solutions. Get confirmation from the airline if they agree to you use of a certain POC – and have this in writing, if at all possible.

Finally, for airport prep, print off hard copies of ALL your necessary documentation. You may not have signal to retrieve digital copies as you explore the world, so make sure you can always have your paper versions immediately accessible, such as in your hand luggage.

Step Five: Accommodating Accommodation!

Choose your hotel or Airbnb with care when you need medical oxygen. Explain carefully about the power points you need in the room, how much space your equipment will occupy and whether your local supplier can easily deliver your requirements in a timely manner. Hotels – especially those from bigger chains – will have checklists and questionnaires for prospective clients to fill in regarding medical requirements, but smaller ones may not be geared for you without you explicitly laying out your requirements. This can include plug sockets close to the bed, space for cylinder storage, and even access to the room fridge to keep medications cool. Be as detailed as you can with the hotel – they cannot provide services for problems they don’t know about!

Common mistakes made by travellers unused to travelling with medical oxygen include booking a private rental without telling the owner about medical needs; and not ensuring that they arrive when the reception desk is manned – check reception hours before you plan your arrival.

Carlos had the chance of a week’s holiday unexpectedly and leapt at the chance to enjoy some winter sun. But when he arrived at his hotel, they had no record of his booking. Carlos had signed up with OxygenWorldwide before setting off, and they had put into place a plan for oxygen delivery for him. He phoned as soon as he realized his plans were in disarray and we managed to pause the scheduled delivery until he had found a new hotel that had the space and the right facilities for him. The moment Carlos called back to confirm his new accommodation, the team immediately got hold of the supplier and restarted the delivery schedule, just to the new hotel this time. Carlos had a bit of stress from the flawed booking, but he was able to continue his oxygen therapy without missing a treatment.

Step Six: Confirm, confirm, confirm (Before You Travel!)

Once you have an account with OxygenWorldwide, you will be able to contact our team by email to confirm your details and ensure that there has been no last-minute snags in the delivery process.

On their part, OxygenWorldwide will be contacting your accommodation provider to be sure they are expecting you and your oxygen on appropriate days. They will also be coordinating with your suppliers to make sure they bring the right equipment and quantities of oxygen to suit your needs.

You must bring all your paperwork, including booking confirmations, prescriptions, medical clearances and perhaps even letters confirming your diagnosis and treatment plan, and your ID.

You do not need to chase up your oxygen supply, at either end of the process once OxygenWorldwide is on it for you.

However, it is always a good idea to send a final reminder email to OxygenWorldwide confirming your travel plans just so everyone is on the same page! In the event that your travel goes astray – problem with your hotel; delays or border closures; storms or other natural disasters – OxygenWorldwide has a 24-7 emergency line for their existing customers, with multilingual operators standing by to help with urgent logistical changes, tweaks to oxygen supply lines, or even simply to reassure you that things will be okay!

Step Seven: What Will You Find on Arrival

Depending on what you have arranged, most customers find their oxygen ready and waiting for them in their hotel room or in the reception area. Full instructions on how to set up and use the equipment is usually included as standard, and often there is a contact number for the supplier, so you can go straight to source if there are any problems.

Peter and Freda arrived at their hotel three hours later than planned at 11pm. The hotel reassured them that a light meal of sandwiches could be sourced for them from the room-service menu, even as the bell-boy gathered their suitcases and led them to their room. They were delighted to find that Peter’s medical oxygen was not only in the room, but that the hotel had placed it close to the power strip closest to the bed. Peter, stressed from the travelling and an inordinate amount of walking that they had done around the airports both before and after arrival, was delighted to plug in and use his oxygen cylinder right away. Within a few minutes, both he and Freda felt at home and comfortable – all thanks to Oxygen Worldwide’s excellent planning and attention to detail.

Step Eight: Enjoy! 

You’ve arrived in your destination, settled in to your hotel room and used your unfamiliar oxygen equipment. Now all you need to do is enjoy your holiday at your own pace, no matter if you are on a short winter break, a Mediterranean cruise, a long vacation in Spain or even a family visit to catch up with aunts, uncles and more cousins that you properly know what to do with!

Having the peace of mind of knowing that your oxygen is in place waiting for you, you can get out and explore the destination country, exercising independence even as you indulge your personal tastes and preferences as you go!

Checklist Summary

At the end of her chat with OxygenWorldwide, Pauline had the following traveling with medical oxygen checklist to follow:

• Book plane tickets
• Speak to airline about equipment for plane, checked and non-checked
• Find accommodation
  • remember power points
  • storage space
  • prefer ground floor or need lift

• Book doctor’s appointment
  • Medical clearance/ fit to fly
  • Up-to-date prescriptions
  • Medical letter, detailing diagnosis and treatment
  • Ask about destination country – will prescription need to be adjusted?

• Fill in OxygenWordwide’s form
  • Check quotation when it comes through
  • Pay for services
  • Take note of contact information
  • Take note of emergency phone number
• Check passport
• Make sure EHIC/GHIC is up-to-date
• ENJOY THE HOLIDAY!

Once you have completed the above checklist, you will have nothing left to do but heed the last point: enjoy the holiday, making the most of exploring new cultures, seeing the sights and perhaps catching up with family or friends.

If you have firm travel plans or are just beginning to think about maybe doing a spot of travel in the near future, the team at OxygenWorldwide are waiting to hear from you – fill in the form or contact the support team. Once you’ve taken that first step, OxygenWorldwide will handle all the rest for you!

 

*Names have been changed.