Travelling on a pump!

I had no trouble leaving Australia (took a bit of time but happy to let me walk through with the pump...although they did swab it for drugs!) bound for Hong Kong. Hong Kong was just a transfer but they still took a close look and were more interested in the cartridges of insulin I had with me than the pump. Into Incheon Airport (Seoul) and no bother getting out of the airport.

Coming home was a different matter... Thorough check at Incheon but were happy to let me through with the Drs letter and the card from the pump manufacturers essentially say I am not to be separated from the pump...life sustaining etc. Arrived at Hong Kong 40 mins late (technically had no time to buggarize around as I was due in the departure lounge) and they wanted me to take the pump off and put it through the xray machine. (My pump manufacturer says that is an absolute No No!) I refused...they (the girl) refused...finally a younger more fluent English speaker arrived and asked what the problem was. I explained and he said the pump was fine and to just walk through. Determined the young girl then wanted to check all my prescription medications and when she came to the vials of insulin (for the pump) declared they were liquids! (Any research on blowing up aircraft with three 3mL vials of insulin!) Back came the young man (people who were also connecting with the Brisbane flight were getting a bit anxious at this stage as none of us wanted to miss the connection) and English speaking guy simply stated the obvious...the insulin is for the pump. Left the transfer area as they were calling final call for the flight home. No probs at Brisbane. Declared everything: the lollies, the medications, the pump and the insulin and was waved through. Thank goodness...home, a shower and a sleep. Helen

What a load of hassle for you. I had a close call on my first trip home back from Japan but no hassle at all for my second trip.

Would it be possible to get your Doctor's note translated into chinese for future use? I have a copy of mine translated into Japanese just in case (after what happened on the first trip) - and I keep them together, back to back in a plastic wallet within a folder when I go abroad.

Best wishes for the next trip!

i don't think it was the language rather the officiousness of the individual. The guy spoke to the girl in English!

oh my im going to choose my insulin pump tomoro afternoon and im planning a holiday in june and im dredding all the hassle at the airport i understand they will be suspishus when someone is boarding a plane with a device thats wired to the passinger.... but im goingto ask for advise on this lol

glad to hear u got home all ok

Mike, it really just took more time and it really was only the one official in Hong Kong that was difficult.

Trust you get the pump up and running with appropriate settings before you go. I asked last November if I could get the pump then so it would really be an integral part of me before I went but was told by the CDE that two weeks would be fine. She set the date for pump as 9th March. I left on the 27th and no settings had been established/adjusted so I was correcting all the time (bit confusing as you can not let the pump do its job!) I am now home and working at collecting the data to make the adjustments to basal rates...from first principles! Today is a carb free day...oh @#$%^&.
Helen

Hi DAFNE Pumpers!

I have heard recently that Virgin Atlantic (possibly others too?) are now asking for you to have the information about your pump manufacturer, model and serial number either provided to them at the time of booking, or on your doctor's letter.

Forewarned is forearmed!

Happy travels

I would be interested to know if this is true. I have a number of issues with it. Firstly is this not discrimination ? Does it fall under the UK legislation for discrimination. Secondly what is special about a pump ? Because its electronic, like a phone or a handheld games console etc all of which are allowed on aircraft. Is it the insulin ? I
have never had a problem with insulin and have never even been asked to produce the letter I carry.
Agreed the time to challenge this is not at the airport, but in advance. If its true I would get Diabetes UK involved to challenge this attitude by Virgin and anyone else.
I see no justification whatsoever to have to provide any details of the pump, if you have a letter to say you need one that should be it.

In the 2011 issue one of Diabetes UK's Balance magazine it says that even pump insurance is hard to find because, to quote:

"Page 63 - In need of Pump Cover" said:
Insurance for insulin pumps is difficult to find in the UK because, despite the rising numbers of people on insulin pump therapy, there is still a relatively small number of pump users.