PH and Travel: Top Travel Tips

Part 2: Top Travel Tips

People in the PH community often have questions about PH and travel. Although it may take some extra planning, traveling with PH and an associated condition is very possible. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before traveling and check out the resources PHA has about PH and travel on their website.  The following tips from experienced travelers may also be useful to you as you plan for your next vacation.

Flying to Conference Summer 2012

Colleen Schnell flew from Buffalo, New York to Orlando, Florida to attend PHA’s 10th International PH Conference in June of 2012. This was her first time flying and she did not know what to expect. Luckily, she was able to get in contact with some others who travel often to get more information. Colleen had a lot to say about flying with PH and wanted to share her experience and top tips about flying.

Talk to Other PHers Before You Travel – People in the PH community want to help you and answer your questions.  The best advice will come from those with personal experience. If you are planning to travel, talk to someone with experience. There are many PHA resources available to connect you with someone who can talk to you about travel. These resources include PHA Email Mentors, Email Groups and Community Created Facebook Pages for people living with PH.  The PH community is a very valuable resource!

All About Oxygen – Oxygen is a big topic when it comes to PH and flying. PHA has resources for traveling with oxygen on their website. When trying to figure out oxygen, contacting your oxygen company could be a good place to


start. Colleen contacted the company that she uses for oxygen to see what they had to offer. She was able to rent portable oxygen concentrator and even rent extra batteries for an additional cost. She found that doing research before you contact your oxygen company is important.

A handout by the Pulmonary Paper lists all of the different portable oxygen concentrators and basic information about them.  Colleen found this to be useful when learning about what portable oxygen concentrators would be best for her while traveling. Colleen also took her liquid oxygen unit with her and was able to pack that in her luggage. She had to make arrangements for oxygen in Orlando as well. She did this by contacting her oxygen company’s Orlando office. Make sure to talk to your doctor about oxygen before choosing which method you will use.

What to do with Medication –Make sure to pack extra medication when you are traveling away from home. It is better to have too much medication with you than not enough. It is important to have extra in case you end up unexpectedly having to spend more time away from home. Colleen said when she went to conference, she packed way more medication than she needed, just to be safe!

When flying, it is a good idea to put your medication in your carryon bag. Putting your medication in your luggage is not the best idea because luggage can get lost. To make sure you will have your medication with you when you arrive at your destination, keep it with you.

While at the Airport – Airports can be large and require a lot of walking. With most airlines, you can request a wheelchair when you book your ticket. Most airlines will also allow you to board first if you are using a wheelchair to make sure you get a seat close to the front. Calling the airport and airline ahead of time to see what other accommodations they have for you may be beneficial.

Plan, Plan, Plan – Plan as much as you can in advance. Colleen said she made much of her PH related arrangements about a month before traveling.  There are so many things that need to be coordinated before you arrive at the airport. From making arrangements for oxygen to getting notes from your doctors, planning in advance is essential. PHA has template letters for traveling on their website.

Cruising the Caribbean

Along with her trips to Disney, Carol Bowling has been on multiple cruises. This summer, she has plans to go on a Western Caribbean cruise at the end of August. Carol finds that cruising is a great way to travel with PH and wanted to share her experiences and top cruising tips!

A great vacation for PH – Cruising is a great vacation for someone who has PH because your room is traveling with you! According to Carol, “The cruise ship is great because I can meander around the ship and do the various activities but when I am tired I can easily retreat to my cabin and take a nap or a rest on the verandah.  Nothing as relaxing as looking out over beautiful blue ocean water.”

Carol said the best thing about a cruise is that each day you get a schedule that lets you know what is going on around the boat. With PH, there are certain things you need to do throughout the day. With a schedule in advance, Carol was able to plan activities around her medication schedule.

Accommodations on the boat and in port – Most all cruise lines are very accommodating to people who have special needs. Carol uses a scooter and was able to book a handicap accessible room. This room was larger had a wider door to accommodate her scooter.

Cruising with Oxygen – Each cruise line handles oxygen a little differently. Carol brought oxygen tanks with her on the cruise. For the Disney cruise, the tanks were required to be held in the medical facility on board. On Royal Caribbean, she was able to keep the tanks with her in her room. No matter what, each cruise line will provide you with their policies and how they are going to do things and the cruise line will work with you.

The port will also work with you. Contact your oxygen company to see what they have available in the port you are going to. In case your oxygen company is not able to deliver to the port you will be visiting, there are other approved vendors that they will work with. Work with your oxygen company first, if they are not able to assist you, go to another company such as Special Needs at Sea or CareVacations.

Once Again, Remember to Plan – Just like with flying, you must work with the cruise line ahead of time. The cruise line will require you to fill out paperwork and wants the paperwork completed at least thirty days in advance. Also, look into what the airlines, cruise lines, hotels, etc. can offer you to make your trip more enjoyable.

With the proper information and advanced planning, traveling with PH is almost always possible. Don’t let the challenges of PH and traveling stop you from doing the things you want to most!  Remember to always talk to your doctor before traveling.  Also, check out the following resources about PH and traveling on PHA’s website: PAH Traveling Tips Webinar, Ask a PH Specialist and Travel Recommendations for Patients with PAH.

By Laura Johns, Patient and Caregiver Services Intern