What to do when your Medical Device takes a wrong turn

Airline passengers are advised to bring their portable medical devices as carry-ons, rather than in checked baggage, where they may be damaged or lost. By law, qualifying devices – such as CPAPS, or dialysis machines – don’t count against a passenger’s carry on allowance.

Worst case scenario, the bins above you are full and you have to place your CPAP in a bin a few rows ahead of you. Then there’s a mix up and someone else grabs your CPAP by mistake. What now?

Here are some tips of how lost luggage policies work. Unlike checked bags, airlines don’t give claim tickets for carry-ons, and they aren’t responsible for such items, damaged or lost.

Tips for traveling with a medical device:

Take a photo of your device and its travel bag. If it gets lost, you can show airline officials what it looks like.

Ask the airline several days before departure about any special requirements. Your device must be on the Federal Aviation Administration approved list. If you need to use it in flight, most airlines want you to let them know about it 48 hours in advance.

Don’t put your device in checked baggage. It’s safer with you.

Place your prescription inside the case, advises the Transportation Security Administration. You may need to prove the device is exempt from carry-on limits.

Personalize your travel case with something distinctive like brightly colored yarn or ribbon, use markers to doodle on it for example, and attach your contact information to it like a luggage tag.