FAQs About Diabetes and Air Travel

With summer time family vacations in full throttle it’s important to use the proper guidance for diabetes and air travel.

When you live with diabetes, you need to take into consideration all your medical needs before you decide to go on a trip, a family vacation or even a weekend getaway. With the right planning and implementing these tips for diabetes and air travel, this does not have to be a limitation, but rather an opportunity to learn and be prepared.

A lot of patients rely on a traveling with diabetes checklist in order to ensure that everything is taken into account: all the medicines, the right quantities of them, healthy snacks for the plane, glucose scanner and any equipment or tool that they may use for monitoring and managing their health.

In order to make this task a little easier for the more than 30 million of patients that live with diabetes in the USA, the American Diabetes Association travel guidelines are available for download, as a booklet or simply to take notes from in order to prepare the checklist mentioned above, or know details that may be important.

For example, you may have numerous questions if it is your first time traveling after being diagnosed or, you could simply want to take certain precautions if you are traveling outside of the country. These are all legitimate concerns when considering diabetes and air travel.

The American Diabetes Association travel guidelines answer these and many other inquiries you may have and can clarify any doubt before your vacation.

Some of the most common questions patients may ask to their doctor before traveling include:

Can I take my insulin and other diabetes supplies in the plane with me?
Should I pack some snacks or meals before my trip?
Is there any particular procedure for diabetics during check-in prior to a flight?
Is there anyone I can call if I get in trouble at the airport?

Using a traveling with diabetes checklist helps you prepare before you reach the airport. By following this list you can carefully review that you have packed your essentials: insulin, diabetes equipment, snacks, glucose tablets, your medical file, a certified letter by your doctor stating your condition, etc.

In addition, for diabetes and air travel, the ADA has been working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for quite some time now, ensuring that patients with diabetes can check-in, god through security and travel safely with their necessary equipment.

The ADA recommends that before your trip, you plan to reach the airport 2-3 hours before your flight in order to have enough time for any issue that may arise at the very last minute.

Having the “My TSA Mobile App” on your phone, is a great way to stay informed about any changes in policies, expected delays, changes in location, etc. before you even reach the airport. You can always contact them and your airlines in advance to ensure that everything is in order before your arrival.

Both the TSA and airlines regulations allow for the transport of insulin and diabetes equipment with you on your journey. This is particularly important, since insulin and these tools and fairly delicate and sensitive to drastic changes in pressure and temperature.

Furthermore, if you for any reason you needed your insulin during your flight, it is important to have it with you without having to spend a lot of time seeking between luggage. This applies to your glucose tablets and any snacks that will help you maintaining your glucose levels stable during the trip.

If you were to encounter any issue at the airport, during your check-in or with security, you could always call the ADA for guidance, dialing 1-800-Diabetes. The agents will be able to guide you through any particular process and speak to TSA staff in case it becomes necessary.

Diabetes and air travel does not have to be complication, rather it is a matter of being prepared before your trip and taking the necessary precautions of packing and time.