Chief1980

Hi all.

Just wondering if anyone has experience flying with temperature sensitive medication? I intend to bring a supply of meds from home but they need to be refrigerated.

The hold is too cold as it will kill the active agent in the medication.

Do airlines have refrigerators on board and do they allow passengers to store stuff like this?

I know I can contact the airlines directly but just wondering if anyone has done this?

Thx.

GillyG

Like you say probably best to contact the airline direct and if they say no worries get it written/e-mailed and printed off in case of any problems once on board. You could also put it in a cooler box/baby bottle carrier with or without ice packs depending on how cold it needs to be. If it needs to be kept very cold you could always keep them in a water tight bag in the container and then keep it cool with fresh ice cubes every few hours??

Pollyana

You'll have to speak to the airline concerned - they may want a letter fro the doctor too to confirm what you are carrying.

Petals

My daughter flies with insulin that needs to be refrigerated and also her thyroid tablets and she keeps them with her. She has special pack from the Diabetes Institute for her insulin and tabs that look after them out of the fridge.

She also has letters from her specialists that she carries with her but she says last time she flew to Europe they did not ask but that was a couple of years ago so may be different now.

Famous 5

My daughter always has insulin with her (plus other emergency medicines for diabetes) when we fly and we keep it in a cool box with ice packs. There is a question mark over whether ice packs are allowed - about two months after the current restrictions on liquids were introduced we were flying back from London and the security staff there said they had concerns that when the ice melted the amount of liquid would exceed the amount allowed, but they let her keep the ice packs on the basis that she has a letter covering the need to keep her medication with her and that it had to be kept cool. No one has raised this since, so it might have been that they were just being ultra-cautious.

If you are flying on an A380 in a window seat on the upper deck, there is a little storage compartment under the window and we found that the temperature in the compartment was quite cold so it would be ideal for keeping medications cool (although the temperature would not be consistent).

My daughter always carries a letter from her doctor with her and the letter lists the meds she is carrying (and the fact that she has syringes too). Although she is often asked whether she has a letter, in the 7 years since she was diagnosed she has only been asked twice to show it to an official and both occasions it was when we reboarding after our transit stop in Singapore.

Chief1980

Thanks guys. Yeah I'll be bringing a coolbag/box anyway and I have all the letters i need (Doc, Consultant and Pharmacist). Its funny i never thought about the gel pack issue.

I wont be keeping the meds in the fridge just extra gel packs. I am actually hoping to fly the A380 as if I get the visa nod soon the flight I want is on the A380 with Singapore so thats good.

Thanks for ur input.