Traveling Tales

Airline Oxygen Regulations Update

As of October 1, 2009, Northwest Airlines will no longer provide airline oxygen. Travelers can continue to use one of the approved Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs.) Since the maximum continuous liter flow on available POCs is 3LPM, we asked a representative what arrangements could be made for the passengers who are on continuous flows above 3LPM. There was no available answer to my question. We will keep you informed!

Masks Help Prevent Respiratory Infections

Used consistently, N95 respirator masks prevented 75 percent of respiratory infections for high-risk health care workers, according to investigators at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemothera- py. These girls, left, tried them and liked their look!

Travel Tips

I was having trouble with my Sequal Eclipse shutting off when the battery still showed that it had two or three bars left. I found if I took the battery out and let it cool down a bit, and then put it back in, the Eclipse would continue to work until all the bars were gone.

Jeri Mondloch, St. Paul, MN

Put your pride aside and take the ride! On my last trip, I did not want to use a wheelchair while at the airport but decided it might be easier. Boy, am I glad I did and I gave the airport aide a nice tip. When I returned to fly home, the same attendant was there, recognized me and whisked me past all the lines and right to the gate. It was so worth the tip money!

Marge D., Alexandria, VAWhen I was returning from a vacation, the airline representative at the counter told me the POC that I had flown with was not one of those approved by their company. Even though I pointed out that I had obviously flown to my destination with this unit, they were not going to let me board the plane. It wasn’t until I had them pull up their own website and pointed out where the list of approved POCs could be found, that they let me proceed to the gate. We have to be prepared for anything!

Mary from Florida