supplementalOxygen While Flying

[Bob The Skutter]

Anyone Brits about, could you take a look at this petition on the Downing Street website and sign it if you agree with the sentiment.

It's asking the government to look at the charges some airlines levy on passengers with breathing difficulties who need to take along supplementary oxygen on flights and try to stop those charges.
Some airlines charge to supply it, or even charge for an extra seat if you take along your own supply.

 

[RobertVA]

Are you proposing the cost of those extra services (the oxygen tanks and/or the extra seat) be covered by the public health service? If UK airlines are anything like the American ones they are having trouble getting enough revenue to break even financially as it is without unfunded government mandates like supplying medical equipment that needs to be certified for use in the reduced humidity and pressure environment aboard an aircraft (not to mention reliable enough to avoid liability claims) or displacing a paying passenger from a seat to make room for a passenger that's not paying for that extra seat.

 

[Lindley]

The FAA in the US only requires commercial airliners to supply 10 minutes' worth of oxygen to each passenger. Making it available for an entire flight, even for one person would probably be enough of a logistical problem to warrant some additional charge.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Patients in the UK who need oxygen are supplied it by the health service, and can be supplied with oxygen for use while travelling/on holiday by their supplier, while others only need to be supplied with supplemental oxygen in case of emergency and may not actually need to use it just that it be on stand by for use should it be needed.
Some airlines allow passengers to bring their own oxygen supply with them without extra costs, others charge anything from a few pounds to the price of reserving an extra seat or more.