Liquids on board aircraft

[John Smith]

Hi Emma,

So to clarify, does that mean that scleral-lens wearers will have to go without their lenses altogether?

Sclerals are stored dry, and have to be filled with liquid before inserting.

[DJ Smak]

Sclerals are stored dry

I dont store mine dry, i put solution in the case, is this bad?

[Andrew MacLean]

I still go back to the opportunity to declare a special need before you fly.

If they won't let you take your fluid on board (and I havce every sympathy with their reason for not letting folk carry liquids onto an aircraft), then tell them about your NEED and let them have a secure supply of lens fluids on the aircraft for you.

Most contact lens wearers use contacts for cosmetic reasons. Where we use them the imperative is medical rather than cosmetic.

Start now to send eMails to the Home Office, the BAA and the airlines. If nobody tells them that some people use lenses for medical reasons, they can be excused for not knowing.

Andrew

[Emma Parkes]

Hi John,

I think the main thing is that you cannot take bottles of solutions onboard at the moment, but small amounts of solutions in lens cases are ok, therefore if you need a bottle of solution to fill your sclerals then I think you are right, you won't be able to use them. The only thing I can think of is to carry an extra lens case with solution in, but I guess it may be too tricky to fill your sclerals from this without the risk of air bubbles.

Andrew,
I'm not sure that the airlines can really help with this. It just wouldn't be feasible for them to stock all the various types of solutions for different contact lenses and sensitivities, especially as a lot of these are not available in small bottles and space onboard is limited. I think, as you state, that we should try to pursuade the government and the BAA (and other airport operators) to allow us to take our own solutions with us, in reasonable amounts, if we were to produce a letter from an optom or consultant.

I was thinking that similar to mothers drinking their babies milk in front of security, that we could put some solution in our eye, however this wouldn't work for peroxide solutions

Emma

[Dipesh]

Hi All,

I've come back from the USA and travelling out I was able to take my prescription eye drops with me. I did take the box with the prescription label on the front.

As a sceral wearer too I did not take any solutions on the plane. As I inserted my lens in the last minute and took out after I landed on the other side. I suppose taking a sealed tube of Amidose could work, but as Emma said things are changing daily.

[Matthew_]

As Emma said this is temporary but I suspect we are not talking days or weeks here! The issue is that standard security equipment is not capable of detecting liquid explosives since we are really used to solid high explosives. Liquid detection is within the bounds of developing and newly emerged technology but this is expensive and still a work in progress. Once the technology is available to airport staff it will be possible to re-introduce liquids. This is still going to take some time, don't ask me how long but I suspect there is a strong will to get it there soon!
I think in the meantime, dialog with the airline cannot hurt, terrorists do not usually call the airline for special permission to bring explosives on board so you are legitimising your need to take solutions. More often than not the airline staff will be able to propose a solution or compromise as long as they retain control possibilities exist. At the very least they will be able to understand why you cannot tell the tea from the coffee or find the toilet!

[Matthew_]

Actually I've just remembered that you cannot tell airline tea from coffee anyway!

[Emma Parkes]

The problem is that it is not the airline imposing these regulations so contacting them before you fly will not help. Liquids are confiscated from you at security before you ever get close to a plane, but you can take on liquids that you buy airside (with the exception of flights to the us) without a prescription, and if you are allowed any prescription solutions/drops airside then the airlines will not prevent you from taking them on board.

[Andrew MacLean]

But airlines do supply all sorts of liquid on board: apart from alcohol and soft drinks, coffee and tea, there is water that flows from the taps in the little cubicles.

I cannot see any reason why, on giving notice, a passenger who has a medical reason for using contact lenses should not be able to be given, or to purchase from the trolley, a sealed vial of preservative free saline.

Andrew

[Matthew_]

Emma,
I see your point, sorry for not getting that earlier. I am with Andrew though, it should not be beyond the wit to have access to medical resources in-flight. Would my point above still be valid if contact was made with the Airport authority, BAA for example?