Hi everybody. My daughter and I will be traveling by plane this summer. I was wondering what the baggage policy is for her Smart Vest. It packs up into two black canvas bags. Would these be counted as a carryons? I am wondering how we will get purse, laptop, and Smart Vest on the plane. I really don't feel comfortable checking the vest...
I have flown with the HillRom Vest on United and Virgin America multiple times, multiple airports. Each time I told the TSA/security people that the items (vest and nebulizer and inhaler) were medical equipment. They were hand-inspected, swabbed for explosives, and exempt from carry-on restrictions. At the gate, I told the airline folks that the items were medical equipment, they let me bring them on the plane without counting against our carry on limits. They were concerned each time that I might be bringing on board oxygen, or that my daughter might need to use the equipment during the flight; each time, I reassured them that neither was the case, and said that she didn't need access to the equipment during the flight but that we had to carry on because she had a medical requirement to have/use them once we arrived. They were fine with it. The nice thing about the HillRom vest is that they give you a rolling travel bag for it, with an extendable handle, so we always drag the vest bag and balance any other bag on top of it, looped around the handle, to get it through the airport. Having your Smart Vest in two bags sounds like it would be more challenging. Can you ask the manufacturer if they have a travel bag for it?