Common Questions About Flying and Air Travel
These are questions people ask before they fly, answered as plainly as we can. Where an answer summarises a rule that can change, it points to the guide that quotes the rule and names the authority it came from.
FlyingWith is not an airline and not an authority. Confirm anything that affects your trip with your airline, your airport, or the authority that sets the rule.
Text updated
Baggage and security
Can I bring a CPAP machine on a plane?
Yes. A CPAP is a medical device, so it travels in the cabin, and most airlines do not count it as your one carry-on. Batteries and using it in flight are where airlines differ, so tell yours in advance and read the sourced guide before you pack.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Medical Equipment
Can I take medication through airport security?
Yes, and it belongs in your cabin bag where you can reach it. Officers may ask you to present it separately, and liquid medicines, needles and cooling packs are screened under their own rules, which differ by country. Keep the pharmacy labelling with it.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Medical Equipment
Can I take breast milk through security without my baby?
In many countries yes, because breast milk is treated as a medically necessary liquid whether or not the child is travelling. The allowance, the screening method and the paperwork differ between security authorities, so check each airport on your route and allow extra time at the checkpoint.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with a Baby
Can I bring an epinephrine auto-injector on board?
Yes. Auto-injectors travel in the cabin, and keeping them within reach rather than in the overhead bin is the point of carrying them. Bring more than one, keep the pharmacy labelling, and tell the crew where yours is once you are seated.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Allergies
Where do power banks and spare batteries go?
With you in the cabin, never in a bag that goes into the hold. That includes a carry-on taken from you at the gate, so take the batteries out before you hand it over. Capacity limits are set by the airline and the aviation authority, so check yours before you pack.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
Airport preparation
How early should I get to the airport?
Earlier than feels necessary, and earlier again if you are checking a bag, need assistance, are travelling with children or are crossing a border. Your airline publishes a recommended time for each airport and route, and that is the one to trust rather than a general rule.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
What actually happens at the airport on a first flight?
Check in or drop your bag, clear security, find the gate, wait, board when your group is called, then follow the crew. None of it is a test, and staff answer this question all day, so ask as soon as you are unsure.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
How do I ask for wheelchair assistance at the airport?
Request it with the airline when you book, and again at check-in, saying where you need help: check-in, security, the gate, the aircraft door, or the seat itself. Notice periods and the words each airline uses differ, so confirm yours and reconfirm before you travel.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Mobility Needs
Booking and tickets
Is there a best day to book a flight?
There is no reliable best booking day. Compare dates and airports, include the baggage and seating you need, and read the fare’s change and cancellation terms before paying. Use the flight search to compare options; the booking provider confirms the final price and terms.
Can my cat fly in the cabin with me?
Often yes, on a booking made in advance, in a carrier that fits under the seat in front. Airlines cap how many animals travel in each cabin and the health paperwork depends on the route, so confirm both with the airline before you buy the ticket.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with a Pet
Delays and cancellations
My flight is delayed or cancelled. What am I owed?
It depends on where you are flying from, which airline you are on, and the cause. Some places give passengers rights to rebooking, care and compensation; elsewhere it is the airline's own conditions of carriage. Ask the airline in writing and keep every boarding pass and notice.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
Which country's rules apply when my flight is disrupted?
The flight decides, not your passport. Flights to, from and within Canada fall under the Canadian passenger rules; the European rules turn on the route and the airline; flights to, from and within the United States follow the U.S. refund rules. The sourced guide below works through each system and what it covers.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
Do I need travel insurance to claim flight compensation?
No. Compensation, rebooking and refunds under the passenger rules are duties the airline owes you by law, with or without a policy. Insurance is a separate contract that can cover different costs on its own terms. The sourced guide below explains the legal rights and how to claim them.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
Safety and turbulence
Is turbulence dangerous?
It is uncomfortable far more often than it is dangerous. The seatbelt sign is the instruction that matters, and keeping your belt loosely fastened whenever you are seated removes most of the chance of being hurt by it.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Anxiety
I am a nervous flyer. What actually helps?
Knowing the sequence in advance, picking a seat you will be comfortable in, eating something, and telling a crew member you are anxious. None of that is a cure and none of it is medical advice, but it removes the surprises that make flying worse.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Anxiety
In-flight comfort
Where should I put my carry-on?
In the bin above your own row, wheels first, so it takes less space and you can reach it. Take out what you want in flight before you lift it up, because standing to reach the bin later is when things get dropped.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
What is worth doing as soon as I sit down?
Fasten your seatbelt, put what you need into the seat pocket, and look at where the nearest exits are. It takes moments, and it means you are not searching through a bag later.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying for the First Time
Families, accessibility and special needs
Can I use my own car seat on the plane?
Usually yes, if the seat is approved for aircraft use and you have bought a seat for the child. Approval labels, seat widths and which rows accept them vary by airline and aircraft, so confirm with the airline rather than on the day.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with a Baby
How do I fly alone with two young children?
Plan the moments where you need both hands: security, boarding and the lavatory. Pack so one bag opens without unpacking the other, and tell the airline you are travelling alone with children when you book, so seating is sorted early.
Read the full guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Kids
How do I fly with a power wheelchair?
Tell the airline early and give them the chair's dimensions, weight, battery type and how it folds or comes apart. Battery rules differ by chemistry and by airline, and damage in the hold is the risk to plan for, so keep the controller and cushion with you.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Mobility Needs
Can I use a portable oxygen concentrator in flight?
Often yes, with an accepted device, the airline's agreement arranged in advance, and enough battery for the journey and the delays around it. Which models are accepted and what medical paperwork is needed are set by the airline, so ask before you book.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Medical Equipment
I have a severe food allergy. What can I do?
Tell the airline when you book and again at the gate, bring your own safe food, wipe down your seat area, and keep your medication in the cabin with you. Buffer zones and announcements are at the airline's discretion and are not a guarantee, so plan as though the cabin is not allergen-free.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Allergies
What water should I use in my CPAP machine when I travel?
Distilled water is the recommended choice, because tap water leaves mineral deposits in the humidifier chamber as it evaporates. Abroad, pharmacies and larger supermarkets usually stock it near the pharmacy, ironing or baby-care shelves, labelled demineralised as often as distilled. For a night or two without it, running the machine with the humidifier turned off is the safer fallback, and the guide covers the options and the cleaning that follows a short stretch on bottled water.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Medical Equipment
Can I rent a CPAP battery for one long flight?
Often, yes. Some CPAP suppliers and travel equipment shops rent travel batteries, though availability varies by city, so start with the supplier who sold you the machine. A rental faces the same airline checks as a battery you own: send the exact specification before you travel and rent for the whole trip, delays included. The sourced guide below sets out the limits and the alternatives.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Medical Equipment
What if the other parent cannot sign my child's consent letter?
Carry the documents that explain the situation instead: a court order covering custody or travel, a death certificate where that applies, or a formal declaration prepared with a lawyer or notary. The aim is paperwork that matches the account you would give an officer who asks. The guide works through the hard cases in more detail, and it is general information rather than legal advice, so a contested situation deserves a lawyer before the trip.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Kids
Do border officers ask to see a consent letter?
Not every family is asked, but it does happen, and the travellers most likely to be asked are a child with one parent or with adults who are not the parents, at land crossings as much as at airports. The questions are routine child protection, and a signed letter with documents that match usually ends them quickly. Travelling with nothing can mean a long secondary interview, which is why the letter is worth preparing even when a trip is never checked.
Read the sourced guideMore for this kind of trip: Flying with Kids
Work out what applies to you
The trip planner turns a few answers about who you are flying with into a checklist drawn from this site. It stays in your browser tab.
Open the trip plannerReady to book?
Compare flights, find a stay and plan your arrival with our travel partners.
Where to bookThis page gives general preparation guidance. Rules change, and the ones that matter are quoted, sourced and dated in the guides linked from each answer. Confirm anything that affects your trip with your airline, your airport, or the authority that sets it. The date above is when this text last changed, not a verification of any rule.