Greetings,

When Are You Too Unhealthy to Travel?

This week an American Airlines passenger died of complications from heart disease and diabetes.

We wondered, what other other health conditions should we consider when flying?


Passengers with the following conditions (some of them extreme, mind you) should seriously consider postponing flying or should not fly at all:

• If you’ve had a heart attack within the last month, a stroke within last two weeks, have severe high blood pressure or heart disease, or any other conditions that weaken the heart, you should seriously consider postponing travel.
• Those with severe respiratory illnesses should remain on land.
• If you have the flu, a cold, allergies, acute sinusitis, or middle ear infections, avoid flying if you can.
• If you’ve had abdominal surgery within two weeks of your flight, consider postponing your trip. You should not fly if you have acute diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, acute esophageal viruses, acute gastroenteritis, or an intestinal virus.
• If you have epilepsy you shouldn’t fly unless your condition is under sound control or you know that you’ll only be flying at altitudes below 8,000 feet.
• If you’re suffered a recent skull fracture or brain tumor, you should stay on the ground.
• Those with severe anemia or hemophilia with active bleeding shouldn’t fly. If you have sickle cell anemia, you shouldn’t fly over 22,500 feet.
• If you’ve had recent eye surgery or had your jaw wired shut, you shouldn’t fly.
• If you’re more than eight months (or 240 days) pregnant or if miscarriage is a serious threat, you shouldn’t fly.
• If you went scuba diving 24 hours before departure, you should not fly--you may suffer an unfortunate bout of the “bends” from the rapid decrease in air pressure experienced in the compressed air environment of a plane. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, neuralgic pains, and paralysis.
• Newly born babies (during first few days after birth) shouldn’t fly.

Airlines' regulations may vary. If in doubt, advice should be sought from the airline’s medical department.
 

Be Prepared

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your physician before you depart. If you must fly with a condition such as epilepsy, diabetes, or heart disease, wear a Medic Alert Identification Tag, which will immediately alert doctors to your condition and give them access to your medical records through Medic Alert’s 24-hour hot line. Membership is $35, plus a $15 annual fee. Contact Medic Alert at 800/825-3785 or www.medicalert.org.

       
U.S. Air To Charge $25 For Second Bag

The airline follows rival United in adding a baggage charge and expects $75M in revenue and cost savings.

US Airways Group said Tuesday it will start charging fliers $25 to check in a second bag, the latest effort by the company to raise revenue and deal with rising costs.
The new charge will begin May 5 for tickets bought after Tuesday, the company said.

The announcement follows a similar policy change disclosed early this month by United Airlines.

US Airways spokesman Morgan Durant said the baggage charge is expected to generate $75 million in revenue and cost savings each year. The carrier decided to add the charge as it looked for new ways to make money while dealing "with the operating reality that we have with $100 a barrel in oil,".

About 8% of US Airways customers check more than one bag.
 

 
10 Tips For Traveling With Your Laptop
 

If you're taking your laptop on an airplane, there are some steps you should take to keep your computer safe.
 

1. Use a well-made, well-padded case to carry your laptop in. Never check it as checked baggage during air travel.

2. Make sure security applications and software updates are current — anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware.

3. Limit confidential information transmission, such as any credit purchases and reservations or anything with a Social Security number. Unfamiliar networks are always potentially dangerous.