8 Things Teens with Type 1 Diabetes Should Pack When Flying Alone

The ability for teens to control and manage their own blood sugars – and their own health – is huge!  Our job as parents to help them learn how, while providing a safety net so they don’t fall too far in the process. Having the confidence to get out in the world and feel a sense of control when their health feels out of control is really important.  You might be terrified about all of the what-ifs as your type 1 teen starts to head off on their own, but you have to keep that to yourself.  Give them the tools and information, support them and let them know that they can take care of themselves AND thrive in the life ahead.

1. Always take all of your insulin and supplies, testing strips, etc with you in your carry on.
2. If your airport has “Families and Special Assistance” line for TSA, get in it.
3. Don’t put your medicine or equipment through the x-ray.
4. Bring snacks, even on short flights.
5. Have an empty water bottle for your sharps.

Add to that these 8 things teens with type 1 diabetes should pack when traveling alone:

1. Tell the airline.  This isn’t something to pack, but it’s an important step for your child’s safety in case their blood sugars drop and are not themselves, or they require medical attention for some reason.  When you book your child’s flight note that your child has Type 1 Diabetes and is flying alone and include your cell number for emergencies.
2. Extended battery pack for their cell phone.  This was a source of debate prior to my daughter’s trip for no other reason than she’s a teen and every suggestion seems to require some debate.  Travel days can get long, charging stations are not always available, and flight delays happen.  I have an external battery pack for my phone, she forgot to take it, her battery went dead when trying to make a connection to a flight when her original flight was canceled.  I had no idea if she made that connecting flight, or was still in the airport that her flight had been diverted to.  Airline customer service was no help, and the flight tracker was wrong.  I went to the airport and waited, unsure if she made her flight until I actually saw her walking out.  Did I mention this was at 3:30am?  Yep, she’ll never forget the extended battery pack again.
3. Prepare for sugar drops and hunger pains.  Bring snacks and juice in a clear container (they can scan clear containers of liquids and they are OK, if not in a clear container, you will need to be patted down), gatorade chews, pixi sticks.  My daughter’s travel day was long, but it wasn’t supposed to be.  As her flights were delayed, connecting flight missed and redirected to other airlines, she found herself running through 2 unfamiliar airports to catch flights with no time to stop for food.  The stress really messed with her blood sugar.  She was glad she had extra protein bars and sugar bumps with her.
4. Type 1 ID bracelet or necklace. They should have this anyway, so if they need emergency medical attention the doctors know to check their sugars and they won’t get hooked up to a bag of glucose.
5. Have ICE (in case of emergency) numbers on their phone screen. ICE numbers are great, but not very helpful if your child’s phone has a lock on it (which it should).  To make sure that emergency numbers are available there are apps that can add ICE numbers to your child’s lock screen.
6. Glucagon kit.  Have this easy to find in their personal carry on and make sure that they know how to use it.
7. As previously stated, keep all insulin and supplies on your carry on no matter how short the flight.  Because flights change and bags get lost sometimes.  And make sure that they have extra supplies.
8. Credit card and cash.  When my daughter’s connecting flight was delayed, then cancelled, the airline offered her a night in a nearby hotel.  Really?  I didn’t want her leaving the airport unless she was on an alternate form of transportation to her destination.  She was only 2 hours away, knowing she had a credit card she had options of taking a bus or shuttle to her destination – or even a cab at that point.  She had options and wasn’t stuck.