What do flight attendants say about oxygen masks?

When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to “put your oxygen mask on first,” before helping others. Why is this an important rule for ensuring survival? Because if you run out of oxygen yourself, you can't help anyone else with their oxygen mask.



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In the unlikely event that the system fails, and the aircraft is above 14,000 feet (4,267 meters), oxygen masks will drop from overhead. While passengers and cabin crew are provided with these unmistakable yellow cups, pilots have different – much more interesting – equipment.

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Without oxygen, you will quickly feel drowsy and even euphoric, a phenomenon known as hypoxia, but as time passes, continued lack of oxygen to the brain will lead to blackouts, passing out, and possibly even death.

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The only oxygen equipment allowed on an airplane is the portable oxygen concentrator (POC). If you need oxygen in flight, you must take a portable oxygen concentrator with you, and , you must let your airline know ahead of time. They may require a doctor's letter to verify the need for the POC on the plane.

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Aircraft emergency oxygen systems or air masks are emergency equipment fitted to pressurized commercial aircraft, intended for use when the cabin pressurisation system has failed and the cabin altitude has climbed above a safe level.

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Low air pressure during air travel also decreases the amount of oxygen in the air. This effect is modest and generally not noticeable for healthy travelers. For patients with significant lung disease, a small decrease in available oxygen can cause significant symptoms, especially with exercise.

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A simple pulse oximeter reading while you are at high altitude, at rest and during activity, can determine if oxygen is needed at altitude. Alternatively, some pulmonary function labs can perform an altitude simulation test to determine your oxygen saturation at altitude.

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Oxygen masks in the overhead Passenger Service Unit (PSU) limit the number of persons in that seat row. Most often, but not always (it is aircraft specific), there is one spare mask in each row; a group of 2 seats has 3 oxygen masks, a group of 3 seats has 4 oxygen masks, etc.

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