Narrative:

Just prior to departure; one of the flight attendants came to the flight deck to let us know that a passenger was going to be using oxygen. We insured the emergency response guide was aboard. The flight attendant also had a concern because the passenger had been allowed to bring their personal oxygen bottle aboard. The first officer and I checked the fom which indicated that airline policy does not allow these bottles in the cabin and states they should be transported as cargo. At this point; the flight attendant coordinated with someone to take the bottle and ship it in whatever manner was appropriate/required for cargo of this type. I never received any hazmat notice or information indicating that the bottle was aboard. When preparing to leave on the next leg; I learned that a lively discussion had occurred in the jetway upon arrival in ZZZ from las between the passenger; the passenger agent; and the flight attendant regarding the oxygen bottle; its availability to the passenger on deplaning; and its allegedly inadequate packaging/labeling. It was at this point that I learned the bottle had apparently been placed in the cargo area without hazmat notification to the crew. It needs to be made crystal clear to passenger that they will not have their personal oxygen bottles until arriving at their destination and retrieving them from cargo or baggage claim. En route; they will have to purchase oxygen for each leg and have it available at the arrival gate if needed (not sure this even exists). The flight operations manual states these bottles should be shipped as cargo but in this case the bottle made it on board the aircraft -- not sure how or why. Passenger agents need to have a clear understanding of hazmat requirements -- in this case; it seems an attempt was made to 'gate check' a full oxygen bottle (hazmat) for which no procedure exists. A clarification of this might be useful in the flight manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFRONTATION DEVELOPS BETWEEN PASSENGER; CABIN ATTENDANTS; PASSENGER SERVICE PERSONNEL AND THE FLIGHT CREW OVER THE CARRIAGE OF PASSENGER SUPPLIED PERSONAL OXYGEN.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO DEP; ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE FLT DECK TO LET US KNOW THAT A PAX WAS GOING TO BE USING OXYGEN. WE INSURED THE EMER RESPONSE GUIDE WAS ABOARD. THE FLT ATTENDANT ALSO HAD A CONCERN BECAUSE THE PAX HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR PERSONAL OXYGEN BOTTLE ABOARD. THE FO AND I CHKED THE FOM WHICH INDICATED THAT AIRLINE POLICY DOES NOT ALLOW THESE BOTTLES IN THE CABIN AND STATES THEY SHOULD BE TRANSPORTED AS CARGO. AT THIS POINT; THE FLT ATTENDANT COORDINATED WITH SOMEONE TO TAKE THE BOTTLE AND SHIP IT IN WHATEVER MANNER WAS APPROPRIATE/REQUIRED FOR CARGO OF THIS TYPE. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY HAZMAT NOTICE OR INFO INDICATING THAT THE BOTTLE WAS ABOARD. WHEN PREPARING TO LEAVE ON THE NEXT LEG; I LEARNED THAT A LIVELY DISCUSSION HAD OCCURRED IN THE JETWAY UPON ARR IN ZZZ FROM LAS BTWN THE PAX; THE PAX AGENT; AND THE FLT ATTENDANT REGARDING THE OXYGEN BOTTLE; ITS AVAILABILITY TO THE PAX ON DEPLANING; AND ITS ALLEGEDLY INADEQUATE PACKAGING/LABELING. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I LEARNED THE BOTTLE HAD APPARENTLY BEEN PLACED IN THE CARGO AREA WITHOUT HAZMAT NOTIFICATION TO THE CREW. IT NEEDS TO BE MADE CRYSTAL CLR TO PAX THAT THEY WILL NOT HAVE THEIR PERSONAL OXYGEN BOTTLES UNTIL ARRIVING AT THEIR DEST AND RETRIEVING THEM FROM CARGO OR BAGGAGE CLAIM. ENRTE; THEY WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE OXYGEN FOR EACH LEG AND HAVE IT AVAILABLE AT THE ARR GATE IF NEEDED (NOT SURE THIS EVEN EXISTS). THE FLT OPS MANUAL STATES THESE BOTTLES SHOULD BE SHIPPED AS CARGO BUT IN THIS CASE THE BOTTLE MADE IT ON BOARD THE ACFT -- NOT SURE HOW OR WHY. PAX AGENTS NEED TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HAZMAT REQUIREMENTS -- IN THIS CASE; IT SEEMS AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO 'GATE CHK' A FULL OXYGEN BOTTLE (HAZMAT) FOR WHICH NO PROC EXISTS. A CLARIFICATION OF THIS MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE FLT MANUAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.