It’s no secret that traveling has become more unpleasant throughout the years. Overbooked flights, no food service, and minimal leg room which are just a few of the hassle’s travelers must suffer from to get to their destination. Traveling with hearing loss doesn’t have to be one of them.
Here are some tips and tricks when flying with hearing loss:
✔ Hearing aids and their accessories will NOT be damaged by metal detectors
✔ Wear your hearing aids when traveling; you don’t want them in a checked bag in case the bag is lost
✔ If you have a spare pair of hearing aids, bring them with you
✔ Bring extra batteries and all charging equipment if you have rechargeable aids or any accessories
✔ Have a pad and pen handy in case communication becomes difficult
✔ Bring hearing protection for noisy situations
✔ Make sure your phone and any hearing related apps are up to date
✔ Download apps from airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, or other vendors you’ll be using on your trip, so you have access to confirmations and alerts
If you have hearing aids that are paired to your cell phone:
✔ Open the hearing aid app
✔ From remote screen, tap the Mute button Airplane cabins are noisy; this mute button will turn the microphones off on your hearing aids. And if you’re streaming music or videos, you’ll still be able to hear those without interference from the noise around you
When it comes to hearing loss, it helps to be prepared.
Patient Care Coordinator, Centers for Hearing Care