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Air travel tips for people with hearing loss Don't miss a flight—or worse—due to miscommunication Contributed by Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing Last updated December 4, 20252025-12-04T00:00:00-06:00 Key points: One of the hardest places to hear well is at the airport. Planning ahead can help reduce communication problems. You do not need to remove your hearing aids at security. It's a good idea to tell airport personnel you are hard of hearing. Remember to pack your hearing aid batteries or charger, as well as any other needed accessories. While traveling is never easy, people with hearing loss often find airplane travel particularly difficult. Hearing loss affects everything from pre-flight boarding to gate change announcements and in-flight communication, leading to frustration and confusion. You do not need to remove your hearing aids while going through security or on the plane. We still have a long way to go until all passengers can travel with equal access to services. However, if you're traveling with hearing loss, here are some tips for making your trip go more smoothly. Before your trip Before you leave for your trip, review our travel tips for people with hearing loss. Remember to pack: hearing aid charger or spare batteries hearing aid case cleaning kit If you're going on a long trip, or an important business trip, you also may want to visit your hearing healthcare professional to make sure your devices are in good shape. At the airport: Avoiding miscommunication Do you need to remove hearing aids? No. Fortunately, TSA does not require you to remove your hearing aids before you walk through security and it will likely be easier to understand instructions if you keep them in. However, you may want to let TSA personnel know you are wearing them before going through the line. Here is the exact TSA guidance: Inform the TSA Officer Inform the TSA officer if you are deaf or hard of hearing and require assistance with the screening process. Screening You are not required to remove any hearing aids or cochlear implants. Additional screening, including a pat-down or inspection of a device, may be required if your medical device alarms in the WTMD or AIT. Source: Transportation Security Administration, Disabilities and Medical Conditions page However, you may get flagged for additional screening. If you're not wearing your hearing aids, do not place them directly on the conveyor belt or in the plastic bins, as that may generate static electricity that can damage them. Ask for help instead. Carrying a card or documentation about your device can help make the process smoother and less stressful. One woman's airport strategy After nearly missing several flights due to her hearing loss, Lise Hamlin now has a strategy for getting through the airport. "Since then, I have self-identified at every point in the travel process: when purchasing my ticket, at the ticketing counter, at TSA security, at the airline gate, when boarding the plane, and if needed, at baggage claim," Hamlin shares in an article on flying with hearing loss for the Hearing Loss Association of America, where she is the director of public policy. She also has a hearing service dog to help her navigate complex hearing situations. Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, you may want to silently self-identify as a hearing-impaired person with safety products for hearing loss, such as pins. Connecting to hearing loops in airports An increasing number of airports (especially larger airports) have installed induction loop systems, which consist of a loop of wire that produces an electromagnetic signal received directly by hearing aids. Telecoils used with induction loop systems allow hearing aid and cochlear implant users to hear more clearly in busy public spaces despite the presence of background noise or poor acoustics. To be connected to the airport’s induction loop, you just need to switch your hearing aids to the “telecoil” or "T" setting. If you are not sure if your hearing aids have telecoils, ask your hearing healthcare provider. What about Auracast™? Auracast is an exciting new Bluetooth technology that can stream announcements directly to compatible hearing aids. However, it's not widely available at this time, including in airports. Want to learn more? Check out Auracast™ and hearing aids: What to know Flying with hearing aids: What to expect onboard The good news: You don't have to turn off your hearing aids when flight attendants announce that all devices must be turned off and stowed away in seat pockets. The bad news: On-board entertainment, like TV shows and movies, may not have captioning. And pilots and flight attendants frequently make announcements that can be hard to hear—even for people with perfect hearing. What you can do Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, you may want to let a flight attendant know that you won't be able to clearly hear crew announcements. And it's not a bad idea to bring along your own entertainment, whether that be reading or downloading some videos on your smartphone or tablet. Lastly, don't forget to take steps to avoid ear pain while flying. Know your rights Passed by Congress in 1986, the Air Carrier Access Act has specific benefits for those with hearing loss. It states, in part: Information and reservations services must be accessible Information at airports must be accessible after self-identification as having hearing loss Television at airports must have captions turned on Communication on commercial aircraft must be effective after self-identification as having hearing loss Service animals are permitted Thanks to the ACAA and ADA guidelines for hearing loss, you have rights that will ensure a smoother travel experience: You have the right to indicate your need for special services when booking your flight, either online or over the phone. When given a list of options, select “hearing loss or impairment.” This will begin the process of alerting the airlines of your needs, both pre-flight and during the flight. It will not only be noted on the passenger manifest, but gate agents and flight attendants will be notified as well. You have the right to request disability seating and pre-boarding. This usually means close to the front of the aircraft. This seating allows you to pre-board as well as to see the flight attendants clearly so you are better able to understand them as they make in-flight announcements. Be aware that online booking sites might not mention that these seats are available, as the airlines would rather sell these seats at economy comfort prices; nevertheless be sure to ask. If the seats are available, they have to give them to you at no extra cost. Disability seats are intended for all disability groups, not just those with mobility issues. You have the right to the same level of communication with airline staff as the other passengers. Once you have self-identified to the airline as having hearing loss, you can make certain requests in order to make sure you are aware of all important information. For example, you might want to ask to be approached directly with notification of pre-boarding, any in-flight safety announcements such as turbulence, notifications of gate changes or late arrivals. Related: Travel tips for people with tinnitus Tips for driving safely with hearing loss Emergency communication tips when you have hearing loss Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public. Read more about Joy. Related Help Pages: Hearing loss Hearing aids Types of hearing aids Technology Cochlear implants Assistive listening devices and systems

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Air travel tips for people with hearing loss

Don't miss a flight—or worse—due to miscommunication

Contributed by Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing
Last updated December 4, 20252025-12-04T00:00:00-06:00

Key points:

One of the hardest places to hear well is at the airport. Planning ahead can help reduce communication problems.
You do not need to remove your hearing aids at security.
It's a good idea to tell airport personnel you are hard of hearing.
Remember to pack your hearing aid batteries or charger, as well as any other needed accessories.

While traveling is never easy, people with hearing loss often find airplane travel particularly difficult. Hearing loss affects everything from pre-flight boarding to gate change announcements and in-flight communication, leading to frustration and confusion.

Older man checking into airport — You do not need to remove your hearing
aids while going through security or
on the plane.

We still have a long way to go until all passengers can travel with equal access to services.

However, if you're traveling with hearing loss, here are some tips for making your trip go more smoothly.

Before your trip

Before you leave for your trip, review our travel tips for people with hearing loss. Remember to pack:

hearing aid charger or spare batteries
hearing aid case
cleaning kit

If you're going on a long trip, or an important business trip, you also may want to visit your hearing healthcare professional to make sure your devices are in good shape.

At the airport: Avoiding miscommunication

Do you need to remove hearing aids?

No. Fortunately, TSA does not require you to remove your hearing aids before you walk through security and it will likely be easier to understand instructions if you keep them in. However, you may want to let TSA personnel know you are wearing them before going through the line.

Here is the exact TSA guidance:

Inform the TSA Officer

Inform the TSA officer if you are deaf or hard of hearing and require assistance with the screening process.

Screening

You are not required to remove any hearing aids or cochlear implants. Additional screening, including a pat-down or inspection of a device, may be required if your medical device alarms in the WTMD or AIT.

Source: Transportation Security Administration, Disabilities and Medical Conditions page

However, you may get flagged for additional screening. If you're not wearing your hearing aids, do not place them directly on the conveyor belt or in the plastic bins, as that may generate static electricity that can damage them. Ask for help instead.

Carrying a card or documentation about your device can help make the process smoother and less stressful.

One woman's airport strategy

After nearly missing several flights due to her hearing loss, Lise Hamlin now has a strategy for getting through the airport.

"Since then, I have self-identified at every point in the travel process: when purchasing my ticket, at the ticketing counter, at TSA security, at the airline gate, when boarding the plane, and if needed, at baggage claim," Hamlin shares in an article on flying with hearing loss for the Hearing Loss Association of America, where she is the director of public policy.

She also has a hearing service dog to help her navigate complex hearing situations.

Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, you may want to silently self-identify as a hearing-impaired person with safety products for hearing loss, such as pins.

Connecting to hearing loops in airports

An increasing number of airports (especially larger airports) have installed induction loop systems, which consist of a loop of wire that produces an electromagnetic signal received directly by hearing aids.

Telecoils used with induction loop systems allow hearing aid and cochlear implant users to hear more clearly in busy public spaces despite the presence of background noise or poor acoustics.

To be connected to the airport’s induction loop, you just need to switch your hearing aids to the “telecoil” or "T" setting. If you are not sure if your hearing aids have telecoils, ask your hearing healthcare provider.

What about Auracast™?

Auracast is an exciting new Bluetooth technology that can stream announcements directly to compatible hearing aids. However, it's not widely available at this time, including in airports.

Want to learn more? Check out Auracast™ and hearing aids: What to know

Flying with hearing aids: What to expect onboard

The good news: You don't have to turn off your hearing aids when flight attendants announce that all devices must be turned off and stowed away in seat pockets.

The bad news: On-board entertainment, like TV shows and movies, may not have captioning. And pilots and flight attendants frequently make announcements that can be hard to hear—even for people with perfect hearing.

What you can do

Depending on the severity of your hearing loss, you may want to let a flight attendant know that you won't be able to clearly hear crew announcements. And it's not a bad idea to bring along your own entertainment, whether that be reading or downloading some videos on your smartphone or tablet.

Lastly, don't forget to take steps to avoid ear pain while flying.

Know your rights

Passed by Congress in 1986, the Air Carrier Access Act has specific benefits for those with hearing loss. It states, in part:

Information and reservations services must be accessible
Information at airports must be accessible after self-identification as having hearing loss
Television at airports must have captions turned on
Communication on commercial aircraft must be effective after self-identification as having hearing loss
Service animals are permitted

Thanks to the ACAA and ADA guidelines for hearing loss, you have rights that will ensure a smoother travel experience:

You have the right to indicate your need for special services when booking your flight, either online or over the phone. When given a list of options, select “hearing loss or impairment.” This will begin the process of alerting the airlines of your needs, both pre-flight and during the flight. It will not only be noted on the passenger manifest, but gate agents and flight attendants will be notified as well.
You have the right to request disability seating and pre-boarding. This usually means close to the front of the aircraft. This seating allows you to pre-board as well as to see the flight attendants clearly so you are better able to understand them as they make in-flight announcements. Be aware that online booking sites might not mention that these seats are available, as the airlines would rather sell these seats at economy comfort prices; nevertheless be sure to ask. If the seats are available, they have to give them to you at no extra cost. Disability seats are intended for all disability groups, not just those with mobility issues.
You have the right to the same level of communication with airline staff as the other passengers. Once you have self-identified to the airline as having hearing loss, you can make certain requests in order to make sure you are aware of all important information. For example, you might want to ask to be approached directly with notification of pre-boarding, any in-flight safety announcements such as turbulence, notifications of gate changes or late arrivals.

Related:

Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing

Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public. Read more about Joy.

Hearing loss

Tinnitus

Assistive listening devices

Hearing aids