What do I need to do before travelling abroad?
We can provide a letter that you can take with you to the airport which will explain the cochlear implant to the staff. The letter also covers the wearing of the processor through the airport from a safety perspective. When you know you intend to fly, please contact us to request the ‘Air travel information letter’.
A concern for a lot of our patients is : ‘What if something goes wrong with the processor when I am on holiday?’. Cochlear implant companies are aware of this and give recipients the opportunity to apply for holiday back up kits. Each company has its own holiday loaner policy, contact them directly via the usual support email/telephone number you would use for repairs and spares.
Advanced Bionics UK Ltd.
- For information, and to apply for the holiday loan scheme, please contact, [email protected] or phone 01223 847888
Cochlear UK
Please note that both companies will charge you if you lose a processor that is on loan to you. We strongly recommend making sure that your house/travel insurance would cover this cost in the event of loss.
What do I need to do at the airport and on the plane?
If travelling alone, please mention to airline staff that you have a hearing loss.
Remove your speech processor and switch it off to walk through the full-body doorframe at the airport security system.
The internal part may activate the alarm so you could ask for a hand held scan to be done instead.
Please use the disability check-in desk and carry your cochlear implant ID card at all times.
Follow airline instructions regarding use of electronic devices.
Let your flight attendant know that you have a hearing loss.
If there is an emergency, they will know that you might not be able to hear messages relayed via the inflight speaker system and can give you emergency information another way if necessary.