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 their own form which can be found below or obtained from the company:
Advanced Bionics UK Ltd.
Cochlear UK
http://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/uk/home/support/cochlear-implant-systems/travel-programme
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
Remove your processor during take-off / landing and when the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign is illuminated
Follow airline instructions regarding use of electronic devices
Only connect to headphone socket if you have a cable designed for mains powered equipment (not Advanced Bionics)
