Fear of flying

**darylm** · August 16, 2019, 12:43am

Okay, now your post makes sense.

**Don** · August 16, 2019, 1:45am

I flew a few months ago and it was impossible for me to hear the announcements in the airport. My recommendation is learn everything yourself and don’t depend on announcements. Read your tickets ahead of time (day of flight would be fine) and know your flight number and gate. Get familiar with the airport layout so you know where you are going. Get completely self-sufficient, then it will take that stress off of you.

**shootingstar** · August 16, 2019, 2:05am

Good advice. Thank you.

**Kim_in_Florida** · August 16, 2019, 2:37am

Make sure you go early & get a seat where you can see the boarding gate. There will be a status board behind the desk that tells you information like how long until boarding, what group is boarding, etc. Assuming you have a smart phone, the airlines all have apps. Download them in advance while you’re home on your wifi. Get your frequent flier account set up & make sure you can log in. You can look at the app to see your gate, boarding, departure, luggage status, etc. While you’re at it you can check TSA wait times in their app & also check the apps for the airports at which you’ll be traveling. Even w/HAs I can’t understand a lot of the loudspeaker announcements but between the apps & watching the board at the gate you’ll be fine.

**mglindo** · August 16, 2019, 4:45am

Sometimes if my wife is flying without me, she tells them she needs wheelchair assistance. This way, the person wheeling her through the airport gets her through TSA all the way onto the aircraft. They will meet her at her destination also to get her off the plane through baggage and her ride. Don’t forget to tip also, they expect it and you should too!

**tinkyp** · August 16, 2019, 7:31am

I can completely understand that. Some airlines have an app, this makes it really simple for some elements of the communication. I flew with Flybe recently. You can check in easily & put boarding pass in wallet (iPhone). Flybe texted me when the flight was delayed by 15 minutes. Myself & my son have the Widex 440 Evokes. The f2s stream direct to iPhone. Our loss goes up to about 85db so it’s not the same, but the hearing aids have incredible speech intelligence & I now hear nearly all public announcement speech. My sons upgrade took him from 70% speech in noise to 92%. They have 11 sound classes & move seamlessly between them to give best results in all scenarios. An experienced fitter is necessary to achieve the right set up, they have changed my life though. Good luck.

**shootingstar** · August 16, 2019, 3:28pm

Again, thank you all for your responses. A lot of good input here.

**Terost** · August 16, 2019, 4:01pm

When l am at airport waiting for a plane, l tell the gate agent that l am deaf and can’t hear the PA so they let in board the plane with any persons using their wheelchairs.

**NateS** · August 16, 2019, 4:07pm

The single most helpful assist for me is to request wheelchair service. The speed with which the accompanying attendant whisks you around the airport gives you a much larger margin for overcoming any errors or delay in hearing, understanding and reacting to human, audible, and visual announcements and instructions. If you place the request for wheelchair service when you purchase your tickets, the airlines are very accommodating. But if you forget to make the request at time of purchase, the airlines still make every effort to service the request at any of the various steps along the way.

**KSMatthew** · August 16, 2019, 4:12pm

Make sure to follow up with us on how things go. The rest of us might learn something.

Boarding generally begins 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time, so that’s about the time you’ll need to start paying closer attention.

Since this is a direct flight, there are a lot fewer things that can go wrong. I was trying to think of a “worst case” where not being able to clearly hear announcements would cause problems. In my experience there have been a few.

Gate area:

Gate changes - its possible your flight will be moved to a different gate for some reason. You might have a nice seat where you can see the boarding info, then an announcement is made that your flight will depart from a different gate. You’ll have to grab your stuff and shuffle off to another location.

Gate checking - some aircraft don’t have large overhead bins and there isn’t enough room for all the carry on luggage that people tend to bring. They’ll have an announcement about gate checking. You’ll get a specific tag you can put on your carry on, they’ll take it and load it in the hold. After you arrive they’ll pull it out for you and you can grab it as soon as you get off the plane.

Delays - generally posted on the information boards, but also there’s an associated announcement.

Standby - if you are on a standby list, your name might be called over the PA system.

Baggage claim - after you get off the plane there might be an announcement telling you where to find your bags.

In flight:

Gate changes or other flight info - there can be announcements over the intercom that are important if you are transferring to another flight. One time I was on a flight that had been delayed, then we ran into more headwind than expected. The result was we were going to be much later at the next airport than anyone planned. An announcement was made so that passengers would know what gate they needed next when they got off the plane. “If you are transferring to xxxx city on flight zzzz, you’ll be at gate 123.” I leaned over to the closest flight attendant and asked, “What about my flight? It left 10 minutes ago?” There will be an agent waiting when you get off that will be able to help.

Enjoy the trip!

**kevels55** · August 16, 2019, 6:12pm

Prior to my hearing loss about 35 years ago I loved flying… but nowadays I avoid flying like the plague, tis just way too much anxiety for me to endure, tis all to do with cabin pressure, some aircraft are fine but others will knock for six… if it’s the wrong type of plane, it is 100% like my meniers disease was at its hight, severe hearing distortion, severe balance problems and extreme nausea and this will last for up to 4 days or so after we have landed… I only fly if it is unavoidable! Cheers Kev

**Sierra** · August 16, 2019, 6:30pm

One thing I have discovered about flying since starting with hearing aids is the best way to control airplane noise. I just mute my hearing aids and leave them in my ear. Nobody hassles me for wearing headphones, and my closed fittings act like earplugs and really kills the noise. I find it better than trying to listen to music. If I need to talk to someone, I just unmute them. Only takes a few seconds.

**cvkemp** · August 16, 2019, 6:41pm

I have worn ITE hearing aids, and when flying I also wear Bose noise canceling headphones. I mute my hearing aids and use the Bose Hearphones for the extra noise reduction.

**Deaf_piper** · August 16, 2019, 7:59pm

When booking your ticket online, they have a little box that says “do you need assistance” tick that box! If you book at a travel agent tell them you need assistance. This way you will be taken right to the departure gate. Tell the people st that gate your deaf, you can’t hear announcements and you will board with the disabled people.

**Neilk** · August 16, 2019, 8:01pm

I can’t believe your response in a forum about hearing when the hearing, or not being able to, is obviously why it is posted here! Afraid of not hearing announcements, of missing the gate number because you can’t hear or understand the gobbldegook in a noisy environment . I can definitely relate. And YES, it can be scary, especially to someone who is hearing impaired and doesn’t fly often.

I would have no idea of what to say to comfort Shootingstar, but I wouldn’t get on her case for posting this here. But perhaps to let the person at the boarding gate know that you are hearing impaired and concerned about hearing announcements. I’m sure they would go out of their way to assist you.

**grantb5** · August 16, 2019, 8:57pm

When you book your flight tell them you need assistance. Even online you can choose this. Not all experiences are the same, but I’ve had some very positive experiences with some airlines in that they make sure I hear all the announcements, make sure I am up to date with gate information, make sure I’m seated OK and if I have any other questions, etc. Connections are the worst part.

**shootingstar** · August 17, 2019, 12:02am

Lots of helpful information. Asking for assistance at the time tickets are purchased, letting the person at the gate know I’m hard of hearing and might need some help knowing when to board. I appreciate all the good advice and hope this trip goes well.

I noticed last night, on a Google search, there are maps of the airports online. That was nice to find.

Thank you all who have responded.

**darylm** · August 17, 2019, 12:28am

If you’re trying to make your way through an unfamiliar airport based on what you hear over a public address system, it’s no wonder you’re stressed out. In many years of flying, I have never paid any attention to public announcements. Even without a hearing problem, they are difficult to hear. That’s why I was bewildered by your post.

For every flight that I take, I always rely on my phone and the departure status displays in the airport for gate information. When I have a connection in an unfamiliar airport, especially if it’s a short connection, I always check the online airport map beforehand so I have an idea where I will have to go and how long it will take. Of course, most of the time the gates end up changing, so as soon as I land, I check the flight status using my phone and I check the departure status display again as soon as I get off the airplane.

If you get in the habit of using the departure status display and online airport maps, it will become second nature and it will reduce your stress. Apps like TripIt or the app for the airline are also helpful. And you can always ask someone for directions.

**Psocoptera** · August 17, 2019, 1:24am

I think the main thing to do when you cannot hear announcements is to pay attention to your surroundings. All airports have boards to look up the gate and signs to point you in the right direction. The gate will have a sign telling you the next flight for that gate. Get to the airport on time because that will reduce the stress from rushing. Too early and your flight will not be on the list yet or even open for you to check your luggage in depending on the size of the airport. When sitting at the gate waiting for boarding face the board above the gate which tells you the flight details. If you check every couple of minutes you will see any changes and can check an app on your phone or one of the airport boards for gate changes. If your airline have an app then using that for your e-ticket and boarding pass usually means they will send you a notification if your gate changes. Activate vibrate on the phone and keep it in your pocket. Check it if the board changes. If in doubt ask the staff at the gate.
My local airport has telecoil but I have found it is only available at 2-3 of the front gates out of 24 gates for my usual airline. Also never heard it in the bathrooms so I would not rely on it. If your airport has a T-coil sign then you could ask the staff where you could access it but I think it is better to rely on your vision and be aware of your surroundings. You will then notice when everyone at the gate stands to board. Check the sign above the gate which should tell you which plane and boarding now.
I find the carousel announcements the worst because they frequently change which carousel is required between when they tell you on the plane and when you get to the carousels. Occasionally the signage has been wrong also. But at least at that point your flight is over and you are not going to miss the plane. If you follow the others from your flight and you check the signs it should all work out. There is usually a luggage claim problems desk if you have a problem.

**lsmith77025** · August 17, 2019, 3:47pm

I fly through Austin, Houston Hobby, Baltimore/Washington and Dulles and I play the disability card even tho I USUALLY can make it through without too much trouble. I ALWAYS wear a big Button - - One says just “Hard of Hearing,” one says “Please Face Me, I Read Lips” . . . You can have them made to say anything you want very cheaply. I have been amazed at how seeing that has made people pay more attention when speaking to me. And at SW when I check my bag they offer me PRE-BOARD so I don’t have to deal with the hassle of which line to get in. You just sit near the gate and watch for the attendant to start announcing a flight and stand up with your PRE BOARD ticket.