Man claims Alaska Airlines flight attendant humiliated him over use of hearing aids

[Starmix]

According to the report, Jonathan Van Gieson, who relies on his hearing aids for streaming music and phone conversations, faced an uncomfortable situation last month while on an Alaska Airlines flight. Van Gieson was listening to music through his hearing aids while the plane was taxiing at New York's JFK Airport when a flight attendant asked him to cover his hearing aids with headphones.

The report stated that Gieson felt as if he has a disability, and that made him got mad. He explained that headphones would interfere with the function of his hearing aids. He described the experience as humiliating, super frustrating, and dehumanizing.

The report also said that Van Gieson was using a hearing aids to stream music is protected under the Air Carrier Access Act, and he noted that no other passengers complained about noise. Despite his explanations, he said the flight attendant insisted multiple times that he use headphones

Van Gieson was seeking a commitment from the airline to ensure they understand and adhere to policies regarding the use of hearing aids.

Source: LOCAL 12

 

[gwolf666]

Honestly, I completely understand why Jonathan Van Gieson felt humiliated — that situation sounds incredibly unfair and insensitive. Hearing aids aren’t just a convenience; they’re an essential tool for communication and accessibility. Asking someone to cover them with headphones not only shows a lack of understanding but also disrespects their right to dignity. What’s worse is that the Air Carrier Access Act clearly protects the use of hearing aids, so the airline staff should’ve known better. It’s frustrating that in 2025, we still see cases where people with disabilities are treated this way. This wasn’t about safety or noise — it was about ignorance. Hopefully, Alaska Airlines takes responsibility and provides proper training to their crew so that situations like this don’t happen again. People like Jonathan deserve empathy, not embarrassment, especially when they’re just trying to enjoy a normal flight experience.

 

[Starmix]

When someone uses a hearing aid it means he can't hear well, besides that tool is created to assist individuals who have hearing difficiency. It's also unethical for that airline crew to interfere the passenger's using the hearing aid. The other passengers never complained.

 

[Fidelia]

If the man can proof his case to the management of the airline, he should and the staff involved would be disciplined.

 

[Starmix]

Alaska Airlines always has an incident like this, a crew member is mean and rude. Why not ask the passenger if he has a hearing problem.