- United Airlines has quietly updated its rules for using headphones
- Passengers will now be required to wear headphones when listening to music and other media
- Failure to comply could result in removal from the flight or even a permanent ban
In-flight media makes the long and boring journeys go by quickly, but a quiet new change in United Airlines’ terms and conditions enforces strict headphone etiquette for passengers, which could result in permanent bans if not followed.
The airline recently updated its contract with a new clause stating that all passengers must wear headphones or earphones in an effort to limit noise levels as much as possible, ensuring a peaceful experience for all. This applies to passengers listening to audio, scrolling social media or watching videos.
Under its ‘Denial of Carriage’ section, United Airlines now reserves “the right to deny carriage” to any passenger “who fails to use headphones while listening to audio or video content”. If passengers do not comply with the airline’s new guidelines, they could face removal from a flight, a temporary suspension or even a permanent ban.
That said, United Airlines makes sure passengers can request headphones on board, sharing on its website, “Don’t worry if you forget your headphones for your flight. If they’re available, you can request free earbuds.”
This follows the airline’s recent changes to its WiFi rules, when it shared a statement with USA Today saying, “With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make it even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.” According to the airline, its updated WiFi rules already encouraged passengers to use headphones while flying, but the threats of travel denials are further tightening the requirement.
According to travel expert Scott Keyes, this is one of the first cases where a US airline has enforced such rules. Although other leading airlines have guidelines in place to encourage the use of headphones in flight, they do not enforce them to the extent that removal from an aircraft is an option. In addition, Keyes offered the following insight:
“This is consistent with how the vast majority of travelers compare themselves and want others to compare themselves,” he shared with CBS News, adding, “It’s usually only a small number of people on airplanes who make noise by not using headphones, so this is a graceful way to deal with those people.”
This major update adds to United Airlines’ list of offenses that can warrant your removal or ban from its planes, which also includes wearing offensive clothing, making voice or video calls after the plane’s doors are closed, not following the airline’s no-smoking policy, and more. Now, blasting TikToks and YouTube videos at full volume has been added to the list — because no one wants the blaring sounds of rattling kid internet personalities disrupting a long-haul flight.
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