- United Airlines has quietly updated its regulations on the use of headphones
- Passengers will now be required to wear headphones when listening to music and other media.
- If you do not comply, you could be removed from the plane or even face a permanent ban.
In-flight media make these long and tedious journeys go quickly, but a quiet new change in United Airlines’ terms and conditions imposes strict headphone etiquette for passengers, which could result in permanent bans if not followed.
The airline recently updated its contract of carriage with a new clause stipulating that all passengers must wear headphones or earphones to keep noise levels as low as possible, ensuring a peaceful experience for all. This applies to passengers listening to audio, scrolling social media, or watching videos.
In its “Refusal of Carriage” section, United Airlines now reserves “the right to refuse transportation” to all passengers “who do not use headphones while listening to audio or video content.” If passengers do not follow the airline’s new guidelines, they could be excluded from a flight, temporarily suspended, or even permanently banned.
That said, United Airlines assures that passengers can request headphones on board, sharing on its website: “Don’t worry if you forget your headphones for your flight. If they are available, you can request free headphones.”
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 the right time to make this even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.” According to the airline, its updated Wi-Fi rules have already encouraged passengers to use headphones in flight, but threats of travel denials further tighten the requirements.
According to travel expert Scott Keyes, this is one of the first cases where a US airline has implemented such regulations. Although other major 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 possible. Additionally, Keyes offered the following information:
“It’s consistent with how the vast majority of travelers behave and would like others to behave,” he shared with CBS News, adding, “It’s usually just a small number of people on planes who are making noise by not using headphones, so it’s a nice way to deal with those people.”
This major update adds to United Airline’s list of offenses that could 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, violating the airline’s no-smoking policy, and more. Now, streaming TikTok and YouTube videos at full volume has been added to the list, because no one wants the deafening noises of children’s internet personalities disrupting a long-haul flight.
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