Passengers who play music or videos out loud on flights could face a permanent ban under tough new airline rules.
United Airlines has quietly updated its policies to require passengers to wear headphones when listening to any audio or video on personal devices during a flight.
Under the revised rules, anyone who plays sound from a phone, tablet or laptop without headphones could be removed from the aircraft and potentially barred from flying with the airline again.
The change was introduced through an update to United’s contract of carriage, the document that sets out the rules passengers must follow when they travel.
The updated wording states that anyone listening to music, watching videos or using apps that produce sound must wear headphones.
Passengers who refuse to comply risk being denied transport and could even face a permanent ban from flying with United Airlines in the future.
Travel expert Scott Keyes said the move appears to go further than most airline policies in the US.
While airlines typically encourage passengers to use headphones, few explicitly warn that failing to do so could result in removal from the plane or a future flying ban.
Passengers who play music or videos out loud on flights could face a permanent ban under tough new airline rules
United Airlines has quietly updated its policies to require passengers to wear headphones when listening to any audio or video on personal devices during a flight
‘This is in line with how the vast majority of travelers comport themselves and would like others to comport themselves,’ Keyes told CBS News.
‘It’s usually only a small number of folks on airplanes who are making noise by not using headphones, so this is a graceful way to handle those folks.’
United Airlines notes on its website that passengers who forget their headphones may still be able to request a free pair of earbuds from cabin crew if supplies are available.
The policy reflects growing frustration among travelers over so called ‘speakerphone flyers’ who play videos, music or social media clips aloud during flights.
Frequent flyers have long complained that the behavior disrupts the cabin and creates tension on already crowded planes.
Under the new rules, however, those passengers could now face far more serious consequences than a few annoyed looks from fellow travelers.
