Travel warning as main airline threatens to ban passengers over annoying behavior
Doing this common annoying habit on your next flight could get you kicked off the plane and permanently banned under a major airline’s strict new rule
United Airlines is making a stand against inconsiderate passengers by updating its rules(Image: Getty)
Travellers are being warned that an annoying habit could see them kicked off their flight and slapped with a permanent ban. We’ve all suffered next to that annoying person on public transport – the one who treats a packed space like their own personal living room.
Whether it’s endless TikTok scrolling, noisy mobile games, or blasting music on full volume, the serial sound-polluters are finally being put in their place. One major airline is finally making a stand against inconsiderate seatmates by updating its rules.
Passengers flying with United Airlines will now face tough consequences if they refuse to do the polite thing and pop some headphones on.
Anyone who refuses to put on headphones can be booted off the plane or hit with a ban(Image: Getty)
Flight attendants used to just tell noisy travellers to turn it off or give them a scolding. However, the airline has quietly updated its “contract of carriage” handbook to make sure bad manners aren’t tolerated, reports the Express
Under a new “headphone language” update tucked into Rule 21, the airline now reserves the right to refuse passengers “who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content”.
That means anyone who refuses to plug in can be booted off the plane or hit with a ban on a “permanent or temporary basis”.#
Despite the tough new stance, airline bosses say free headphones will still be handed out on flights(Image: Getty)
The strict new rule sits alongside serious offences like harassment, offensive conduct and intoxication.
The crackdown comes as the airline rolls out Elon Musk’s super-fast Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet, meaning passengers can now stream live sports and play online games in mid-air.
Addressing the high-speed tech launch, United told the New York Post: “We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content – and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones.
“With the expansion of Starlink (a high-speed, satellite internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX), it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”
Despite the tough new stance, bosses insist they aren’t trying to ruin the fun. Free headphones will still be handed out on flights, and newer planes feature Bluetooth-enabled seat-back screens so you can connect your wireless earbuds.
