If you’re someone with a penchant for assuming everyone wants to listen to your music when you’re flying, then America’s United Airlines is no longer for you, it seems, with the carrier announcing the practice has been explicitly banned.
As Consequence reports, the airline last week updated its Contract of Carriage Document, which effectively outlines the terms you agree to whenever you take one of their flights.
Under their Refusal Of Transport section, the airline has now added a new entry to the reasons for which they may “refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis” or “remove [any passenger] from the aircraft.”
It’s a simple addition, succinctly stating that it relates to “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”
In a statement offered to The Washington Post by spokesman Josh Freed, the airline points out it’s always been an implied rule, but now it’s an explicit term that has been formally outlined.
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“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content — and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,” Freed said. “It seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”
The same publication also noted that other US airlines have urged passengers to partake in this socially acceptable behaviour, but haven't enshrined it in their rules as yet.
"For the comfort of everyone around you, please use earbuds or headphones with any personal electronic device during your flight," Delta Airlines notes on their website, with Southwest Airlines adding that "Headphones are required whenever a Passenger is listening to any audio."
Notably, no Australian airlines currently have any specific rules in their own Conditions of Carriage documents. However, Qantas’ rules note that passengers are required to “not operate, charge or use any electronic devices” which “could interfere with the flight” if asked by a crew member.
Though the definition of ‘interfering with the flight’ is a broad one likely referring to safety of the aircraft itself, passengers on all flights are required to comply with any reasonable requests by crew members under the threat of removal if fail to do so.
While it might be an activity which is far less common on flights when compared to the likes of buses, trains, and other methods of public transport, it remains to be seen if such behaviour will be explicitly banned by Australian airlines in the future.
Regardless of what the future holds, this likely serves as good a time as any to say that if you ever find yourself in a situation in which you think playing music minus headphones in a public space without being prompted is a good idea, please reconsider.
