United Airlines has updated its contract of carriage to crack down on passengers who refuse to use headphones while listening to audio or video content. The new rule, tucked into Rule 21, allows the airline to refuse passengers on a permanent or temporary basis if they fail to use headphones.
New headphone rule
Under the updated policy, passengers who refuse to wear headphones can be removed from a flight or banned. The rule sits alongside serious offences such as harassment, offensive conduct and intoxication.
Flight attendants previously would only tell noisy travellers to turn off their devices or give them a scolding. Now, the airline has made the requirement explicit in its contract of carriage.
Starlink Wi-Fi expansion
The crackdown coincides with United Airlines rolling out Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet across its fleet, enabling passengers to stream live sports and play online games mid-air. Addressing the 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."
Free headphones still available
Despite the tough stance, airline bosses say free headphones will still be handed out on flights. Newer planes feature Bluetooth-enabled seat-back screens so passengers can connect their wireless earbuds.
