A mother who flew with her two children to Barcelona has found herself at the centre of a social media debate after complaining about fellow passengers singing and playing music loudly on a 5:40am Ryanair flight. Megan Fitzpatrick posted a TikTok video showing passengers behind her blasting music and singing along, claiming it had been going on for three hours while her children tried to sleep.
Passengers Defend Party-Goers During Off Week Festival
Commenters largely sided with the other passengers, noting that Fitzpatrick was travelling during Barcelona's Off Week, an annual electronic music festival that draws ravers from around the world. One person wrote: "You've travelled to Barcelona during Off Week, what did you expect?" Another added: "Can't believe people book family holidays to Barca when Off Week is on."
Some commenters even suggested it was "karma" for the mother, comparing the noise to children crying on flights. One said: "This is how we feel when your kids are screaming the whole flight." However, many responded that a child's distress is often less annoying than deliberate loud behaviour.
Mum Clarifies Stance in Response Video
In a follow-up video, Fitzpatrick clarified she was not as upset as commenters assumed. She said: "It's not that deep. It was a wee daft video... Noisy plane, five in the morning, kids tired, that's all I was doing." She expressed surprise that passengers were allowed to play speakers on a plane, noting she had seen people told to turn off music on trains. She added that if she had played metal music, she doubted others would defend her, calling it "inconsiderate" to play music out loud when not everyone is attending the same event.
Rules on Playing Music During Flights
According to Muzen Audio, speakers can be used on planes except during takeoff and landing, when all electronic devices must be off or in airplane mode. However, they advise asking permission from nearby passengers. Ryanair's terms and conditions do not explicitly require headphones, but state that behaviour that could "anger, upset, offend, intimidate, frighten or injure" passengers or crew may result in removal from the flight. Ryanair has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.
