'Thank god': Airline's new headphone rule is met with celebration
Updated . First published
When you're on a plane, there are certain codes of conduct that we all wordlessly agree to abide by.
Don't manspread. Don't hog both armrests. Don't take your shoes off and stick your feet through the gap between seats.
Another big etiquette debate that's come up recently – especially with the introduction of on-board Wi-Fi – is the use of headphones.
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You shouldn't board a plane without headphones. Getty
If you've caught public transport recently, you're probably all across this one.
There have been multiple instances where a passenger was watching a movie or playing music out loud in the middle of a flight, with no headphones in sight.
In fact, in some places it even has a name: barebeating.
US-based airline United has taken a stand against passengers who don't use headphones, by updating its code of conduct.
According to the policy update, the airline has the right to refuse transport or remove passengers for a number of reasons, which now includes "passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content."
United is cracking down on headphone use. Getty
"We've always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content – and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones. It seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage," said a United spokesperson in a statement to the press.
People have flooded social media with comments in favour of United's new policy: "Best news I've heard all day!," one person wrote on Reddit.
An X user simply replied to the news: "YES!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".
"Thank god. This should apply to children too, with their games on their tablets," another person commented on Reddit.
Another called the behaviour "nonsensical": "There's no way headphones don't sound better on a plane."
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Don't forget your headphones on your next flight. Getty
One passenger shared a story to Reddit of the time they splurged on an upgrade to first class, only for the guy next to him to spend the whole flight playing music through his phone speakers.
A commenter weighed in saying that on a recent flight the cabin crew had to pause the safety briefing because someone was playing videos out loud.
In India, passengers who play loud music or videos on flights could face penal action if their behaviour is deemed disruptive.
It's not a new law, but falls into the category of passenger conduct on planes. Personal music at high volume that disturbs fellow travellers can be treated as unruly behaviour under existing aviation rules.
The Indian Civil Aviation Minister made it clear, in a statement to Parliament, that people who play loud music on planes could face legal penalties.
Similar rules are in place here in Australia.
Playing music out loud on an aircraft without headphones is generally prohibited under our existing passenger rules.
That means that cabin crew can ask the passenger to stop playing the music. If they don't comply, they can take away the device, or in extreme cases, restrain the passenger.
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If someone near you is playing music loudly, ask the cabin crew for help. Getty
This isn't the first time that anti-social aircraft behaviour has been outlawed.
Last year, the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority has declared that any passengers who unbuckle their seatbelts and stand up before the plane has come to a complete stop could be hit with a $125 fine.
Turkey's CAA said that airlines must point out to passengers that "the infringement will be reported to the aviation authority, and a fine will be imposed," per The Times.
