The company quietly updated its contract of carriage on Feb. 27
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NEED TO KNOW
- United Airlines updated its policy to potentially ban passengers who play audio or video without headphones
- Passengers violating the rule may be removed from flights and held responsible for any related airline costs
- United is the first major U.S. airline to include this rule in its legally binding passenger agreement
United has created a new policy that addresses a major pet peeve for many flyers.
On Friday, Feb. 27, the airline made a change to its contract of carriage, the legally binding terms passengers agree to when purchasing a ticket from a carrier. The changes include an addition to rule 21, the section on "refusal of transport."
In this section, the airline writes it has the “right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis or…remove [passengers] from the aircraft at any point” for a variety of reasons, which now includes “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”
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The policy further outlines that any passenger who engages in the activity and causes any “loss, damage or expense of any kind” to the airlines are responsible for reimbursing the company for such losses.
The rule joins 21 other regulations in the refusal of transport section. Other removable offenses include passengers who are barefoot or improperly clothed and passengers who refuse to end voice or video calls when the aircraft doors have closed, among other things.
United Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
If a passenger forgets to bring their own headphones, the airlines does offer a free, basic wired pair, according to the company’s inflight entertainment page on their website.
United is the first major carrier in the U.S. to officially make a legally binding rule regarding headphone use on airplanes. However, other carriers may still instruct passengers to turn off their volume.
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In a statement shared with PEOPLE from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) last year, a spokesperson said “most airlines encourage passengers to wear your headphones when listening to sound on your device.”
They added: “Flight attendants may ask you to turn off your volume or offer you headphones for the inflight entertainment device.”
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Delta Air Lines encourages customers to “please use earbuds or headphones with any personal electronic device” for “the comfort of everyone around you.”
Southwest Airlines says “headphones are required whenever a passenger is listening to any audio,” but it is not currently part of their contract of carriage.
“Flying is a communal experience, and we ask everyone who comes onboard to be considerate and kind to those around you,” the AFA added.
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