‘Can lead to removal’

Now, one major U.S. airline is making it clear that the behavior won’t be tolerated.

United Airlines (UA) has quietly updated its Refusal of Transport section, the policy that outlines when the airline can “refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis,” or “have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point.”

The updated policy now lists a new form of disruptive behavior that could lead to removal: “Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”

The rule appears alongside other violations that can lead to removal, including interfering with flight attendants, boarding while intoxicated, or engaging in disruptive behavior.

By including the rule in its official passenger policies, United gives flight attendants clear authority to step in when noise becomes disruptive.

Headphones enforced

In a statement reported by NBC News, UA said the expectation already existed but decided to make it more explicit.

“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content – and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,” United said in a statement.“With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”

Services like Starlink promise significantly improved connectivity in the air, allowing travelers to watch seamless online content.

‘Policing common courtesy’

Online reactions suggest many passengers welcome the change, arguing that using headphones in public spaces should already be basic courtesy.

On Reddit, one user wrote: “Imagine needing an airline to tell you to use headphones and have basic courtesy and respect for other people in public.”

A second netizen shared, “It’s sad as a society this even needs to happen to begin with.”

Another commenter, who described themselves as a former “delta loyalist,” said the issue has become common enough that they are considering switching airlines: “My last few flights the ‘trash’ factor went way up. Maybe I was just unlucky, but the flight attendants shouldn’t leave it to me to address. I’m happy to, but I don’t want to risk being removed from my flight. I’ll try United next trip if they take the responsibility off of me.”

An airline employee also weighed in on how frequently the issue comes up during flights: “As a flight attendant; we have to tell people literally every flight. It makes our jobs harder when we’re stuck policing common courtesy instead of just focusing on service & safety.”

Responsible parenting

Some other Redditors said the issue often involves children watching videos without headphones, adding that parents should take more responsibility.

One user shared: “I was just on a delta flight where a woman with a toddler was positively screeching ‘he’s just a baby you expect him to wear headphones?!’ over and over again until the flight attendant left. The child watched the same video playlist over a two-hour flight.”

“Ugh. Took my toddler on a flight with my spouse and she was just fine with headphones,” another argued.

Another airline employee echoed the frustration, saying, “We make an announcement not to use headphones while enjoying your media. But for some reason, people think that their children are the exception to the rule. So, we almost have to say that this rule applies to all devices and guests of all ages. It’s a shame how parents think their children can do whatever they want.”

What do you think about United Airlines cracking down on “barebeating”? Should passengers be removed for playing audio out loud? Share this story and let us know your thoughts.