If you won't wear headphones, you could get booted from your flight: United Airlines

Passengers who refuse to use headphones while travelling with United Airlines may find themselves removed from their flights.

They may even face a permanent ban by the airline.

These changes come after United updated its “ contract of carriage ” on Feb. 27 to state that “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content” can be refused transport.

The change has been linked to United’s effort to expand Starlink Wi-Fi access on its planes, according to 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,” a United spokesperson told the Post. “With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”

However, passengers won’t be left in silence if they forget to pack headphones. Crew members will provide free earbuds upon request.

The new rule can be found in the safety-related section of the contract, meaning United can argue removal is “necessary” for the safety and comfort of other passengers.

Other offences that can result in passengers getting booted from a flight include: wearing lewd, obscene, or offensive clothing; smoking; and, making a video/phone call when the aircraft doors have closed, or while the plane is taxiing for takeoff or is in the air.

Being removed is treated as a “material breach” of the contract of carriage. Therefore, a booted passenger may be eligible for a refund of the unused part of your ticket. However, they generally cannot claim compensation for hotels, missed connections, or other costs.

Finally, refusal to comply could also be documented as disruptive behaviour, which can strengthen a case for a longer or permanent ban.

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