British Airways has just updated its policy regarding how passengers can behave onboard flights, as flagged by PYOK, and it’s a sensible change that we’re seeing at an increasing number of airlines.
In this post:
British Airways bans recording crew onboard aircraft
British Airways has just updated its general conditions of carriage. Specifically, in section 11a, which addresses unacceptable onboard behavior (or “behaviour,” as they say on the other side of the pond), the airline has added the following:
If, while you are on board the aircraft, we reasonably believe that you have filmed, live streamed or photographed our crew or other colleagues without their consent, we may take any measures we think reasonable to prevent you continuing your behaviour.
This goes on to say that anyone who violates rules surrounding behavior onboard aircraft may be subject to punishment, including being forced to leave the aircraft, the airline refusing to carry passengers on remaining sectors of the journey, or even involving law enforcement.
This seems like a fair, sensible policy change
There’s no denying that the way that people behave onboard aircraft has changed over the years. There’s an increasing number of people who take pictures and videos onboard aircraft, especially for social media. For that matter, some people think it’s appropriate to take pictures or videos of the crew if they have something they want to complain about, so this is intended to address that.
Adding these rules around onboard behavior seems totally fair, and if anything, I think the airline didn’t go far enough. As I see it, the rules should also indicate that you can’t film other passengers without their consent, since that’s also a reasonable courtesy.
Admittedly sometimes the line is blurred a little. If you’re taking a selfie on a plane to remember your holiday and there’s a flight attendant 10 rows back who appears in the corner of a picture, that shouldn’t be an issue. Meanwhile if you’re that influencer who was furious when a Qatar Airways crew asked him to stop filming them, well, I think that’s exactly the reason for this rule. 😉
Airlines have increasingly been updating their contracts of carriage to add these kinds of rules, as British Airways isn’t alone here, in having issues with this.
Bottom line
British Airways has updated its contract of carriage, to indicate that passengers aren’t allowed to take any photos or videos of the crew without their consent, and failure to follow those rules could have them removed from the aircraft, could result in a ticket being canceled, etc.
Unfortunately this is becoming increasingly necessary for airlines, given how onboard behavior has evolved.
What do you make of British Airways’ rule updates?
At check-in, or an announcement at the gate should quickly outline certain standards of behaviour. Including noise.
I was not going to read the link, but was curious. An interesting read that all should take a look at.
I loved this!
"We will allow you to use hearing aids and heart pacemakers". Well.....lol
I like this, should extend into general passengers too. Some these social media influencers and content creators totally disrespect people privacy and everybody become their content.
Canada is "this side of the pond". "behaviour" is spelled this way in all the 23 countries where English is primarily spoken as a native language (including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and His Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There is one English-speaking country where the...
Canada is "this side of the pond". "behaviour" is spelled this way in all the 23 countries where English is primarily spoken as a native language (including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and His Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There is one English-speaking country where the "u" is omitted from words like this: USA.
I've got 7 more paragraphs on this, if anyone's interested. Not to be pedantic.
When the one country is USA, that means something monumental.
Like, the USA is the only country without single-payor healthcare... but we also have the best care for those who can afford it.
Canada, I am sorry to tell you, really sucks. I dated a girl from Mississauga who was rude and just a terrible human being whose parents had divorced (that's another huge red flag, but I digress).
Greenie, but, real talk, how was the 'scent'?
What happened to BA's policy of allowing in-flight phone calls?
Virgin Atlantic have been making announcements about this for quite some time and I see it’s now in article 12 of their conditions of carriage. The amount of vlogging both on the ground in the lounges and in the air has got out of hand.
Now they can wear political pins and never be accountable for it.
Now they can go on a power trip and never be accountable for it.
Because you can't prove it without a picture anymore. If you snitch, you threatened the crew. BA will ban you for life.
You just gotta love privacy for me and never for you doctrine. It's the NIMBY bible.
"Now they can wear political pins and never be accountable for it.
Now they can go on a power trip and never be accountable for it."
Would you like a tissue, snowflake?
Comes over in a positive way in the cabin pa - you are welcome to take pictures and record as much content as you want during your flight today, but please do not take pictures of the crew or other passengers without consent.
While I hate influencers as much as the next guy, if "flight attendants are here for your safety" then it only makes sense that these security officers in a public place can be recorded. There is no reasonabl expectation of privacy on a flight.
While I agree with everything that’s been said, I think the one situation where it might not be favorable for the passenger is if an incident arises on board involving crew and you are recording, it can give them grounds for retaliation, like kicking you off the flight. Even if you’re just a bystander recording.
Counterpoint - while ostensibly sensible, could this have a chilling effect on documenting misconduct? Say an airline has another Dr. Dao situation, and decides to use this language from their contract of carriage to ban people who post photos/videos of said misconduct?
Yes. Airlines want to avoid liability and the PR nightmare that United faced after UA3411.
Would that I were an official member, I would heart this. Reckon this is the primary reason behind this language.
If you enjoyed this Dr. Dao-related content, Gary at VFTW recently post about a cell-phone-incident in Miami. Not the same as Dr. Dao, because United was at-fault there; but, it's interesting to see the 'legacy' of Dr. Dao in today's incidents (remove everyone to avoid the PR disaster of bloodying up passengers who do not comply.)
British police aren't going to beat the crap out of a passenger. That only realistically could happen in the US, so while your point is valid, it's unlikely to be an issue on BA.
I'll check that out @1990.
Jerry - I concur. My concern is if the threat of a ban might have a chilling effect on passengers documenting misconduct, not that officers of the Met might start cracking skulls.
I flew 5 flights on KLM and Aer Lingus last week and there was an announcement on every flight that photography was not permitted unless everyone in the photograph consented.
Love this! Hope every other airline out there follows along and, more importantly, enforces it.
KLM is another airline that explicitly mentions their own rule prohibiting photo/video of crew without authorization. Shouldn’t be filming anyone without consent, really. Seems sensible, within reason…
I agree in a private setting such as an airplane which is a bsuiness. Public setting? Asking everyone for consent? Hell no.
‘Within reason’ … airplanes and airports are quasi-public settings. It’s nuanced.
I would not equate airports with aircraft cabins here, especially in the BA context.
An airport terminal may be quasi-public, but an aircraft cabin is a restricted, airline-controlled environment, and BA’s own conditions now specifically prohibit filming crew or other passengers without consent.
Without enforcement, these laws, rules, norms are meaningless. I suspect people will continue to take photos or film, especially when there are incidents on-board, regardless. Sure, fine, airlines can attempt to sue/ban them afterwards, and maybe they'll deter, but it's unlikely. This announcement is mostly performative.
I feel like this is an issue that almost every airline could do more. It's 100% possible to create content and be respectful of both crew and other passengers, but I feel like most influencers take the "I paid to be here so I can do what I want" mentality.
"...most influencers take the "I paid to be here so I can do what I want" mentality."
Exhibit A: Sam Chui.
I do believe that you have the wrong end of the stick, Willy.