Not only has Delta Air Lines updated its passenger photography policy, but the company has also updated its employee social media policy, as flagged by PYOK.
Delta flight attendants in uniform face new social media restrictions
Delta has reportedly informed flight attendants that they can no longer post photos of themselves in uniform on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok if they have a side hustle as an influencer. The intent is that this prevents these employees from leveraging the Delta brand to build a presence on social media.
Delta employees can still post photos or videos of themselves in uniform, but only if they’re not earning any money from it. If the ban is in fact on monetizing social media in any way, then this will likely have implications for many Delta flight attendants.
It’s one thing if you’re a paid influencer engaging in brand deals, but simply participating in the monetization schemes of the various social media sites isn’t that high of a bar.
Historically, Delta’s policy has been quite open-ended. Delta threatened to punish employees who post “inappropriate” content that “has the ability to harm Delta.” Of course that’s lacking when it comes to specificity.
It’s hard to know where to draw the line
Let me start by saying that while I work online and have been a full-time blogger for 15+ years, I really struggle with otherwise using social media. I just find it to largely be so negative and fake. While some people are really great at presenting themselves authentically there, I find it to be the exception rather than the norm.
That being said, I recognize that a lot of people feel very differently. I think that many people may even pursue a career as a flight attendant (whether at Delta or Emirates) at least in part because they’re excited to share their adventures online with friends, families, and followers.
More often than not, that’s positive. People want to show off the highlights of their life, and often that’s great marketing for an airline. It might contribute to people enjoying the job, and even make others consider working for or flying with the airline. However, some people may struggle with what’s appropriate to share and what’s not, and I think that’s where this policy comes from.
Delta certainly wouldn’t want an employee engaged in a sponsored social media campaign in uniform promoting another product. I think it’s a bit extreme if this also impacts just general monetization, but that’s just me.
Bottom line
Delta has updated its social media policy for flight attendants, and no longer allows them to post online in uniform if the content is monetized. Delta has been one of the stricter airlines when it comes to its employee social media policy, given that Delta also thinks quite highly of its own brand.
What do you make of Delta’s updated employee social media policy?
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