British Airways has implemented stricter regulations regarding passenger conduct that could lead to their removal from the aircraft.
In today’s era of influencers and creators, the practice of using smartphones on flights to document every aspect of the journey through photos and videos has gained popularity. Even travelers without a large social media following often capture moments during their flight.
Despite appearing harmless, this behavior can have severe consequences for passengers, whether they are content creators or not. British Airways has revised its onboard passenger guidelines to include more stringent rules on capturing photos and videos.
Under section 11a of its ‘behaviour on the aircraft’ conditions, the airline has stipulated that if passengers film, live-stream, or photograph the crew or other passengers without consent, they may face measures to halt such behavior.
Failure to comply with these regulations could result in passengers being asked to disembark upon arrival or being denied carriage for the remaining segments of their journey. Additionally, such incidents may be reported to authorities for possible prosecution of any criminal offenses committed.
British Airways also mentioned that if diversion costs occur due to unacceptable behavior, resulting in the plane landing at an unscheduled destination for a passenger to disembark, the traveler will be responsible for the reasonable costs associated with the diversion.
However, passengers are still allowed to take photos on board, such as of their seat, the view outside the window, cabin amenities, meals, and other personal highlights, as long as they do not film cabin crew without permission.
This rule also applies to photos or videos of fellow passengers without their consent. By being mindful of their surroundings and what they capture, travelers can still document their journey, whether for social media or personal memories.
British Airways is not the only airline enforcing these guidelines against unauthorized photography of cabin crew. Ryanair also prohibits recording or photographing personnel without consent in its terms and conditions, permitting only personal recordings or photos.
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