Flying comes with its own etiquette, just like any other form of travel. Respect the limited space, be mindful of the people around you, and keep the noise down. Following those basic courtesies helps make the experience smoother for everyone on board.
Ignore them, though, and things can quickly go south. One woman recently found that out when she was removed from a plane for allegedly playing a video out loud on speaker.
In a clip that has now gone viral on TikTok, she insisted she’d stopped the video after the second warning. But the situation escalated anyway, and once she started shouting and swearing at cabin crew, police stepped in and escorted her off the aircraft. Here’s how it all went down.
Keeping the noise down is one of the most basic rules of plane etiquette
Image credits: jcmack03
But one passenger failed to do that, and after playing a video on loudspeaker, she was kicked off the flight
Image credits: jcmack03
Image credits: jcmack03
Image credits: jcmack03
Image credits: jcmack03
Watch the full video below—please note that it contains strong language
Most people agree that listening to something out loud without headphones on a plane is unacceptable
We’ve all been there. Strapped into an airplane seat, looking out the window, waiting for takeoff on a trip we’ve been planning for months. Everything feels perfect. Soon we’ll be cruising above the clouds.
Then we notice our seatmate. And somehow, the universe decided to pair us with someone who’s about to ruin the peace by being unnecessarily loud.
If it’s a child having a meltdown, there’s only so much anyone can do. When it’s an adult talking loudly on the phone or watching videos without headphones, though? That feels pretty inexcusable in an age where earbuds are everywhere.
A lot of people seem to agree. A 2024 YouGov survey found that 81% of passengers think not using headphones when watching movies or TV shows is unacceptable. In fact, they find it more offensive than hogging the armrest, bringing smelly food onboard, or leaving trash behind.
Airlines, too, have been making efforts to keep the cabin quieter
Image credits: Suhyeon Choi / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Since so many passengers value peace and quiet while flying, it makes sense that airlines are paying closer attention to noise in the cabin.
American Airlines, the carrier in the viral TikTok video, appears to have a “Quiet Cabin” policy that requires passengers to use headphones with personal devices. The rule isn’t prominently displayed on their website and likely isn’t part of their official contract of carriage, but flight attendants seem to enforce it on flights.
Just last week, United Airlines took things a step further. According to CBS News, the carrier updated its contract of carriage to explicitly require headphones when using any device. United also reserves the right to remove passengers who don’t comply and potentially ban them from future flights.
Travel expert Scott Keyes told CBS News he wasn’t aware of any other major U.S. airline with such an explicit rule. While carriers encourage passengers to wear headphones, none explicitly state that failure to comply could result in removal from an aircraft.
And if a passenger refuses to cooperate or ignores crew instructions, they can be removed from the flight or even banned permanently
What can get you kicked off, as stated in various airline policies including American Airlines, is being uncooperative and not listening to cabin crew. That could get you removed from the flight or even permanently banned from the airline.
In this TikTok video, we don’t see the full story of what happened before filming started. What we do see is the woman shouting and swearing at flight attendants. That likely sealed her fate.
In the comments, she said she didn’t regret how she behaved. Instead, she complained that other passengers were also watching things without headphones and insisted she’d stopped after the second warning. Ultimately, she doesn’t care what people online think about her actions.
The other passengers seemed to disagree. They applauded when she was escorted off the plane, and that reaction alone speaks volumes about how her behavior was received. At the end of the day, avoiding situations like these comes down to a simple principle: be mindful of others, and you’re more likely to get the same in return.
The woman defended herself in the comments, saying she’d been treated unfairly
Viewers who watched the footage, though, weren’t impressed with how she acted
