United Airlines will now remove passengers from flights who refuse to wear headphones while listening to their personal devices. If passengers refuse to do so, they could face a permanent ban.
This new component of United Airlines’ “Contract of Carriage” document on Feb. 27, 2026, was recently noticed by NBC Chicago. The “Contract of Carriage,” which almost no one reads or even knows exists, describes the rules and regulations that travelers and the airline must abide by.
The new headphone policy falls under Rule 21, “Refusal of Transport.”
“UA shall have the right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any Passenger for the following reasons,” the rule states.
One of those reasons falls under Rule 22, titled “Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”
“Non-compliance of the rule can lead to removal from the flight and potential permanent bans,” NBC 5 traffic reporter Kye Martin explained.
Additionally, if a passenger causes United “any loss, damage or expense of any kind,” they may have to reimburse the airline.
United explains the reason for the change
“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content — and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,” United said in a statement to NBC News. “With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”
United is the first significant American airline to formally incorporate headphone use into its legally enforceable passenger agreement.
On the plus side (kind of), a traveler may request a complimentary pair of headphones from a flight attendant. Depending on availability, of course.
What other offenses can United Airlines kick you off a flight for?
United Airlines may also remove passengers from flights or permanently ban them for infractions that include:
• Being barefoot or wearing lewd, indecent, or objectionable clothes
• Violating the no-smoking regulation
• Having a video or phone conversation while the doors are closed, taxiing for takeoff, or while in the air
Unlawful, indecent, lewd, sexual, harassing, disruptive, disorderly, offensive, abusive, unsanitary, or violent behavior will also get you the boot. United will also kick you off a flight for having or causing a “malodorous condition.”
United Airlines can also kick off unaccompanied passengers who are both blind and deaf “unless such passengers are able to communicate with representatives of UA by either physical, mechanical, electronic, or other means.”