A passenger at Charlotte Douglas International Airport has reportedly complained after a flight attendant instructed him to put away his mobile phone for playing videos without headphones. The young traveller said he planned to file an official complaint against the airline.
However, other passengers supported the crew member’s decision, praising the quick response to prevent loud audio from disturbing fellow travellers.
The incident comes amid stricter enforcement of headphone rules across the airline industry. In February 2026, United Airlines updated its contract of carriage, allowing the airline to remove passengers who refuse to use headphones while playing audio.
Although American Airlines has not introduced the same specific wording in its ticket rules, flight crews are increasingly stepping in to stop passengers from playing audio through phone speakers or, in some cases, asking them to leave the aircraft.
