'Barebeater' removed from flight after major airlines crack down on infuriating travel habit

A video has emerged of a woman being escorted off an American Airlines flight for playing a video without headphones.

The traveller, who was onboard a flight from Miami to Tampa, had reportedly been asked multiple times by crew to stop playing a video on her phone on loudspeaker.

Coined by Metro, the name ‘barebeaters’ refers to individuals who choose to listen to their music out loud, without headphones. It’s become one of the most infuriating travel habits plaguing public transport.

Described as ‘drunk’ by another passenger, the woman onboard the American Airlines flight was recorded exclaiming ‘I played a video for 30 f*king seconds at 50% sound, and that’s the f*king reason you’re kicking me off’. Despite claims that she stopped playing the clip after the second warning, she was ultimately removed from the cabin by police.

This news comes shortly after another major airline carrier, United Airlines, which carried 2.4 million British passengers in 2024, announced that it would be implementing a total ban on ‘barebeaters’.

Indeed it seems as though more and more airlines are taking a stand against this defiant act.

Currently, American Airlines has not implemented an official blanket ban on ‘barebeaters’, choosing instead to use polite reminders and crew announcements to encourage compliance among passengers.

However, in line with a number of other airlines, American Airlines’ crew has been instructed to offer a borrowed set of earbuds if they’re available.

United Airlines, however, has taken a more official approach.

Updating its ‘contract of carriage’, the airline has officially added a clause meaning passengers who ‘fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content’ can be asked to leave the cabin.

Releasing a statement United Airlines (UA) said: ‘UA has the right to refuse transport, on a permanent basis, any passenger who engages in any of the activities in this Rule’.

United Airlines facilitates up to 24 daily departures from the UK to US destinations like Chicago, Texas, and Los Angeles, meaning headphone-less Brits need to take notice.

While you may not have heard of the term before, every airline has a ‘contract of carriage’. In short, it represents a legally binding agreement between the airline and its passengers.

Detailing terms such as passengers rights, airline responsibilities, and limitations and exclusions, it’s basically a one stop shop for everything you might need to know in case any issues arise.

Moreover, these contracts differ from airline to airline, so it’s always important to check prior to travelling.

United Airlines did clarify that any passenger who is removed under this new clause may be eligible for a refund if they ask for one.

And if you board the plane and all of a sudden realise you’ve forgotten your headphones, don’t worry about being booted off the flight just yet. According to the airline’s website, free air buds are available on request.

While it might seem extreme to some, United Airlines aren’t the first to implement such a ban.

Just last month, the Indian government reminded travellers to use headphones during flights in order to avoid facing legal repercussions.

Specifically, officials emphasised that anyone playing music out loud on an aircraft may be subject to penal action, including fines, for this type of ‘unruly behaviour’.

‘I find headphones can be quite isolating’

To try and understand barebeaters a bit more, we recently spoke with some of the culprits to find out why they commit this heinous act.

Ryan Barclay, 26, from Glasgow, tells Metro that being aware of your surroundings for passenger information announcements is, in his opinion, a ‘valid reason’ to listen to TV shows or podcasts without headphones.

He regularly listens to podcasts on public transport without headphones, for this reason, but also because he thinks ‘headphones can be quite insular’ and ‘isolating’, preventing you from striking up random conversations with fellow passengers about what you’re listening to.

‘I think people expect a certain level of noise on public transport,’ he continues.

‘If people ever raise any concerns or issues, then I would respond respectfully and politely,’ he adds.

Read our full article — and the thoughts of other self-confessed barebeaters, here.

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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