UA boots passenger off flight for taking photo.

[psa188]

Just read a blog where the writer got booted off a UA flight for taking a photo
of his seat, which apparently violates some lame photo policy UA has in its
inflight magazine. I didn't know UA has a photo policy.

The story is here:

http://upgrd.com/matthew/thrown-off-...es-flight-for-taking-pictures.html

There is an update posted here:

http://upgrd.com/matthew/update-unit...es-responds-to-photo-incident.html

Also, NBC has picked up the story:

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/united...making-terrorist-comment-1C8455938

I hope this story goes viral like that "United breaks guitars" thing a while
ago. UA deserves all the bad publicity for allowing something like this to
happen. It's an outrage that the FA got a bug up her ass about taking a harmless
photo on a plane. Unfortunately the use of the t-word probably ruined the
situation, but the FA's initial behavior was out of line. And simply saying that
you're NOT a terrorist should not trigger a negative response since that is not
like making a false threat.

[B757300]

Just another reason to never, ever fly United Airlines. And to think, I used to be a die hard Continental flyer/fan; and now I despise everything they've become.

UA needs to either announce before every flight that photography is not permitted, or drop the rule. Not everyone reasons the flipping magazine.

This is just like the bullsh*t the security people pulled after 9/11. Anyone who dared bring out a camera at most airports was treated like he was Osama bin Laden. Even if it was against local laws, there was nothing publicly posted telling people, but they fully expected everyone to just somehow know.

[aceriana]

Thrown Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking Pictures!

Dear All

When I read this article I was ALARMED.

During the summer months I travel frequently for business and my vacation. I use this chance for taking photos on board (cockpit, aisle, wing view, etc.). I have crossed one or two very strict flight attendants who think taking a photo on board is the equivalent of having TNT on board. Yet most FA are quite friendly and do their best to help with the photos - especially cockpit photo authorization.

Now read this article.

http://upgrd.com/matthew/thrown-off-a-united-airlines-flight-for-taking-pictures.html

Has this happened to any of you or were you present on this UA flight from Newark to Istanbul?

Cheers and beware!

[TeeVee]

I had a 30 minute conversation about bombs and terrorism with two FA's onboard and in middle of a flight. of course they brought the subject up in the context of a 1 hour delay as a result of a passenger checking his bag and not boarding. the ridiculousness of people's fear over the use of certain words is ignorance. no real terrorist is going to get on a plane and start talking about bombs.

[3WE]

UA needs to either announce before every flight that photography is not permitted, or drop the rule. Not everyone reasons the flipping magazine.

I think pretty much every carrier limits the photos you can take. Something like "photos of equipent or business operations are prohibited".

...and despite what they say, I think it's because they don't want anything plastered across the 6:00 PM news, or brought up in some court case (see, this seat is dirty and common sense tells you it would be contaminated with the flu that killed my dear mother).

Yeah it sucks, and yeah, I hope there's some PR damage, but don't make United the sole scapegoat.

By the way...those photos of your service trays with a coke on them....they SHOULD be prohibited!

[Foxtrot]

^Just another reason I refuse to take photos of the cabin or other such areas of the plane. I'd rather remain discrete about taking photos while flying then have some nutcase on my back who thinks he/she knows everything about me the moment they see a camera in my hand. The most I'll take photos of is those trays for flight reviews, but even then I wait till the FAs have passed a few rows away.

[B757300]

Sorry, but I cannot accept the hysteria that is still out there over aviation related photography. To this day people still get harassed, detained, and occasionally arrested for it, even if they are in a perfectly legal area and breaking no other laws. Now if someone is so stupid that they climb a fence or such, then they deserve whatever happens to them.

My local airport has a rule that prohibits photography anywhere on the property. They will even make people put their cameras away if all they're doing is taking pictures of their family or friend who is leaving.

However, there is nothing posted to inform people of this, so it is regular occurrence for security to go ape over some poor schmuck with a camera. They even still use the excuse that it is a "federal law" which even the airport director said is completely untrue when I met with him after I ran afoul of the local rent a cops. It is a Texas A&M University regulation (A&M owns the airport) because they do not want their airplanes and passengers from those planes photographed. What's even lamer is the university's airplanes are on the other side of the airport; they never come close to the passenger terminal.

I can understand if the airline doesn't want their employees photographed, pictures of the cockpit, and such, but going ape over the picture of a seat back or tray is just typical hysteria.

[brianw999]

Name names in the media and sue them. Make sure United get the worst possible press. I've had a run in with them before when they tried to bump me off a flight to make space for a couple of late booking American businessmen. I had booked my flight 10 months previously !
I have no choice but to fly with them in May to Orlando so I'll keep my camera away from sight....but if I get any shit from them I'll raise holy hell !

[snydersnapshots]

My local airport has a rule that prohibits photography anywhere on the property. They will even make people put their cameras away if all they're doing is taking pictures of their family or friend who is leaving.

However, there is nothing posted to inform people of this, so it is regular occurrence for security to go ape over some poor schmuck with a camera. They even still use the excuse that it is a "federal law" which even the airport director said is completely untrue when I met with him after I ran afoul of the local rent a cops. It is a Texas A&M University regulation (A&M owns the airport) because they do not want their airplanes and passengers from those planes photographed. What's even lamer is the university's airplanes are on the other side of the airport; they never come close to the passenger terminal.

And yet you can take all the photos you want around the campus. Go figure. It sounds a bit like taking photos on (or near) Boeing property in Seattle. I've heard stories of Boeing security actually trying to confiscate film from people taking pictures of Boeing airplanes from public or private (non-Boeing) property on the airport.

I can understand if the airline doesn't want their employees photographed, pictures of the cockpit, and such, but going ape over the picture of a seat back or tray is just typical hysteria.

I think UAL as a corporation may be a little oversensitive at times because two of the 9/11 airplanes were from UAL. But I think it was also a case of an overreaction on the part of the flight attendant and/or captain (in the captain's defense, he may not have been getting the full story from the flight attendant, either...). I wonder if things would have been different if the flight had been going somewhere other than the Middle East.

[3WE]

...It is a Texas A&M University regulation (A&M owns the airport) because they do not want their airplanes and passengers from those planes photographed...

LOL.

The university president is scared of the taxpayers seeing him jetting around in an expensive business jet with his girlfriend! That or they fear a spy from the Longhorn football team with a super duper telephoto lens, trying to catch the play book when the Aggie coach goes flying. Or maybe they fly Johnny Football to Mexico for special, secret hormone therapy?

You never know, you might be able to enlarge your photos from the terminal enough to catch that sort of stuff in the background on the other side of the airport.

With A & M being a public university, I'm thinking someone might have a good bit of fun if they got them selves a lawyer, an investigative news reporter and a copy of the freedom of information act...

[CcrlR]

This is really strange. I've had two recent flights within the past 4 months and never had any problems. Especially the 787 flight I took-even the flight attendants were taking pictures of the passengers in the seats after requests! My recent flight was not a problem. I asked about taking pics of the cockpit (and the captain said yes), and seat (without them knowing, even with a deadhead crew in the seat in front of me) since I got a free upgrade to Economy plus.

I guess it is on a flight attendant by flight attendant basis per flight. I've dealt with some on different airlines who were very rude or strict, but I've tried to get a name and complain later. I don't want to make a scene, but complaining is the best option.

[B757300]

And yet you can take all the photos you want around the campus. Go figure. It sounds a bit like taking photos on (or near) Boeing property in Seattle. I've heard stories of Boeing security actually trying to confiscate film from people taking pictures of Boeing airplanes from public or private (non-Boeing) property on the airport.

The funny thing is, I can literally stand less than 50 yards from the end of the runway, take pictures all I want, and there isn't a dang thing they can do about it because it is not airport property. I even told the director this and he just laughed and said "I know."

And if ever make it up to Seattle and some Boeing rent-a-cop comes after me while I am not on Boeing property, I will raise holy hell. Their authority ends when they exit company property.

LOL.

The university president is scared of the taxpayers seeing him jetting around in an expensive business jet with his girlfriend! That or they fear a spy from the Longhorn football team with a super duper telephoto lens, trying to catch the play book when the Aggie coach goes flying. Or maybe they fly Johnny Football to Mexico for special, secret hormone therapy?

You never know, you might be able to enlarge your photos from the terminal enough to catch that sort of stuff in the background on the other side of the airport.

With A & M being a public university, I'm thinking someone might have a good bit of fun if they got them selves a lawyer, an investigative news reporter and a copy of the freedom of information act...

They put the rule in place literally days after 9/11. I ran afoul of it in 2002. Being accosted by a solider with M-16 is not a lot of fun.

And yes, I have no doubt that it is because they don't want people taking pictures of their employees boarding university aircraft. More than a few have been busted over the years for misusing university aircraft for their own ends.

[snydersnapshots]

With A & M being a public university, I'm thinking someone might have a good bit of fun if they got them selves a lawyer, an investigative news reporter and a copy of the freedom of information act...

Ya gotta find a lawyer, a judge, and a jury who aren't Aggies! That's tough to do in Texas...

[snydersnapshots]

And if ever make it up to Seattle and some Boeing rent-a-cop comes after me while I am not on Boeing property, I will raise holy hell. Their authority ends when they exit company property.

Let me know when you go and I'll go with you. I grew up around there and have been itching test the Boeing security folks myself since I heard about the hassle.


They sure weren't around when I took this back in 1987 or 88 on the east side of Boeing Field:

(Click the thumbnail for a better view)

I did hear later from a friend that Boeing security folks were running around looking for people with cameras and trying to confiscate their film, but I missed them.

(BTW: The airplane is a Navy E6 that had been off the West Coast doing some rudder hard-over testing. As I understand it, they felt something and called for a chase plane. The chase plane suggested they might want to get on the ground soon...)

[Felipe Garcia]

I've heard Boeing security has tried to chase people off public areas at Falcon (FFZ) too, under the argument that they are also in charge of airport security.