It’s evident that the landscape of “travel influencing” has evolved significantly over the years. I mean, I’ve been engaged in this the traditional way for two decades, and I’m frustrated that I’m in competition with others to showcase uninspired airport lounge food assortments. 😉 In this regard, there’s a discussion on Reddit that’s gaining considerable attention, filled with some “enthusiastic” opinions.
In this post:
“Being seated next to a baby would’ve been preferable”
Within the United Airlines section of Reddit, a traveler recounted a frustrating incident on a recent inaugural flight with the airline’s newly designed cabins. Here’s the post:
I was thrilled to occupy the bulkhead premium plus seat on the inaugural flight from London to San Francisco equipped with the new seats, clearly travel bloggers were as well.
I’ve always viewed videos critiquing planes and products, but I never anticipated how unpleasant it would be to sit beside one of them. This influencer was documenting for The Points Guy, and while I found it interesting initially, I hadn’t realized this entailed him talking almost the entire duration of the flight. He would take multiple shots, summon the flight attendant repeatedly, and, most annoyingly, leave the window coverings open for superior lighting. I had intended to rest, but was consistently disturbed by his loud chatter and filming. Honestly, sitting next to a baby might have been a better alternative.
I thought about requesting a seat change, but honestly, I believe these influencers and travel platforms should purchase two seats if they’re engaging in these activities. The crew seemed acquainted with who he was and what he was doing, greeting him and thanking him at the conclusion.
So irritating that his flight was likely complimentary, while I paid a premium for a more comfortable seat in hopes of resting.
Regardless, just keep in mind that all of these individuals documenting their flights come at the expense of those nearby! Flee if you find yourself unfortunate enough to sit beside one.
As you might anticipate, the thread is receiving a plethora of responses on Reddit since whenever influencers are mentioned, people have much to express. Numerous individuals are also sharing their own experiences flying with various influencer types.
What should the boundaries be on recording in-flight experiences?
As noted previously, over the years we’ve definitely witnessed a substantial rise in the number of individuals recording their travel journeys. Sharing short-form travel video content is nearly the contemporary equivalent of “everyone is inquiring about my skincare regimen” (no, they’re not).
Generally, airlines maintain fairly straightforward policies regarding photography or filming onboard. Typically, the premise is that you can film and document yourself, but not others (and increasingly, we observe airlines incorporating this into their contract of carriage and issuing onboard reminders to passengers).
However, this inevitably leads to a precarious situation. It’s likely acceptable to record yourself if someone is just slightly visible in the background. But what occurs when you start deploying several cameras and filming for extended periods? It becomes challenging to individually define “you shouldn’t be allowed to speak” or “you shouldn’t be allowed to keep your window shade up,” or any similar restrictions. However, I do recognize that when you amalgamate those factors, it can significantly impact the experience for others.
And I’m not stating this to criticize whoever was assigned to film these videos (I’m not certain who this refers to). They are employed by a substantial VC-backed entity that anticipates certain outputs from its workforce, and clearly a semi-professionally executed video is among those expectations. They’re simply fulfilling their roles.
Placing the individual in a position to do this while seated right next to other passengers is not exactly a walk in the park. I’m unsure where the threshold lies regarding what should and shouldn’t be permissible. I believe that generally, once multiple cameras and materials begin to be affixed to windows and fuselage, that typically elevates the level of disruption and starts to create an ambiance resembling a film set.
Clearly, this also places the crew in a challenging situation. They’re likely instructed to facilitate the filming and recording as much as possible, and concurrently, how are they supposed to balance that with the comfort of other passengers?
In conclusion
A United Airlines traveler on the carrier’s inaugural flight from London to San Francisco with new cabins found himself in premium economy next to an influencer. He deemed the experience extremely disruptive, due to the presence of multiple cameras and incessant talking.
This is obviously not targeted at a specific individual, but it does prompt the broader question of what extent of filming should be permitted in a cabin. At face value, it’s reasonable to allow individuals to document themselves on a plane, but should there be restrictions? I don’t have a definitive answer, but I believe it’s a valid topic for discussion.
What’s your perspective on this?