No more looking at your phone on the spot.
Passengers aren’t the only ones who are reprimanded for using in-flight phones. United Airlines is cracking down on and potentially firing flight attendants who use personal devices on flights, according to a memo leaked online.
“Passengers are not permitted to use personal electronic devices or accessories while on board the aircraft, except during crew breaks,” the document shared by an anonymous flight attendant said. “Live” and “Let’s Fly” reported this.
In the filing, United Airlines argued that flight attendants cannot provide “visible and personalized service to customers” when they use “personal electronic devices on board.”
“Customers expect great service from their flight attendants,” they declared. “How comfortable would you feel asking for help if the other person was addicted to their cell phone? What kind of impression would that make?”
It added: “Even in public, employees should always be in uniform, be approachable and show courtesy to customers and other employees.”
United Airlines declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
And it’s not just the quality of service that is negatively affected by the use of in-flight phones, according to the memo. United Airlines warns that browsing cell phones can pose a number of safety issues.
According to the document, these include “missed onboard security incidents” and “personal injury or injury to jump seat partners during landing if not properly secured.”
If a flight attendant holds the device while releasing an aircraft door, scrolling through the sky could even cause the slide to accidentally deploy, United Airlines claimed.
The airline warned that failure to follow the policy “could result in serious consequences, including termination of employment.”
The newspaper has contacted United Airlines for comment.
Naturally, in a society where people use smartphones everywhere from the bathroom to airplanes, this measure may seem a bit excessive (despite this practice) prohibited by the FCC).
But Matthew Klint, author of Live and Let’s Fly, writes that the harsh penalties “suggest the seriousness of the problem.”
“As a frequent United Airlines flyer, it will be interesting to see whether personal cell phone use will decline in the future now that the discipline threat is clear,” he wrote.
