AA not allowing onboard photography?

[trippin_the_rift]

Ben is right in his post that it's a FA on a power trip.

FAs on all airlines are empowered to request pax delete photos no matter what, and this is because of situations where some shady pax use photography to make crew feel uncomfortable.

For example:
- Video of crew member doing the safety demonstration
- Filming crew on their break with no dedicated rest area (eg: 73x, 33x)
- When doing service
- When crew are being scolded by pax
- On crew seat during takeoff/landing

Cabin crew can tell the difference between a pax who is excited to be flying/taking happy snaps and the crazier pax who seemingly wants to record the lives of others.
Also the managers who ask pax to delete photos are generally not liked by their peers... or frequent flyers (clearly).

Personally I think any manager who takes a hard line anti-photo attitude probably isn't happy in their job and needs to find a new career anyway.

 

[cove]

I will see what is said tomorrow but I never take photos anyway.

I took a photo on New Years Eve so I won't be a problem.

PJs are small/medium for me. I guess they are the ones very few Americans can fit into nor many Australians as well.
Just received larger PJs so I am a lucky doer as there seem to be many for little folks.

 

[samh004]

Personally I think any manager who takes a hard line anti-photo attitude probably isn't happy in their job and needs to find a new career anyway.

Same same but different, chicka recently took some flights to Melbourne for the weekend to checkout an Andy Warhol exhibit at the NGV. QF down OOL-SYD-MEL and JQ back MEL-OOL. She took with her a flying logbook, intended to be signed by the captain, and similar in appearance to the Joey Club Passport promoted by Qantas. No issues flying down on QF, however there was resistance on JQ coming back, with an FA saying "absolutely not". She persevered though and spoke to the CSM (or equivalent) on landing, who said there was no problem with the request and even let her into the coughpit to meet the pilots.

Essentially, some people don't like their job, and some people do. It's a shame when you encounter someone who doesn't like their job as they'll generally ruin your experience as the customer, but someone who does like their job will ensure you have a good experience.

Awesome photo!

Very Awesome

Thanks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/samh004/9377559630/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/samh004/9374776063/

 

[harvyk]

Welcome to flying in the USA (or the USA in general).

One event which really stands out in my mind as to how paranoid some people with authority can be, a few years ago I was on the above ground train in MIA with my uncle (whom is a local). We saw a handful of tourists there, and one of them had the audacity to take a photo pointing outside the train. I forget what the photo was of exactly, but I do remember that it looked like what a typical tourist would take. Well a security guard whom was on the train came down on the guy like a ton of bricks. How dare he take photos! The security guard all but called this tourist a terrorist. Of course that same security guard had no problems with my uncle on his camera phone, which could of easy been used to take video whilst my uncle was pretending to talk.

So with that in mind, an FA getting grumpy at a person just taking photos is of no surprise. Problem is that over in the USA, FA’s (and airline employees) have been given an incredible amount of power, with extremely little or no oversight to prevent abuse of said power. So had it been me in that same situation, I would have turned the camera off and said no worries as well, because in the air, you are guilty until you prove yourself completely and 100% innocent.

 

[UP4014]

Flying QF back from CNS at the end of the last AFF Gathering I took a snap down the aisle from my seat (1C) of 3 AFF members in 4C, 4D and 5C. Immediately I was set upon by the FA for taking photos of other people without their permission, which I thought was a bit rich considering any photo you take you're bound to have someone in the background you haven't sought permission from for the photo.

The rest of the flight I then had a grumpy CSM serving me, though she didn't ask me to delete the photo and she technically wasn't aware I knew the 3 pax who could be seen in the photo, but it did feel pretty awful being chastised for something that has never been a problem before.

A similar telling off happened in 2013 in ROK when I (incorrectly, admittedly) used my camera on the apron to photograph a plane in the sunset. I stopped for a mere moment to take the snap as I was walking to my plane, and was immediately set upon when boarding about how I should know better and treated pretty filthily. I knew I shouldn't have used an electronic device on the apron, but after seeing so many others do it and get away with it, I wanted my own photo. I took it on the chin though, as I kept the photo and it was stunning. That said, I think sometimes FA's can go a little nuts when laying down the law, rather than simply saying, don't do this again.

View attachment 64135

I might try snapping a shot, but will use a mechanical film camera. Just to be a smarta...

 

[njba]

For a photo that good I'd put up with a whole flight of dirty looks.

The general issue is the same as with people who take photos of their food at restaurants: I have no problem if people want to document their meals. I know I will often take a photo or two of a pretty meal.

I have a bit of a problem with they start being obnoxious about it! Climbing on chairs, using big flashes, and other OTT behaviour. Just be cool, cats.

 

[UP4014]

I've not had any problems with snapping a pic on a plane, even when flying AA. Just ask one of the crew if they can take of snap of you sipping your beer while reclining. You have your pic.

 

[marki]

Yep, as others have posted, this guy didn't get in trouble for taking a photo of his seat or his premium experience, as is suggested time and time again. He went and started taking photos of doors and stuff. The reaction he got was clearly triggered by his actions - it was not some "power trip" or whatever other nonsense people try to throw at the staff.

As for general photos that include other people - I am no celebrity, but I do not like being photographed by strangers. Just my personal feeling. And even more so I dislike people taking photos that include my children.

I am with you on getting photographed by strangers juddles. And the same applies to all of my relatives.
They can choose not a stranger.

Hey I just wanted to say I agree with the sentiments of your comments ( like) as I hate intrusive picture taking and in your face photography. That's simply not right. However how do we feel about all the photo/video being taken in City CBD, airports, casinos and shops. It is very high Definition and can take excellent head shots. We don't even know it's happening.

 

[dajop]

As for general photos that include other people - I am no celebrity, but I do not like being photographed by strangers. Just my personal feeling. And even more so I dislike people taking photos that include my children.

In theory, I don't mind being in background shot of photo's taken by others . What I object to is posting of shots with strangers on social media, I strongly believe that without permission people should obscure the faces or completely avoid posting photos that show strangers on social media - including on AFF.

However it does seem socially acceptable to post pictures of people with the socks off and feet on the bulkhead .......

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In theory, I don't mind being in background shot of photo's taken by others . What I object to is posting of shots with strangers on social media, I strongly believe that without permission people should obscure the faces or completely avoid posting photos that show strangers on social media - including on AFF.

The issue of photography of other passengers was discussed in another thread on AFF: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-discussion/should-i-or-shouldnt-i-73216.html

The majority opinion was that passengers - including children - are fair game as long as they are in a public place. No permission is required to photograph them, or to post their pictures on social media. So I guess there are a variety of views out there as to what is, and what isn't acceptable.

 

[harvyk]

The issue of photography of other passengers was discussed in another thread on AFF: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-discussion/should-i-or-shouldnt-i-73216.html

The majority opinion was that passengers - including children - are fair game as long as they are in a public place. No permission is required to photograph them, or to post their pictures on social media. So I guess there are a variety of views out there as to what is, and what isn't acceptable.

A few years ago I spoke with a lawyer about the legalities of using photos with people in it taken in public, he basically broke it up like this

- You don't need permission to include someone in a photo if they are in a public place, or could be easily seen from a public place. So provided you didn't need to deliberately peek over a fence or through a window to see a person, you were fine.
- You could not use the photo in a way which suggests the person endorsed anything. This is why TV news often blurs the faces of people or shows from the neck down if they show a general crowd shot unless they are at some event like a protest holding signs.
- You could not positively identify whom a person was in any sort of captions if posted up in a public place without the persons consent. In other words, you are not allowed to say "here is John Smith doing xyz" and post it up to a website without John Smith giving permission. I'm not quite sure how paparazzi get around this little problem, I never asked as that wasn't what I was doing. I'm also not 100% sure how that works in the Facebook age since you are encouraged to post photos and tag friends in it. Needless to say there may be some interesting court cases coming up.
- Private property has different rules, especially if there is an expectation of privacy (eg closed curtains), there you do need permission before taking photo's of people.


These are the rules in Australia (at least back in 2009), so they may be different now or overseas.

 

[subichow]

Does anyone else ever feel self-conscious when taking photos? I always have this feeling that people look at me in this 'look at this guy never flown premium cabin before' way. But in the end who cares I guess, they don't know me and it's highly unlikely I will ever see them again, plus I want my photos to look back on!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

harvyk.... accept all of that... but this isn't necessarily about the 'rules' ... it's about respecting someone's privacy. And having the manners to stop thinking about ourselves (this isn't illegal so I'll do what I want) and ask whether the other person would agree to the picture, especially if the person is the main focus of the picture.

 

[harvyk]

Does anyone else ever feel self-conscious when taking photos? I always have this feeling that people look at me in this 'look at this guy never flown premium cabin before' way. But in the end who cares I guess, they don't know me and it's highly unlikely I will ever see them again, plus I want my photos to look back on!

I do feel a little self-conscious taking photos, but I justify it as 10 seconds of people around me thinking I'm a noob at flying, a few hours of making my facebook friends jealous, a life time of memories to go back to (assuming it was a decent trip)

 

[harvyk]

harvyk.... accept all of that... but this isn't necessarily about the 'rules' ... it's about respecting someone's privacy. And having the manners to stop thinking about ourselves (this isn't illegal so I'll do what I want) and ask whether the other person would agree to the picture, especially if the person is the main focus of the picture.

The question is, if you are in a public place, do you really have an expectation of privacy?

Personally I go with no. Don't get me wrong, I don't much like the lady at the end of our street with a seriously large telephoto lens whom loves to take photos just outside her house of the goings on in the street, that said I also figure that the expectation of privacy even in my own little piece of suburbia ended the day that google street view decided that our house was photo worthy.

So in a small metal tube crammed with 400 people in close quarters, there is no expectation of privacy (with exception to the loos), and even at an airport, outside of toilets and showers there can be no real expectation of privacy.

 

[UP4014]

Can we direct the same AA crew to look at this pic, they would hate it. Before Christmas, cough shot, but me sitting in the pilots seat of an AA 777 in Sydney and the upstairs crew rest area. Other than flying them as a customer I'm not connected in anyway to them but they were OK with photos of anything being taken.

 

[marki]

In theory, I don't mind being in background shot of photo's taken by others . What I object to is posting of shots with strangers on social media, I strongly believe that without permission people should obscure the faces or completely avoid posting photos that show strangers on social media - including on AFF.

However it does seem socially acceptable to post pictures of people with the socks off and feet on the bulkhead .......

Google maps obscures faces!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The question is, if you are in a public place, do you really have an expectation of privacy?

Personally I go with no. Don't get me wrong, I don't much like the lady at the end of our street with a seriously large telephoto lens whom loves to take photos just outside her house of the goings on in the street, that said I also figure that the expectation of privacy even in my own little piece of suburbia ended the day that google street view decided that our house was photo worthy.

So in a small metal tube crammed with 400 people in close quarters, there is no expectation of privacy (with exception to the loos), and even at an airport, outside of toilets and showers there can be no real expectation of privacy.

again, it's not so much a matter that you might have an expectation of privacy, but rather that the photographer often has a choice... they can ask you if you mind, or they can just take the photo without thinking.

i think this particularly applies if the person you are photographing is the only person in the photo, and the photo doesn't need them to be in it.

you can easily take photos in a plane without having anyone else in them... stand at the back of the cabin and take your photo... that way you only get heads and no faces.

or take a photo and blur faces.

there might not be an expectation of privacy in a 400 seat cabin, but there equally isn't an express consent that someone can take a picture of you or your children and post it on line.

 

[cove]

Photos can be taken as long as you respect other passengers privacy.
Our AA flight on the 773 was good in business class and Mrscove liked the fact that there were multiple meal choices she could pick.