Qantas has updated its Conditions of Carriage to expressly ban the photography or filming of other people on board flights without asking their permission.

On 8 November 2023, Qantas added a clause to section 12 of its Conditions of Carriage. This is the section regarding “Conduct During Flight”.

“To maximise Passenger comfort, safety and security, you must comply with the following requirements, and all other reasonable directions of any crew member on your flight with us, when on board,” section 12.1 states.

Below this, Qantas has a list of 15 specific types of directions that passengers must obey. For example, passengers may not smoke or drink their own alcohol on board. This section also states that passengers are required to wear a seatbelt and remain seated during turbulence, as well as when the aircraft is moving on the tarmac.

Qantas added three of the directions listed here earlier this month:

• Comply with any reasonable directions issued by the crew;
• Use electronic devices (excluding hearing aids and heart pacemakers) when and as directed and in the case of any failure to comply with the direction we may retain the device;
• Seek consent before filming or photographing Qantas Group staff, contractors or other customers.

All Qantas passengers must agree to the Conditions of Carriage, as a condition of travel. In fact, Qantas now also requires passengers to specifically agree to these when checking in online.

Qantas’ ban on filming without consent seems reasonable

Obviously, it’s not a problem if you want to take photos of yourself or your travelling companions while on board a Qantas flight. It’s also totally fine if you want to snap a picture of the view out the window, or even a photo of your meal.

This clause is mainly designed to protect the privacy of Qantas staff, as well as other passengers on board, who may not wish to be a star in somebody’s YouTube video or viral TikTok post.

But the rule could also be used to stop passengers from filming incidents such as the viral one last year where a passenger got kicked off a flight from Bali after disrespecting the crew.

You can still film or photograph other people on Qantas flights. You just need to get their permission first.

Overall, this seems like a very reasonable rule. It could help to prevent situations such as this one posted on Reddit involving a well-known YouTuber.

Do other airlines ban photography or filming of people on board?

Another airline that specifically prohibits this in its Conditions of Carriage is Lufthansa, which says:

11.6. Taking photographs and filming on board is only permitted when the rights of the people photographed – in particular their privacy rights – can be safeguarded and ensured. Taking photographs and filming on board may be prohibited by the crew at any time.

Most other airlines do not specifically ban photography or filming in their Conditions of Carriage. Even the Conditions of Carriage of the major US airlines, which have been known to remove passengers from flights for recording conversations with staff members, don’t specifically ban this.

However, there are clauses about following crew member instructions. If a crew member asks a passenger not to film them, they would still need to comply.

Virgin Australia has a general clause which says passengers must:

Use cameras or photographic devices (including mobile phones) for personal use only. You must comply with the directions of flight crew when using cameras or photographic devices while on board.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.