British Airways Bans Crew Members From Taking Selfies and Making TikToks

Cabin crew at British Airways have been told they risk being fired if they take any photos while staying at hotels during layovers.

The draconian rules mean that the London-based airline is even asking staff to comb through their social media and delete any photos they have previously uploaded while staying at hotels. This includes the interior, exterior, or even the parking lot.

British Airways bosses have requested cabin crew erase their photos even if their accounts are set to private, according to a report by View From the Wing.

The airline has said that by uploading any photos of a hotel, bad actors could determine the location by looking at clues in the image. This includes things like pool tiling, signage, or even the windows.

British Airways has banned “get ready with me” TikToks, uniform selfies, poolside photos, and group pictures. Even shots taken of the city where the crew is staying from the hotel window are off the list since criminals could work out the location from the view.

In February 2023, British Airways banned crew members from posting anything while “professionally engaged.” This could be a selfie in the cockpit or any kind of photo taken on an airplane.

View From the Wing says that “the idea that crew hotels are somehow secret is rather odd.” The aviation-focused publication notes that many people already know the location of the hotels used by airlines since they arrive in uniform. And while they stay there, they likely tell other people where they are staying too. It also points out that airliners nowadays often recruit via social media so cracking down on things like selfies and TikToks might be self-defeating.

The New York Post notes that an increasing number of flight attendants are taking up content creation as a side hustle. These videos make heavy use of hotel rooms so the ban will be particularly tough for those budding influencers.

Image credits: Header photos licensed via Depositphotos.