Passengers who refuse to use headphones can now be kicked off United flights

United Airlines updates its policy to remove passengers who refuse to use headphones, while Finland is named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year.

The world’s happiest countries for 2026, what travelers can expect in terms of rising air fares, plus United Airlines cracks down on noisy passengers. Here’s what’s happening in Travel.

Noise annoys

Here’s a teensy bit of positive news in what’s been a dark and difficult month: United Airlines has updated its contract of carriage to stipulate that “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content” can be refused travel or removed from the aircraft.

There were more than 1,600 incidents of unruly passenger behavior on US flights last year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. While that’s down from a record high of 5,973 in 2021, it’s still a lot more disorderly conduct than pre-pandemic levels.

Public noise nuisance caused by people not bothering to use headphones might not rise to the level of a federal offense, but it’s something nearly all of us have encountered more often in recent years.

United’s decision to formally call it out as unacceptable might seem a small thing, but it’s a nod towards courtesy and consideration for our neighbors. That’s something we all could do with more of.

World’s happiest countries

Speaking of which, social support and generosity are two of the six variables researchers look at to help explain the rankings in the annual World Happiness Report, released this week. The others are GDP per capita, life expectancy and perceptions of freedom and corruption.

Finland was crowned the happiest country in the world for a record ninth time in a row, with Finns reporting an average score of 7.764 to evaluate their life satisfaction, on a scale of 0 to 10.

By comparison, the US is in 23rd place, with respondents from the States giving themselves a life evaluation rating of 6.816 on average.

Nordic countries triumphed overall in the happiness stakes, with Iceland at No. 2, Denmark at No. 3 and Sweden and Norway in fifth and sixth places respectively.

Aviation chaos

A partial government shutdown in the US has meant Transportation Security Administration workers missed their first full paychecks last week.

The situation has employees at their breaking point, with many not showing up to work. US air travelers have been facing hours-long lines at security checkpoints, just as the spring break travel season intensifies.

Globally, ticket prices for flyers have increased dramatically because the war with Iran is driving up fuel costs. Factors at play include how a strategy called “hedging” has provided an extra twist in the tale.

Unexpected possum

Airport staff in Tasmania, Australia, found a real live possum blending in a little too well among stuffed toys in a gift shop. A spokesperson for Hobart International says the furry visitor “was safely escorted, it wasn’t distressed — just another day of adventuring.”

Citizenship and relocation

Last week, Italy’s Constitutional Court backed a controversial law restricting citizenship by descent, a move that could mean millions of people abroad lose the right to Italian nationality.

Relocating to Italy is the dream of many Americans, including Edward Krueger Connors Jr., a Vietnam War veteran, architect and former gym owner who relocated alone to the city of Lecce in Puglia in January. The 81-year-old was “bored of America,” and having fulfilled this long-deferred dream, he is keen to “live for the moment.”