Originally Posted by Dr. HFH

[LAWYER HAT ON] No they can't. For starters, there's false imprisonment (similar to kidnapping, but without the transportation requirement). It's a felony in most jurisdictions. Interestingly, it's also a tort, meaning that you have the right to sue for damages in a civil action. If you're arriving on an international flight, that can complicate things a bit, since the airline may be able to get CBP to cooperate with excuses. But AA can't hold pax indefinitely over a $300 pair of headphones. [/LAWYER HAT OFF]