Originally Posted by
Brick
Should I have spoken with the purser about this?
Absolutely. At the very least, speaking to the purser would have clarified the situation and determined for you whether it was a joke that nobody found funny, a misunderstanding on the part of the FA, or her attempt at enforcing "branding" on your personal property.
Assuming that the FA wasn't joking (which seems to be the case given your detail on that very point), then perhaps she was myopic and thought the picture showed the plane crashing or on fire or something. But if that were the case, she should have explained her position as to
why the picture was "very disturbing" (and
you should have asked her about it when she pressed the issue).
If she was merely objecting to the competitor's branding, that is entirely unacceptable. It is not the FA's job to enforce brand-visibility (or lack thereof) on your personal property so long as the item in question is not obscene to a reasonable person. I think your photo passes that test with "flying" colors.
So yes, you should have spoken to the purser if only to clarify the situation. Depending on the outcome of that conversation, the situation may have warranted a letter to UA, as well.