United Airlines Is Trying To Explain Why They Kicked These Women Off A Flight Because They Were ‘Wearing Leggings’
United Airlines is under fire after they stopped three girls from boarding a plane because they were wearing leggings. Yep, leggings.
Shannon Watts, a United Airline customer who witnessed the event, complained about the little-known dress code on Twitter.
1) A @united gate agent isn't letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
2) She's forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can't board. Since when does @united police women's clothing?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
3) Gate agent for flt 215 at 7:55. Said she doesn't make the rules, just follows them. I guess @united not letting women wear athletic wear?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
United Airlines quickly responded to Watts’s concerns via Twitter and later released a statement explaining the incident.
In our Contract of Carriage, Rule 21, we do have the right to refuse transport for passengers who … https://t.co/52kRVgaCyb
— United Airlines (@united) March 26, 2017
(2/2) There is a dress code for pass travelers as they are representing UA when they fly. ^KP
— United Airlines (@united) March 26, 2017
“To our customers… your leggings are welcome!” the company wrote.
We care about the way we present ourselves to you, our customers, as we believe that is part of the experience on board our flights. One of the benefits of working for an airline is that our employees are able to travel the world. Even better, they can extend this privilege to a select number of what we call “pass riders.” These are relatives or friends who also receive the benefit of free or heavily discounted air travel – on our airline as well as on airlines around the world where we have mutual agreements in place for employees and pass riders.
When taking advantage of this benefit, all employees and pass riders are considered representatives of United. And like most companies, we have a dress code that we ask employees and pass riders to follow. The passengers this morning were United pass riders and not in compliance with our dress code for company benefit travel. We regularly remind our employees that when they place a family member or friend on a flight for free as a standby passenger, they need to follow our dress code.
The explanation wasn’t enough for a lot of people, who were mostly just pissed that there were clothing restrictions to begin with, especially considering most dress codes tend to target women.
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/846056399058690056
Author Dana Schwartz was one of the many who were absolutely furious at the airline. She asked her fans on Twitter about the first time they were ever sexualized for what they wore, and her influx of responses says a lot about how women are judged by their outfit choices — no matter the age.
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/846065631858507776
3rd grade. My pants were too tight & I had to tie a sweater around my waist
— toobs’ day of reckoning (@_toobs) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/melissa_hubbard/status/846066437135437828
I honestly don't ever remember NOT feeling that way.
— carina adly mackenzie (@cadlymack) March 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/magpepper/status/846066852946108416
Hopefully United Airlines will take some time to actually read through the criticism and use it for educational purposes. You know, like teaching themselves that dress codes are stupid and to stop sexualizing articles of clothing.