These teen girls were told to cover up on a United Airlines flight because they were wearing leggings
Get ready to feel your blood boil, friends. Early Sunday morning, an anti-gun violence advocate named Shannon Watts began tweeting about a United Airlines gate agent who refused to allow at least one teen girl onto a flight because she was wearing leggings. Watts was waiting to board a flight in Denver and witnessed the whole thing, sharing her outrage with her more than 33,000 followers.
According to United, which responded in a series of curt, truly ill-advised tweets, the passengers were traveling with United Pass, a program for the company’s employees and approved travel companions, that requires travelers to follow an apparently strict dress code. The dress code the company referenced, however, says only that United reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are “not properly clothed,” and that judgment is left up to the United agent.
Fuming yet?
Here’s Watts’ original series of tweets:
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
And here’s how United responded:
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
United shall have the right to refuse passengers who are not properly clothed via our Contract of Carriage. ^FS
— United Airlines (@united) March 26, 2017
The customer this morning was a teenage United pass traveler who did not meet our dress code policy for pass riding. ^KP
— United Airlines (@united) March 26, 2017
Watts pointed out that one of the young passengers appeared to be traveling with her father, who was dressed in shorts. She noted that policies like this one — and so very many other sexist dress codes — unfairly target women and girls, whose bodies and attire are inappropriately sexualized.
3) As the mother of 4 daughters who live and travel in yoga pants, I'd like to know how many boys @United has penalized for the same reason.
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
Twitter immediately exploded over the controversy.
One passenger tweeted that she was flying comfortably in leggings — on a Delta flight.
Currently on a @Delta flight in leggings–as is half my flight. #IWearLeggings #ComfortMatters #LetThemFly
— DCBackpacker (@MyBeerAdventure) March 26, 2017
And Delta responded expertly.
I'm happy to hear you arrived in MSN. Have a great day. *JH
— Delta (@Delta) March 26, 2017
Feel the burn, United!
Even Chrissy Teigen got in on the Twitter action, sharing this wonderfully snarky message.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/846066710171926529
United continues to stand by its claim that United Pass travelers must abide by a certain dress code, but we’re really having a hard time believing a teen girl’s comfortable travel attire was somehow ~way out of line.~
As one Twitter user pointed out, “Hey, @united, you know how this ends, right? Images of women in leggings tagging you on social as they fly your competition.”
Lesson learned, hopefully?
