United Airlines Bars Girls from Plane Because of Leggings
United Airlines made headlines for not letting two teenage girls on a flight because of their leggings. The company then unleashed a PR clusterfuck by tweeting "The passengers this morning were United pass riders who were not in compliance with our dress code policy for company benefit travel." Seriously? I don't even know how I would have responded if I were the mother of these two girls.
Since when do airlines get to police young girls clothing? This isn't a time where flying is such a luxury that it is only accessible by the rich and famous. This isn't a time where flyers drink Manhattans and wear suits and tip their hat when approached by a stranger. This isn't a time where women have to wear panty hose or long skirts to avoid being seen as promiscuous.
Honestly, the first thing that came to mine was: "Who the fuck does United think they are?"
I remember flying back from Vegas when I was 22. The Electric Daisy Carnival was going on, and several passengers were obviously patrons of this yearly festival. Let me paint the picture for you. Girls in nothing by furry boots and panties as shorts. Guys in ripped tank tops and stained jeans. Sunglasses to cover dark circles and bloodshot eyes. Neon pink headphones to drown out the surrounding sounds of leaving the festival and going home. If THEY were dressed for a flight, you're telling me two teenage girls in leggings weren't? Nah, I'm not buying it.
Besides that, since when do airlines get to police the dress of teenage girls? Is that in their job description now? Telling young girls their leggings are too provocative to sit on a plane to go home?
That's the root problem here. Dress for young girls is often over-sexualized and over-policed by well, everyone. Parents, teachers, and apparently airlines.
I feel bad for the PR reps in this situation. United employees have been responding to people on Twitter and causing an uproar against the brand.
Delta airlines also took a stab at the airline by tweeting "Flying Delta means comfort. (That means you can wear your leggings.
)" Which was a low blow, in my opinion. But so good. So appropriate. A little out of character for the brand, but I absolutely loved it. It's probably the only time you'll catch a retweet from an airline on my Twitter.
United is going to have to respond to public criticism sometime. There is no way this will be a "forgive and forget" situation. Considering employees have responded to customers via Twitter, technically, the brand has spoken in defense of their decisions. Whether official PR has responded to customers though, will remain to be seen. I have a feeling they will do something to ease consumer tension.
Good luck United, I'm going to stick with Southwest. They aren't assholes.
Since when do airlines get to police young girls clothing? This isn't a time where flying is such a luxury that it is only accessible by the rich and famous. This isn't a time where flyers drink Manhattans and wear suits and tip their hat when approached by a stranger. This isn't a time where women have to wear panty hose or long skirts to avoid being seen as promiscuous.
Honestly, the first thing that came to mine was: "Who the fuck does United think they are?"
I remember flying back from Vegas when I was 22. The Electric Daisy Carnival was going on, and several passengers were obviously patrons of this yearly festival. Let me paint the picture for you. Girls in nothing by furry boots and panties as shorts. Guys in ripped tank tops and stained jeans. Sunglasses to cover dark circles and bloodshot eyes. Neon pink headphones to drown out the surrounding sounds of leaving the festival and going home. If THEY were dressed for a flight, you're telling me two teenage girls in leggings weren't? Nah, I'm not buying it.
Besides that, since when do airlines get to police the dress of teenage girls? Is that in their job description now? Telling young girls their leggings are too provocative to sit on a plane to go home?
That's the root problem here. Dress for young girls is often over-sexualized and over-policed by well, everyone. Parents, teachers, and apparently airlines.
I feel bad for the PR reps in this situation. United employees have been responding to people on Twitter and causing an uproar against the brand.
Delta airlines also took a stab at the airline by tweeting "Flying Delta means comfort. (That means you can wear your leggings.
)" Which was a low blow, in my opinion. But so good. So appropriate. A little out of character for the brand, but I absolutely loved it. It's probably the only time you'll catch a retweet from an airline on my Twitter. United is going to have to respond to public criticism sometime. There is no way this will be a "forgive and forget" situation. Considering employees have responded to customers via Twitter, technically, the brand has spoken in defense of their decisions. Whether official PR has responded to customers though, will remain to be seen. I have a feeling they will do something to ease consumer tension.
Good luck United, I'm going to stick with Southwest. They aren't assholes.
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