US President Donald Trump issued a ban on electronic devices in flights from several Middle-Eastern nations earlier this month. The ban was explained to be in effect because there could be security threats posed by allowing the devices into the country. Because the risk was considered reasonable at the very least, Americans did not find issue with it. They did not blame the airlines because the airlines were just following protocol. That response was not the case when it came to an airline saga that took social media by storm yesterday concerning a United Airlines gate officer and three girls.
The event took place at the Denver International Airport. According to eyewitnesses, the three girls, who all spotted leggings, were on their way to the terminal where they were to board a flight to Minneapolis when a female United Airlines gates officer stopped their procession into the terminal. The name of the officer was not released to the public. The gates officer told the girls that their dressing was inappropriate to the plane tickets they held and she could therefore not let them board their flight.
The ticket the officer referred to is the United Airlines employee pass traveler ticket, which allows employees and qualified dependents to travel without paying the fare. Unlike regular tickets which are usually bought by individuals, the pass traveler ticket is typically issued by companies to their employees.
Anger was rampant on social media with people asking why the airline employee had hindered the passage of two of the girls. The third was reported to have been able to board the flight after pulling on a dress over her ‘yoga pants,’ while the two who were left at the airport stated that ‘they had no extra clothing with them.’ Shannon Watts, the social media activist who started the forum Moms Demand Action for Guns, is one of those who reported the incident. She also campaigned against the airline, asking ‘what right the airline employee heard to police women’s clothing.’
To counter the rising outrage on social media, United Airline spokesman Jonathan Guenin released a statement to the public saying that the company stood by its employee on the issue. Guenin reiterated that the company did, in fact, have a right to bar the passage of the two girls.He quoted one of the company’s policies that a passenger may be disallowed from boarding an airplane if he or she is ‘barefoot or not properly clothed.’ Guenin further stated that the decision of the impropriety of clothing was left to the discretion of airline employees, but did not give specific details on what is considered appropriate.
Furthermore, Guenin commented that the two girls in question had to have been aware of the dress code required for its pass travelers. “A regular passenger cannot be stopped because of wearing ‘yoga pants,” Guenin said, “but pass travelers have to dress up a little more than the regular ones.”
Despite Guenin’s comments, people on social media still say that the action of the airline is ‘sexist’ and ‘intrusive.’
