Another Scandal In The Books For United Airlines
A few weeks ago, United Airlines received considerable scrutiny for denying two female passengers the right to fly because of their apparel. The clothing in question? Leggings.
The two passengers were reported to be around 10 years of age, and witnesses reported the family frantically sifting through luggage in order to find “more suitable” clothing to wear on the flight. This resulted in an uproar of criticism, calling the airline sexist for their outrageous dress code. The company responded via Twitter, “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.” This was not a good enough excuse for most people.
In the last few years, dress codes at schools have fallen under fire because they consistently seem to single out female students, while having little to no restrictions on male students. From exposed shoulders to leggings to tight-fitting jeans, it appears that these schools are not happy unless their female students are wearing clothing that completely covers up the fact that they are, in fact, females with female bodies. A large portion of the population is fed up with the hypocrisy of our society that simultaneously idolizes and shames the female form. While it is understandable that the airline has a dress code for their passengers and the people utilizing their programs, it is still valid to wonder why these dress rules are frequently overlooked, but were harshly enforced when it came to these young girls. Witnesses noted that the father was wearing shorts that cut off well above his knees, so the claim that the dress code is simply requiring passengers to ditch the casual wear is inconsistent.
With air travel being so popular, it is understandable to question why the airline needs to enforce a dress code at all. Air travel is no longer only for the elite or businessmen, it is a regular part of the average citizens life, so shouldn’t they be allowed to wear what average citizens wear? At the very least, can’t a couple of young girls get a little slack? Between this and the recent “United Passenger Beating” scandal, it’s clear to see that this airline needs quite a few updates.