Two teens barred from US flight for wearing leggings

Date: March 27 2017

Two girls were barred from flying on a United Airlines flight in the US from Denver to Minneapolis on Sunday because they were wearing leggings.

A third girl, aged 10, wearing grey leggings had to cover herself with a dress before she was allowed to board the flight by the gate agent.

Shannon Watts, founder of the anti-gun violence organisation Moms Demand Action, was boarding the flight and started to tweet about the incident.

1) A @united gate agent isn't letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?

2) This behavior is sexist and sexualizes young girls. Not to mention that the families were mortified and inconveninced.

4) Their father, who was allowed to board with no issue, was wearing shorts.

United Airlines responded: "United shall have the right to refuse passengers who are not properly clothed via our Contract of Carriage." They added, " This is left to the discretion of the agents."

The airline's passenger contract says for the safety of all passengers and crew members, the airline can refuse to let a passenger on board if the passengers is "barefoot or not properly clothed."

However, there is no definition for "properly clothed".

@united @shannonrwatts Rule 21 implies removal of passenger once aboard carrier. Also, 'properly clothed' isn't defined. Leggings improper? pic.twitter.com/pgp4wLEOSA

United Airlines spokesman Jonathan Guerin confirmed to The Washington Post the two teens were not allowed on the flight. But he said the girls were travelling using a United employee pass and "were not in compliance with our dress code policy for company benefit travel".

"Our regular passengers are not going to be denied boarding because they are wearing leggings or yoga pants," Guerin said. "But when flying as a pass traveller we require them to follow rules and that is one of those rules.

"They were not compliant with the dress policy with the benefit," Guerin said. "This morning the attire of the pass travellers on this flight didn't meet the dress code policy."

The airline seemed to hit a cog in the wheel when they could not explain why it was inappropriate for a 10-year-old to dress in leggings.

A 10-year-old girl in gray leggings. She looked normal and appropriate. Apparently @united is policing the clothing of women and girls. https://t.co/RKsIFoE8pq

The story trended on Twitter with celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Patricia Arquette and even William Shatner responding to United's outdated policies.

I have flown united before with literally no pants on. Just a top as a dress. Next time I will wear only jeans and a scarf.

@PattyArquette @Shananigans @united @shannonrwatts See? 👇🏻 I've done it before! 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/MC6P144kjL

@shannonrwatts @maysoonzayid @united This is terrible.

A number of people promised to boycott the airline, including American comedian Sarah Silverman:​

Hey @united I fly a LOT. About to go on tour all April and changing all my @united flights to other airlines

@united @baddestmamajama I'm a 35 y/o woman who is 8 months pregnant & exclusively wears leggings. Should I cancel my flight w/u next week?

Other social media users started to share their own experiences of being made feel "embarrassed" or "sexualised" for the first time because of what they wore. 

Ladies, when was the first time you were made to feel embarrassed and sexualized for what you wore? I was in 5th grade, shorts too short.

@DanaSchwartzzz I almost didn't get to partipate in my 8th grade graduation because my dress had straps that showed 2 much shoulder. 1981. pic.twitter.com/QXHnPNRZcV

While others mocked United.

I fixed @United's response in a few sentences. pic.twitter.com/aHP8dB194u

Hey @united can you clarify whether I can wear Zubaz on my next flight? Thx. pic.twitter.com/333sFSt1ix

In 2016 a woman on a JetBlue flight from Boston to Seattle said she was asked by airline to staff to cover up before she boarded the plane.