United Airlines(DENVER) — United Airlines responded to criticism it received on Sunday after it barred two teenage girls from boarding a flight because they were wearing leggings.
The incident sent several social media users into an angry uproar, with some calling the policy sexist and discriminatory against women.
The story came to light after Shannon Watts, an activist who witnessed the exchange at an airport in Denver, tweeted about it early Sunday.
“A @united gate agent isn’t letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?” Watts tweeted.
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
“A 10-year-old girl in gray leggings. She looked normal and appropriate. Apparently @united is policing the clothing of women and girls,” she added in a later tweet.
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
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
A spokesman for United confirmed that two teenage passengers were told they could not board a flight from Denver to Minneapolis because their leggings “were not in compliance with dress code policy for company benefit travel,” a program that lets United workers and their families travel for free on a standby basis.
“There are different rules for these privileges because people are flying for free,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement Sunday.
United Airlines also issued a dozen or so tweets in response to users who were upset about the exchange.
In one tweet, the company said it reserves the right to deny service to “passengers who are not properly clothed via our Contract of Carriage.”
@baddestmamajama United shall have the right to refuse passengers who are not properly clothed via our Contract of Carriage. ^FS
— United (@united) March 26, 2017
United said the teenagers waited for the next flight and eventually got to fly using their benefits.
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