spin88

I think everyone on this board agrees it is UA's right to set a policy. Delta set its (and has said Leggins are fine) United is sticking with its view that Leggins are not ok.

But the right to raise an issue is not whether "the policy affects them personally." I disagree, and comment, on many things that don't impact me personally, and I'm sure you do as well. Process outrage such as "its none of your business since you are not an employee" are IMHO sort of silly.

If you want to defend United's line that girls on passes ("young girls" as described by Watt, and I noted United has not challenged this characterization) should not wear leggins as it is inappropriate, Great. Curious what your perspective on leggins is. But the public/twitter/media have by and large not taken this as a "United can do what it wants with its pass holders so back off" story, but instead a story about leggins...

pokee

It's the busybodies who instigate change, that's why. When I see stupidity, I say something, too. The no leggings/spandex rule for UA employees is stupid...and stale. Leggings/yoga pants are not exclusively considered activewear or sleepwear nowadays. They are actually quite fashion-foward for women, and are a very popular and comfortable item to wear when traveling on cramped planes.

VIB

One of the issues I have with Ms. Watts is that her proof of United's misogamy and sexism is that the females were forced to change their clothing (by the female gate agent?) while the father was allowed to board wearing shorts.

The way I understand the story now is that there were 3 females in leggings in the gatehouse. 2 were non-revs and 1 was a paying customer. The mother of the paying customer in leggings overheard the conversation between the gate agent and the non-revs and somehow got the notion that she needed to put her daughter in a dress. But of course, she didn't need to do this as United would have boarded a revenue passenger in leggings.

When the paying customers boarded the flight with the father in shorts and the daughter now in a dress, this was Ms. Watts' proof of United's discrimination against women. The discrimination here was against non-revenue passengers, not against females.

Or maybe I'm missing something and someone can school me, throw me some shade, pown me, or whatever it is people do nowadays.

halls120

I'm not saying - and never have - that Ms. Watts and others don't have the right to complain/protest UA's policy. I am saying that when you aren't personally impacted by a policy, such protest can easily look like grandstanding. Which is what this is beginning to look like, certain people using the situation to improve their social media standing.

I don't have a position on UA's policy, because I haven't read it or researched it. Moreover, I don't really care to do so, because I am not a UA employee.

I agree that UA's social media team response is partially to blame for the situation, but again, was Ms. Watts personally impacted by these events? Nope.

Let's put it in these terms - If UA had broken Ms. Watt's guitar, she would be entitled to do all the complaining she wants, and I wouldn't be criticizing her one bit.

ROCAT

You do realize they could go back to the international standard which is business? If the UAL employees wanted this to change they could get it changed, these are negotiated benefits. Heck the employees may very well have asked for a detailed list of what is considered appropriate and might have help write the list.

These are the threads that make this site a joke to those of us who work in the industry.

spin88

Although you profess not to care about efforts to control what women wear (I'm going with the maximalist view of the issue here) many do. This is why this story, and this tread is still going. Even "United Breaks Guitar" did not get this much ink. It was everywhere, all of it making United look bad.

Fair (or no-fare )? Ultimately it does not matter. United mishandled the situation as far as media/social media.

halls120

How dare you inject logic into this discussion.

Not only do I not "profess" to care about what women wear on airplanes, I really don't. I save my outrage for injustices that matter, not first world problems like "wah, UA won't let me wear leggings when I'm flying on their dime."

zombietooth

^^Truth, brother.

This issue doesn't matter to anyone with a real life with real problems. Of course, those with a real life wouldn't be wasting their time on Twitter either.

Not one of my business associates has a Twitter account, one of whom owns a boutique airline. How is that possible?

spin88

or on this board, discussing why people should ignore the issue. @:-) touche

zombietooth

Since FT has taught me all the tricks of getting upgrades with the airlines/hotels and cheap fares/rooms, and how to handle IRROPs and customs issues, and how to maximize and accrue travel benefits that have saved me tens of thousands of dollars over the years, I would venture to say that FT is in no way equivalent to Twitter.

YMMV.

Ber2dca

Clothing being regulated is pretty normal and something all of us, male or female, have experienced at some point. I guess the next 'thoughtful debate' is whether we should all just show up naked for work because there's some 'interesting viewpoints' about how 'some people' feel better if they can do whatever the heck they want.

james dean

haha, good one...if pax turned at the gate naked, I doubt the leggings controversy would pale by comparison. The amended clothing restriction rules "...boarding will denied if you are not wearing clothing.."
But of course this is just getting silly..

Allan38103

Might as well throw some flames at the mother who had the revenue passenger change her clothes when she didn't need to. (Her daughter's clothes were perfectly OK because she was traveling on a PAID ticket.)

How was this mom injected into the issue? Did she volunteer the fact that her daughter changed? Or was it simply an abundance of caution? Bolding mine.

minnyfly

Source? I've seen no confirmation from Delta that leggings are okay as a non-rev.

pokee

You're right that they can dictate whatever dress code they want to...but people will still be busybodies and shout out their opinion to whomever will listen, if they think it's dumb. Human nature, man.

This site is no joke, as far as I am concerned. We all comment on what we find interesting and have an opinion on.