United hates pajamas
Mar 23, 2018, 1:39 pm
#61
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: UA MileagePlus 2MM
Posts: 1,567
OP,
This is a truly horrible reflection on United. There are so many things depressingly familiar about this story which I tend to believe is true.
1. While the majority of UA flight attendants look professional in their uniforms, there are more than a handful who are terribly put together as if they are on an unofficial protest to make United look bad.
2. While I can understand that a gate agent could make a mistake that a passenger was a non-revenue and not in compliance with wardrobe guidelines, here it sounds like a wrong assumption was made.
3. The fact that a flight attendant didn't like what the pax was wearing and mentioned it to their face, and then they are not brave enough to reveal their names after making completely un-called for personal criticisms, if UA is able to track FA down, said FA should be fired immediately.
4. Is UA management going to allow the rank and file to keep this flow of self-inflicted UA disaster PR stories over flowing the banks? Are we still waiting on frontline incentive changes to be revised?
5. If this happened to me, I would be prepared to walk away from United after 25+ years as a Mileage Plus member. I don't think I would be as self-composed as you were and I hope whatever compensation is offered doen't add further insult to the injury.
Adam
This is a truly horrible reflection on United. There are so many things depressingly familiar about this story which I tend to believe is true.
1. While the majority of UA flight attendants look professional in their uniforms, there are more than a handful who are terribly put together as if they are on an unofficial protest to make United look bad.
2. While I can understand that a gate agent could make a mistake that a passenger was a non-revenue and not in compliance with wardrobe guidelines, here it sounds like a wrong assumption was made.
3. The fact that a flight attendant didn't like what the pax was wearing and mentioned it to their face, and then they are not brave enough to reveal their names after making completely un-called for personal criticisms, if UA is able to track FA down, said FA should be fired immediately.
4. Is UA management going to allow the rank and file to keep this flow of self-inflicted UA disaster PR stories over flowing the banks? Are we still waiting on frontline incentive changes to be revised?
5. If this happened to me, I would be prepared to walk away from United after 25+ years as a Mileage Plus member. I don't think I would be as self-composed as you were and I hope whatever compensation is offered doen't add further insult to the injury.
Adam
Last edited by adambrau; Mar 23, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Mar 23, 2018, 2:46 pm
#62
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JFK
Programs: UA Gold (Million Miler), FI Gold, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,075
Whenever I fly a longhaul with my husband, he likes to change into pyjamas before boarding, and it drives me nuts. So now I'll use a slightly modified version of this story to scare him into keeping his clothes on! D 
Mar 23, 2018, 3:35 pm
#63
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Tell your husband he should not do that. Take-off is the second most dangerous phase of a flight. He would not want to have to do an emergency exit from a plane in a pajama.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:55 pm
#64
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,767
There seem to be three different possibilities for the treatment you received:
- Two different UA employees (the GA and the FA) were coincidentally rather rude to you about the same issue.
- There was something in your passenger record available to both the GA and FA that suggested you were a NRSA and subject to a more severe dress code.
- What you were wearing was actually objectionable.
What concerns me most is that two or more presumably unconnected UA employees commented on OP's dressing at very different time-points. I do not think this is an issue with a particular FA or group of FAs as some have suggested, but more probably there may have been something about the way the OP was dressed that made he or she objectionable to others hence forcing (rightly or wrongly) reaction from the UA staff. Of course being a UA board, our job is to criticize and scrutinize UA and its staff, hence the direction of most responses in this thread, but I suspect there are two sides to the story and as we cannot hear the other side, our focus is on the side we have been told.
Personally, I would hope I am never in a situation where employees of any company are questioning whether I am a worthy client because of my dressing and certainly would hope not to be in a position where it is suggested I may not board a plane because of the way I am dressed.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:15 pm
#65
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
Op:
Part of it is age (people who smell of death want everyone to dress like the 50s) part of it is regional ( what flies ex-sfo is different than what flies ex-dfw or nothing-vile America) and part of it authoritarian personality vs. not caring what others do if it does not personally impact you.
this said, unless your clothes are revealing or you lack a shirt or shoes (coc 21H says “barefoot or not properly clothed”) or you smell “melodious” per coc 21H, it was improper for anyone at Ua to say anything.
I generally avoid running tights on flights ( as I am sitting next to a stranger) but I see people wear them all the time, and Capri pants and a t-shirt is not exactly strange attire.
Part of it is age (people who smell of death want everyone to dress like the 50s) part of it is regional ( what flies ex-sfo is different than what flies ex-dfw or nothing-vile America) and part of it authoritarian personality vs. not caring what others do if it does not personally impact you.
this said, unless your clothes are revealing or you lack a shirt or shoes (coc 21H says “barefoot or not properly clothed”) or you smell “melodious” per coc 21H, it was improper for anyone at Ua to say anything.
I generally avoid running tights on flights ( as I am sitting next to a stranger) but I see people wear them all the time, and Capri pants and a t-shirt is not exactly strange attire.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:17 pm
#66
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
We live in a society where you can do what you like but for me personally,
1) I try to look decent when in public.
2) I don't like looking at people who aren't, think they are generally selfish, anti-social and lazy, and I try to avoid interaction with them.
3) If owned the airline, I'd kick you off the plane.
Just saying.
1) I try to look decent when in public.
2) I don't like looking at people who aren't, think they are generally selfish, anti-social and lazy, and I try to avoid interaction with them.
3) If owned the airline, I'd kick you off the plane.
Just saying.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:21 pm
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,916
So rude of the FA.
So typical for UA.
So typical for UA.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:38 pm
#68
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
Much to the chagrin of kirkwoodj, if I'm on a long-haul flight I'll switch into my pajamas as soon as I board the flight. I generally aim to get as much sleep as possible, so I want to be ready to pass out pretty much the second the meal service is complete. I can't imagine that kind of behavior is uncommon, so I feel like there has to be something else happening here, but I have no idea what it might be.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:49 pm
#69
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
My recommendation: change to your pajamas once the plane is in the air and change back to your street clothes after the breakfast service just before the plane lands.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 23, 2018 at 6:09 pm Reason: repaired quote
Mar 23, 2018, 5:54 pm
#70
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
IF only UA is worth dressing up for...
They could publish a more stringent dress code in the CofC for rev pax but they don't because 1) it's hard to consistently enforce 2) it's noncompetitive and 3) creates liability. So I think the OP's question about when the new dress code was implemented is spot on and should have shut down all conversation with the FA.
They could publish a more stringent dress code in the CofC for rev pax but they don't because 1) it's hard to consistently enforce 2) it's noncompetitive and 3) creates liability. So I think the OP's question about when the new dress code was implemented is spot on and should have shut down all conversation with the FA.
Mar 23, 2018, 5:59 pm
#71
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
We live in a society where you can do what you like but for me personally,
1) I try to look decent when in public.
2) I don't like looking at people who aren't, think they are generally selfish, anti-social and lazy, and I try to avoid interaction with them.
3) If owned the airline, I'd kick you off the plane.
Just saying.
1) I try to look decent when in public.
2) I don't like looking at people who aren't, think they are generally selfish, anti-social and lazy, and I try to avoid interaction with them.
3) If owned the airline, I'd kick you off the plane.
Just saying.
Mar 23, 2018, 6:36 pm
#72
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
I normally change into the United PJ's that I have snagged after I have boarded, but just for fun I think I will put them on before I get to the gate next time.
Mar 23, 2018, 7:55 pm
#73
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,421
Lady #2 was spot-on in her assessment, but as a customer service rep she should have kept that opinion to herself unless she was enforcing a company policy.
Frankly, the whole pajama thing in public has gotten out of hand. I see people wearing bed clothes out in public and I find it gross. When you're on a long-haul flight and your seat becomes a make-shift bed, so I don't have issue with someone changing into PJs to sleep on-board, although I never do it.
Frankly, the whole pajama thing in public has gotten out of hand. I see people wearing bed clothes out in public and I find it gross. When you're on a long-haul flight and your seat becomes a make-shift bed, so I don't have issue with someone changing into PJs to sleep on-board, although I never do it.
Mar 23, 2018, 8:38 pm
#74
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
Op:
Part of it is age (people who smell of death want everyone to dress like the 50s) part of it is regional ( what flies ex-sfo is different than what flies ex-dfw or nothing-vile America) and part of it authoritarian personality vs. not caring what others do if it does not personally impact you.
Part of it is age (people who smell of death want everyone to dress like the 50s) part of it is regional ( what flies ex-sfo is different than what flies ex-dfw or nothing-vile America) and part of it authoritarian personality vs. not caring what others do if it does not personally impact you.
What an appalling overgeneralization, especially the “smell of death” comment. ! Like to paint with a very broad brush, don’t you. A very judgmental comment that engenders a spirit of entitlement and superiority.👎
Mar 23, 2018, 9:01 pm
#75
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 451
I wear Lululemon "to and from" (i.e., not leggings but athleisure, I guess) type clothes. Most of my travel is international so sleep is involved. I always thought that was generally fine. Not the best but fine. After reading these comments, I am rethinking things...