UA Denies Boarding to Non-Rev Girl in Leggings, Social Media Revolts

StrandedAtMKG · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:35 pm

My Twitter feed is blowing up right now because of this story:

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

2) She's forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can't board. Since when does @united police women's clothing?

3) Gate agent for flt 215 at 7:55. Said she doesn't make the rules, just follows them. I guess @united not letting women wear athletic wear?

UA's social media team responded that they have the right to refuse boarding according to their Contract of Carriage, and when several people pointed out that women wear leggings on planes every day, they updated their story to say the person was flying on a "pass" (presumably an ID90).

While they may be correct about being able to refuse boarding, they're getting absolutely roasted on Twitter.

32andBelow · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:43 pm

It's 2017 no one enforces pass dress code. Jesus. The whole point is to blend in.

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:44 pm

I believe flying on a pass does have strict rules on attire and those passengers should have known that. Seems like a non-story.

Newbiepilot · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:44 pm

If UA is getting roasted on social media because a nonrev was denied boarding for looking inappropriate, then I am pretty sure that whomever the person got the pass/ticket from will see their nonrev priveledges revoked. If you let someone fly on a buddy pass or child / parented / spouse / designated guest travel perk, they must meet dress code requirements. There are some friends of employees who don't seem to understand this and would complain on social media or make a scene. If that happened, the person responsible (or maybe she was an employee) will get punished. UA used to have a strict dress code, which has been relaxed, but leggings are probably inappropriate still

Newbiepilot · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:46 pm

32andBelow wrote:
It's 2017 no one enforces pass dress code. Jesus. The whole point is to blend in.

I have seen enforcement. I heard of a coworker get a first class ticket as a nonrev only to walk around the podium when the agent saw muddy hiking boots and promptly ripped up the ticket and replaced it with an economy boarding pass.

The days of non revenue passengers being required to wear button down shirts and slacks are gone, but the leggings aren't pants debate is always fun.

Vs

ArsenalBOS · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:47 pm

This is an insane PR meltdown. Denying boarding over yoga pants (which are present on probably 95%+ of commercial domestic flights without incident) is mind boggling enough, but to then argue about it with hundreds of people on social media is unreal. It's about to blow up into the mainstream press.

What on earth are they doing?

Newbiepilot · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:50 pm

ArsenalBOS wrote:
This is an insane PR meltdown. Denying boarding over yoga pants (which are present on probably 95%+ of commercial domestic flights without incident) is mind boggling enough, but to then argue about it with hundreds of people on social media is unreal. It's about to blow up into the mainstream press.

What on earth are they doing?

I have noticed that UA is not the best at social media.

fastmover · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:52 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:
I believe flying on a pass does have strict rules on attire and those passengers should have known that. Seems like a non-story.

Roasted on twitter what else is new. A bunch of people who know nothing about a story freaking out.
I hate twitter.

If she is pass riding....paying a small fee or for free.... she is subject to the pass riding rules of that airline.
Almost all have a dress code. Don't like it buy yourself a ticket.

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:53 pm

ArsenalBOS wrote:
This is an insane PR meltdown. Denying boarding over yoga pants (which are present on probably 95%+ of commercial domestic flights without incident) is mind boggling enough, but to then argue about it with hundreds of people on social media is unreal. It's about to blow up into the mainstream press.

What on earth are they doing?

It's a free flight pass. They can make whatever rules they want. I've known other people who've traveled on a friend's pass and they always know the dress rules. There is no free lunch as they say.

jumbojet · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:00 pm

The OP could have left the offending airline out of the thread title and I bet 99% of us would've guessed correctly that this was a UA sad sack story. UA will never change. Shame on UA.

This is DEN to MSP flight for crying out loud, on an A319 nonetheless. yeah, great move by the GA :roll:

jetmatt777 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:03 pm

My girlfriend was IDB'd on my passes because she wore leggings. She called me, I told her to politely apologize to the agent and go change. She wasn't aware of the dress code (my fault for not informing her, I never think about it because I always wear jeans and a nice shirt). She handled it well and it was a non-issue, and she boarded the flight 5 minutes later with no problems.

Paying customers don't really have a dress code so long as private parts are not showing... but if you are flying as a pass rider there are rules to it.

KiloRomeoDelta · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:05 pm

United seriously needs a better social media handler. There are two different things going on here-
1) Is United right in enforcing a dress code, whether it is rev or non-rev pax? If yes,
2) Are leggings "inappropriate dressing"?

In either case, their Twitter person needs to calm down and let this boil over. Instead they are not helping their PR one bit by going through this meltdown-

Friendly Skies anyone?

Rdh3e · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:05 pm

I have witnessed this countless times from UA agents and always wondered how they could say that with a straight face as they are simultaneously boarding the plane where 60% of the women are wearing leggings.

Another grand one is leather flip flops are okay but rubber ones aren't.

ArsenalBOS · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:07 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:
It's a free flight pass. They can make whatever rules they want. I've known other people who've traveled on a friend's pass and they always know the dress rules. There is no free lunch as they say.

UA can make whatever dress code rules they want, however bizarre, but two things are still wrong here:

1) they denied boarding to a 10 year old over their (totally covered) clothing. You don't need expert media training to see this coming.

2) If it explodes on social media, like it is, you do damage control. Even if you won't change the policy, litigating the policy over Twitter with the national press and with influential high-profile accounts is lunacy.

Unforced terrible press all around.

jumbojet · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:08 pm

Delta apparently figured this dress code thing out 10 years ago by virtually eliminating a separate set of standards for non revs and the general flying public. major egg on UAs face right now

DL Virtually Eliminates Non-rev Dress Code

viewtopic.php?t=450763

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:09 pm

Rdh3e wrote:
I have witnessed this countless times from UA agents and always wondered how they could say that with a straight face as they are simultaneously boarding the plane where 60% of the women are wearing leggings.

Another grand one is leather flip flops are okay but rubber ones aren't.

Why shouldn't United be allowed to make rules related to flying employees and their friends around for free? It's not like these rules are new. The leggings rule in particular has been there forever. Being dressed a little more conservatively never hurts anyone.

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:13 pm

jumbojet wrote:
Delta apparently figured this dress code thing out 10 years ago by virtually eliminating a separate set of standards for non revs and the general flying public. major egg on UAs face right now

DL Virtually Eliminates Non-rev Dress Code

viewtopic.php?t=450763

Who cares what Delta did? Delta's actions put no "major egg on UAs face right now." There is nothing wrong with having these rules. At a minimum it's a good reminder to employees about the expectations of decorum when flying for free.

sas931 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:23 pm

Flying on an ID90 on DL some years back I was asked to wear a tie....When onboard, the DL crew right away recognized me as a fellow colleague from Europe....Rules were that you had to blend in, but this case I was the ONLY ONE onboard wearing a tie...crew apparently felt sorry for me, as I was moved from last row on the B757 to the first row just after take-off....So at time it went on to be winning situation for me... and I had a pleasant flight from LAX to ORD

TWA772LR · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:23 pm

I looked at ID90ing on AF before and they had a dress code that called for slacks. For UA employees the dress code is essentially don't look freakin' stupid. IDK about ID90ing on UA, but I'm sure the all around dress code for standby travellers on airlines are more stringent for ID90ers vs normal employee nonreving.

Rdh3e · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:26 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:

Why shouldn't United be allowed to make rules related to flying employees and their friends around for free? It's not like these rules are new. The leggings rule in particular has been there forever. Being dressed a little more conservatively never hurts anyone.

You live in the past, you die in the past.

It's not a question of their right to make rules, rather is a question of the rules they choose to make. These rules are arbitrary now as the flying public has changed. The goal is for employees on passes to blend in with regular customers as much as possible. Another goal is to avoid negative media attention for doing stupid things with no relevance to the bottom line, you know, like getting on your high horse about an antiquated dress code.

Aesma · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:28 pm

jetmatt777 wrote:
Paying customers don't really have a dress code so long as private parts are not showing...

Well the controversy about leggings/yoga pants is precisely over private parts...

alfa164 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:31 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:
Who cares what Delta did? Delta's actions put no "major egg on UAs face right now." There is nothing wrong with having these rules. At a minimum it's a good reminder to employees about the expectations of decorum when flying for free.

That sounds overly defensive - but typically United. While there may be "nothing wrong with having these rules", it does seem outdated to have one set of rules for one set of passengers, and another set for other passengers. One of the maxims of non-rev travel should be to not obviously be a non-rev; when the gate agents single out someone dressed decently - and obviously appropriately for air travel, since paying passengers are allowed to dress that way - and deny them boarding because of some stricter code, then that status becomes obvious.

And UA's twitter response is just as defensive as your response. In some corporate cultures, everyone tries to work out a viable and equitable solution to problems. In other corporate cultures, everyone circles the wagons and tries to defend themselves, often to the detriment of their image.

I think we all know which response UA has chosen here.... and it is not the first time... :roll:

JetBuddy · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:31 pm

Leggings only seem to be a problem in America. First time I heard about it being banned was in certain schools in the US - and now on United. I've never heard this is a problem anyhwere in Europe.

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:35 pm

alfa164 wrote:
SFOtoORD wrote:
Who cares what Delta did? Delta's actions put no "major egg on UAs face right now." There is nothing wrong with having these rules. At a minimum it's a good reminder to employees about the expectations of decorum when flying for free.

That sounds overly defensive - but typically United. While there may be "nothing wrong with having these rules", it does seem outdated to have one set of rules for one set of passengers, and another set for other passengers. One of the maxims of non-rev travel should be to not obviously be a non-rev; when the gate agents single out someone dressed decently - and obviously appropriately for air travel, since paying passengers are allowed to dress that way - and deny them boarding because of some stricter code, then that status becomes obvious.

And UA's twitter response is just as defensive as your response. In some corporate cultures, everyone tries to work out a viable and equitable solution to problems. In other corporate cultures, everyone circles the wagons and tries to defend themselves, often to the detriment of their image.

I think we all know which response UA has chosen here.... and it is not the first time...

I made no comment on UA's Twitter response and nothing I said endorsed the way in which they responded. There is a difference between your internal position and what you say publicly/how you say it.

And again, just because anyone can dress like s*%t on a paid ticket doesn't mean it should be encouraged for free travelers. It's certainly worth themreviewing their rules, but the bluster about this is senseless. WN or DL in a similar type of situation would not get 1/10th the amount of bluster.

angrybird307 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:37 pm

I am a UA nonrev, who flies completely free. I flew First last week from IAH-SEA and DEN-CMH in a T-Shirt and shorts and the crew/gate agents said absolutely nothing. I have never been denied at the gate for having on the wrong clothes. But, this person should know that their is always a slight chance of something like this happening, and that the employees they are representing are most likely going to have their pass travel privileges taken away for good.

Flighty · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:38 pm

I had one of my friends criticized but not pulled off a flight for same issue. She was wearing sandals. It's a rule... not really reasonable in 2017. But if UAL wants to attract millennials and Gen Zs, UA needs to learn the rules of that generation, and follow them. People 17-35 are very important. They need to feel welcome. Without them, you won't have a business or a paycheck in the long term.

Bald1983 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:42 pm

Good for United. Standards need to be upheld. For all those who want to criticize, it is a real simple proposition: United owns the plane; United makes the rules on the plane. Maybe, United has these standards so as not to offend the vast majority of its customers. United is not the only airline to enforce a dress code; SWA has as well.

Bald1983 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:43 pm

Flighty wrote:
I had one of my friends criticized but not pulled off a flight for same issue. She was wearing sandals. It's a rule... not really reasonable in 2017. But if UAL wants to attract millennials and Gen Zs, UA needs to learn the rules of that generation, and follow them. People 17-35 are very important. They need to feel welcome. Without them, you won't have a business or a paycheck in the long term.

Maybe these groups you speak of, should learn some etiquette as well.

adamblang · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:46 pm

This is the dress code in the non-rev section of the UA employee handbook:

Dress attire for pass riders traveling space-available or positive-space should always meet or exceed the casual standards outlined in this policy. In general, casual attire refers to clothing that is appropriate for the local environment, allow you to feel comfortable while pass traveling, yet looks neat and professional.

Employees from United will enjoy the following relaxed dress code when pass traveling on all United flights and in all classes of service, system wide:
- Pass riders’ overall appearance should be well-groomed, neat, clean and in good taste
- Attire should be respectful of fellow revenue passengers, employees and pass riders
- Pass riders may wear denim attire (such as jeans), shorts that are no more than three inches above the knee and athletic shoes

The following attire is unacceptable in any cabin but is not limited to:
- Any attire that reveals a midriff
- Attire that reveals any type of undergarments
- Attire that is designated as sleepwear, underwear or swim attire
- Mini skirts
- Shorts that are more than three inches above the knee when in a standing position
- Form-fitting lycra/spandex tops, pants and dresses
- Attire that has offensive and/or derogatory terminology or graphics
- Attire that is excessively dirty or has holes/tears
- Any attire that is provocative, inappropriately revealing, or see-through
- Bare feet
- Beach-type, rubber flip-flops

All employees, retirees, and early-out participants are responsible to ensure that all of their pass riders are dressed appropriately for pass travel on United. All pass riders are required to adhere to the Pass Travel Attire policy or the pass riders will be denied boarding, even at an en-route stopover. Once a pass rider is boarded on the aircraft, it is inappropriate to change into unacceptable attire.

These guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather should help set the general parameters for appropriate attire.

Pass riders should use good judgment and common sense about items not specifically addressed. If you are uncertain about what is acceptable attire for pass travel, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources partner.

Non-revving out of Hawaii, I've had agents look at my feet to make sure I'm not wearing sandals. I carry an extra change of clothes if I think I might get muddy on my trip.

If I'm going on other carries, I check their rules. I've packed business casual because some carriers require business casual.

From day one of working in this industry, more seasoned coworkers have warned about this sort of thing.

If you expect to fly for cheap, you jump through some extra hoops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

wn676 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:48 pm

Bald1983 wrote:
Good for United. Standards need to be upheld. For all those who want to criticize, it is a real simple proposition: United owns the plane; United makes the rules on the plane. Maybe, United has these standards so as not to offend the vast majority of its customers. United is not the only airline to enforce a dress code; SWA has as well.

Indeed, many airlines around the globe still have and enforce a dress code for pass riders. I was almost denied boarding in JNB years ago for wearing jeans with a button down (in economy, which I thought was ridiculous, but hey, my bad for not reading the rules). Had to run back to the duty free area and buy a pair of dress pants to avoid getting stuck. Whether it's haphazardly applied or not is irrelevant; non-revs need to read and live by those rules and guidelines if they want to travel problem-free.

BobPatterson · Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:59 pm

Bring back the days when gentlemen wore ties and jackets and ladies wore dresses and gloves.

Today, many people dress as though they have no respect for themselves.

727200 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:00 pm

Wow, the millennials "rules don't apply to me" are out in force today. Its real simple people, "We own the airplane, we get to make the rules. When you own the plane, you will get to make the rules."
Employee gave away the passes and pass rider caused a scene? Guaranteed, those passes and his are gone. End of conversation.

jumbojet · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:00 pm

Meet the new UA, same as the old UA...Its stories like this that will never get UA out of the trenches... One step forwards, two steps back...

alfa164 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:00 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:
And again, just because anyone can dress like s*%t on a paid ticket doesn't mean it should be encouraged for free travelers. It's certainly worth themreviewing their rules, but the bluster about this is senseless. WN or DL in a similar type of situation would not get 1/10th the amount of bluster.

Then that speaks volumes about the negative reputation UA has gotten.

bennett123 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:04 pm

At work there are dress codes, whether I agree, or whether the customer think jeans or whatever are fine is not the point.

KiloRomeoDelta · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:05 pm

Bald1983 wrote:
Good for United. Standards need to be upheld.

Oh yes, I am sure all the negative PR they are getting right now is good for United. After all, United has been seen by the general flying public as a pinnacle of customer-friendly airline, isn't it?

Thousands of tweets ridiculing United ("United Airlines" is trending worldwide right now), dozens of media articles that have picked up the story, but hey f**k yeah we upheld our standards! Marketing is so gonna love this!

(And if you think Twitter and social media is just a fad and it doesn't really affect an airline, it must be comfortable living under a rock)

Rdh3e · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:05 pm

727200 wrote:
Employee gave away the passes and pass rider caused a scene? Guaranteed, those passes and his are gone. End of conversation.

I think it's funny that your assumption is the pass rider caused a scene, or that it was a pass rider and not an active employee. All we know is that someone observed the gate agent telling the standby passenger they couldn't board and started tweeting.

A lot of you folks are behaving like it's the 1950s and those "dastardly kids" are causing a "ruckus". "The rules are the rules" is such a backward and un-American expression, I'm quite shocked to see so many people expressing that point of view here.

bennett123 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:11 pm

Not sure whether you feel all dress codes for all non crew should scrapped or just that in this case the rule was wrong.

If so, where should the line be drawn.

SFOtoORD · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:14 pm

Rdh3e wrote:
A lot of you folks are behaving like it's the 1950s and those "dastardly kids" are causing a "ruckus".

But of an overreach there. You're the only one saying that. All of the posts in support of the policy have been polite. Best to resume discussion without vilifying others.

KLDC10 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:16 pm

Bald1983 wrote:
Flighty wrote:
I had one of my friends criticized but not pulled off a flight for same issue. She was wearing sandals. It's a rule... not really reasonable in 2017. But if UAL wants to attract millennials and Gen Zs, UA needs to learn the rules of that generation, and follow them. People 17-35 are very important. They need to feel welcome. Without them, you won't have a business or a paycheck in the long term.

Maybe these groups you speak of, should learn some etiquette as well.

Right. Let's not lower our standards to the lowest common denominator just so that over-entitled individuals don't feel "marginalized". United is a private company - not only can they enforce a dress code, but any complainant probably has no legal recourse because in accepting a pass, or buying a ticket, that individual enters into a Contract of Carriage with United. Granted, most people probably don't read it, but ignorance is no defense.

Rdh3e · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:16 pm

bennett123 wrote:
Not sure whether you feel all dress codes for all non crew should scrapped or just that in this case the rule was wrong.

If so, where should the line be drawn.

bennett123 wrote:
At work there are dress codes, whether I agree, or whether the customer think jeans or whatever are fine is not the point.

Not sure who you were addressing, but as with most rules people will live with them if they are based in sound reasoning. Crew are uniformed as such for good reason, attire at the office is more debatable but still serves the purpose of maintaining professionalism among colleagues in the workplace.

While non-revving employees are off-duty, not being paid, not officially representing the company, and trying to blend in with the other passengers. There is thus no obvious purpose to a secondary dress code for non-revenue passengers.

bennett123 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:20 pm

The pass is issued on the basis of certain rules.

If you are not prepared to accept the rules.

Do not accept the pass.

PatrickZ80 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:28 pm

JetBuddy wrote:
Leggings only seem to be a problem in America. First time I heard about it being banned was in certain schools in the US - and now on United. I've never heard this is a problem anyhwere in Europe.

Americans are indeed known to be more conservative in such things than Europeans.

Of course any airline is allowed to have a dress code and enforce it if they want to, so technically UA is in their rights to deny her. But is it a smart move? I don't think so. Suppose one airline denies her for not matching the dress code and another airline comes to her and says hey, come fly with us, we don't mind the way you're dressed. What airline will you pick next time you'll be flying? What airline will you recommend others?

European airlines understand this better than others. You can dress any way you want, as long as you don't cause any trouble they don't mind. In Spain it's legal to be naked anywhere you want since there's no laws that prohibit nudity and I once heard a story (don't know if it's true) about someone flying naked on a Spanish domestic flight. I don't know on what airline, but they allowed it because they didn't want any bad publicity around it and appearantly they didn't have a problem with it either.

Aptivaboy · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:29 pm

United absolutely has the right to enforce a reasonable dress code. They are a private company, after all, and can police their cabins as they please. However, I would like to see just one thing: a copy of said dress code stating that female leggings are dress code violations. United keeps saying that the passenger violated the dress code policy. If so, fine, but does anyone have a copy of said policy that we could see before Anet goes berserk further demonizing UAL? If leggings are mentioned in the policy, then the gate agent would appear to be in the right, but if not...

Thank you to anyone who can point us to the relevant part of UAL's dress code policy.

As an aside, I flew UAL in December out of LAX and I'd say at least 10-15% of the female passengers on our 757 were wearing leggins, yoga pants, or tight workout gear of some sort, including some in first class. I remember it distinctly because my family and I like to wax poetically about the golden days of getting dressed up in our Sunday finest to get on a flight. Male and female passengers alike seem to be wearing tighter, more workout-esque clothes these days probably for two reasons: comfort and getting through TSA as quickly and painlessly as possible. I've seem first class passengers wearing flip flops and tank tops on UAL flights and no one seemed to have a conniption fit, but perhaps being a non-rev the gate agent saw things differently. I do miss those golden days, though, when flying was an experience. Sigh...

SonomaFlyer · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:29 pm

angrybird307 wrote:
I am a UA nonrev, who flies completely free. I flew First last week from IAH-SEA and DEN-CMH in a T-Shirt and shorts and the crew/gate agents said absolutely nothing. I have never been denied at the gate for having on the wrong clothes. But, this person should know that their is always a slight chance of something like this happening, and that the employees they are representing are most likely going to have their pass travel privileges taken away for good.

Congrats that you ignored the dress code and the agents didn't call you out?

I flew for 25 years on non-rev passes. The idea of ignoring the dress protocol wouldn't occur to me because all it takes is one agent saying no and your trip is screwed. I also didn't want Dad called to the Chief Pilot's office (which happened to others before).

Perhaps this gal wasn't told or checked up on the rules but yea UA could've done a better social media job explaining the issue.

SonomaFlyer · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:36 pm

adamblang wrote:
This is the dress code in the non-rev section of the UA employee handbook:
Dress attire for pass riders traveling space-available or positive-space should always meet or exceed the casual standards outlined in this policy. In general, casual attire refers to clothing that is appropriate for the local environment, allow you to feel comfortable while pass traveling, yet looks neat and professional.

Employees from United will enjoy the following relaxed dress code when pass traveling on all United flights and in all classes of service, system wide:
- Pass riders’ overall appearance should be well-groomed, neat, clean and in good taste
- Attire should be respectful of fellow revenue passengers, employees and pass riders
- Pass riders may wear denim attire (such as jeans), shorts that are no more than three inches above the knee and athletic shoes

The following attire is unacceptable in any cabin but is not limited to:
- Any attire that reveals a midriff
- Attire that reveals any type of undergarments
- Attire that is designated as sleepwear, underwear or swim attire
- Mini skirts
- Shorts that are more than three inches above the knee when in a standing position
- Form-fitting lycra/spandex tops, pants and dresses
- Attire that has offensive and/or derogatory terminology or graphics
- Attire that is excessively dirty or has holes/tears
- Any attire that is provocative, inappropriately revealing, or see-through
- Bare feet
- Beach-type, rubber flip-flops

All employees, retirees, and early-out participants are responsible to ensure that all of their pass riders are dressed appropriately for pass travel on United. All pass riders are required to adhere to the Pass Travel Attire policy or the pass riders will be denied boarding, even at an en-route stopover. Once a pass rider is boarded on the aircraft, it is inappropriate to change into unacceptable attire.

These guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather should help set the general parameters for appropriate attire.

Pass riders should use good judgment and common sense about items not specifically addressed. If you are uncertain about what is acceptable attire for pass travel, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources partner.

Non-revving out of Hawaii, I've had agents look at my feet to make sure I'm not wearing sandals. I carry an extra change of clothes if I think I might get muddy on my trip.

If I'm going on other carries, I check their rules. I've packed business casual because some carriers require business casual.

From day one of working in this industry, more seasoned coworkers have warned about this sort of thing.

If you expect to fly for cheap, you jump through some extra hoops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is what I'm talking about! It is not a big deal to dress appropriately in order to meet the terms of the dress code. Frankly it's more casual than the code used to be (which was coat and tie).

jumbojet · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:38 pm

bennett123 wrote:
The pass is issued on the basis of certain rules.

If you are not prepared to accept the rules.

Do not accept the pass.

As has been mentioned countless times already on this thread, the rule is old and ridiculously outdated. UA is taking a lot of heat for this.

The thing is, UA had the chance to step in and make a statement that would quell the flames of ridiculousness but they did not.

DL on the other hand has no problem admitting when something was done incorrectly even if its policy and falling on he sword.

UA just comes out like the big bad bear in this story which like many on here agree, Meet the New United, Same as the Old United.

Rdh3e · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:42 pm

SFOtoORD wrote:
Now you're just being insulting. This has not a single thing to do with Saudi Arabia. Go be a jerk somewhere else.

A simple statement of fact, no more insulting than the responses of your peers in this thread. In this day and age, there is no place for previous generations to attempt to lord over others and tell them what is acceptable. United can ill-afford to alienate large pools of talent by having stupid regulations, or alienate customers who increasingly see this type of behaviour as backwards.

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. That is the lesson here. Just because United can restrict the dress of non-revs more than paying passengers doesn't mean they should.

bennett123 · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:43 pm

Whether you think UA should change there dress code to be more 'with it' is not the point.

Not clear about which point did something wrong.

jumbojet · Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:48 pm

UA easily could have made this a non event by saying something to the tune of, "We will review this policy as is evident, the wearing of yoga pants doesn't necessarily make for inappropriate attire'. Instead, they come out sounding like complete buffoons. Meet the new UA, same as the old UA. A lot of women like to wear yoga, or stretchy pants, you think they might think twice about booking a flight on UA? You bet.

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