United Airlines is accused of body shaming and sexism after refusing to let girl, 10, board flight because she was wearing spandex leggings
- The girl was told to change in to a dress to be allowed on to the flight on Sunday
- The 10-year-old was eventually allowed on to the plane after changing but two others, whose ages are not known, were not
- Stunned onlookers took to Twitter to live tweet her ordeal at Denver Airport
- United Airlines defended the move in a string of tweets which referred to its 'Contract of Carriage' dress code
- It said it was up to gate agents to determine if a passenger was 'properly dressed'
- United later explained that the girls were travelling as guests of airline staff
- They were thereford held to a more formal dress code than regular passengers
United Airlines has been accused of body shaming and sexism after refusing to allow a 10-year-old girl to board a flight because she was wearing spandex leggings.
The airline defended its decision to not allow the child and two others on their flight from Denver to Minneapolis on Sunday, telling outraged Twitter users who complained about it that they reserved the right to refuse anyone who did not meet its dress code.
Whether or not a person is suitably dressed is at the discretion of gate agents, it explained.
The girl was eventually allowed on after changing in to a dress in her bag but two others, whose ages are not known, were not allowed on because they did not have a change of clothes handy.
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United Airlines refused three girls, one of whom was 10, on board a flight from Denver to Minneapolis because they were wearing leggings on Sunday. It defended the decision after receiving complaints from other passengers on Twitter
The airline defended its decision to not allow the child and two others on their flight from Denver to Minneapolis on Sunday, telling outraged Twitter users who complained about it that they reserved the right to refuse anyone who did not meet its dress code.
Whether or not a person is suitably dressed is at the discretion of gate agents, it explained.
The girl was eventually allowed on after changing in to a dress in her bag but two others, whose ages are not known, were not allowed on because they did not have a change of clothes handy.
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United Airlines refused three girls, one of whom was 10, on board a flight from Denver to Minneapolis because they were wearing leggings on Sunday. It defended the decision after receiving complaints from other passengers on Twitter
The row began when a fellow passenger took to Twitter in bewilderment on Sunday morning after watching the agent tell the girl, and two others, that they were inappropriately dressed.
'A United gate agent isn't letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?' Shannon Watts said, tagging the airline in her tweet to prompt an explanation.
'She's forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can't board.
'Since when does police women's clothing?'
The gate agent told the girls she 'doesn't make the rules, just follows them,' Ms Watts added.
She quickly gathered support from other Twitter users who were just as shocked as she.
Despite the agent's apparent claim that she was merely following policy, the airline responded to Ms Watts to say that it was her decision if someone was suitably dressed.
It defended its right to refuse a passenger entry based on apparel and referred critics in the thread of tweets to its 'Contract of Carriage'.
The airline said it was at the discretion of the gate agent to decide who was 'properly' clothed, the only requirement listed for dress code in its contract of carriage
Outraged Twitter users accused the airline of body shaming and sexism
'A United gate agent isn't letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?' Shannon Watts said, tagging the airline in her tweet to prompt an explanation.
'She's forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can't board.
'Since when does police women's clothing?'
The gate agent told the girls she 'doesn't make the rules, just follows them,' Ms Watts added.
She quickly gathered support from other Twitter users who were just as shocked as she.
Despite the agent's apparent claim that she was merely following policy, the airline responded to Ms Watts to say that it was her decision if someone was suitably dressed.
It defended its right to refuse a passenger entry based on apparel and referred critics in the thread of tweets to its 'Contract of Carriage'.
The airline said it was at the discretion of the gate agent to decide who was 'properly' clothed, the only requirement listed for dress code in its contract of carriage
Outraged Twitter users accused the airline of body shaming and sexism
The contract's only mention of dress code is to allow agents the right to refuse anyone who is 'barefoot or not properly clothed'.
Stunned critics lambasted the airline for defending the policy.
'If leggings aren't allowed then what about shorts and dresses. Sounds like united Airlines is bodyshaming,' said one.
'United Airlines is defending their decision to prevent pre-teen girls wearing leggings from boarding a flight due to their attire,' another wrote alongside a string of thumbs-down emojis.
Its Twitter operators continued to defend the decision without going in to further detail on Sunday morning.
Stunned critics lambasted the airline for defending the policy.
'If leggings aren't allowed then what about shorts and dresses. Sounds like united Airlines is bodyshaming,' said one.
'United Airlines is defending their decision to prevent pre-teen girls wearing leggings from boarding a flight due to their attire,' another wrote alongside a string of thumbs-down emojis.
Its Twitter operators continued to defend the decision without going in to further detail on Sunday morning.
United later told DailyMail.com that the trio were traveling as guests of airline staff and were therefore held to a more formal dress code as is standard across many airlines.
Passengers with regular tickets would not have been held to the same standard, a spokesman said.
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Two girls were not allowed to board the flight because they did not have a change of clothes (file image)
Passengers with regular tickets would not have been held to the same standard, a spokesman said.
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Two girls were not allowed to board the flight because they did not have a change of clothes (file image)
