LOS ANGELES, CA – Two women from Southern California reported being ejected from a Spirit Airlines flight for their choice of attire- crop tops. The incident occurred on a plane set to depart from Los Angeles International Airport to New Orleans, leading the women to discuss their experience with a local news channel.
Tara Kehidi and Teresa Araujo, the affected passengers, initially wore sweaters for the flight but chose to remove them when the air conditioning failed to function. After a male flight attendant demanded they “put something on,” Araujo requested information on a specific dress code or policy prohibiting their attire.
Another passenger, Carla Hager, who was seated in the same row as Kehidi and Araujo, confirmed the hot temperatures within the cabin. Many passengers were prompted to remove their sweaters. Hager declared that she’d join Kehidi and Araujo if they were thrown off the flight, as she, too, was wearing a crop top beneath her sweater. Furthermore, she was accompanied by her toddler.
Both women agreed to redress in their sweaters, but Hager, her toddler, and the two women were all taken off the flight without a reimbursement. Araujo commented on the event saying, “Everyone in the plane was looking at us”, and adding that she and Kehidi felt as if they were being “treated like criminals.”
While most airlines have dress codes, they are often ambiguous, leaving flight attendants to enforce these codes at their discretion. As a result, many female passengers have pointed out potential sexist disparities in these judgments.
Spirit Airlines confirmed that they abide by their “Contract of Carriage,” which includes specific clothing standards for passengers. An investigation into this matter is currently underway.
Though Araujo and Kehidi eventually rebooked their flight with Delta Airlines, they spent an additional $1,000 to get to New Orleans for Kehidi’s 30th birthday celebration. They are presently considering taking legal action against Spirit Airlines.