United flies into Twitter row over leggings bar

denver — Two teenage girls were barred by a gate agent from boarding a United Airlines flight from Denver to Minneapolis on Sunday because they were wearing leggings, according to a spokesman for the airline.

The girls, whose ages were not specified, were not allowed onto the morning flight because they were travelling under an employee travel pass that includes a dress code, United spokesman Jonathan Guerin said.

The dress code bars pass travellers from wearing spandex or Lycra pants such as leggings. The teenagers agreed to change their clothing and take a later flight, Guerin said, but the airline’s actions sparked a quick backlash on Twitter.

Activist Shannon Watts of Denver tweeted that she witnessed Sunday’s events and questioned United’s decision to police women’s clothing.

@united Do U understand U have just made at least half UR customers very unhappy? Actress Patricia Arquette @PattyArquette

Watts said the girl’s father was allowed to board while wearing shorts and called the airline’s policy sexist.

The New York Times said that by Sunday afternoon, the company’s Twitter account was engaged in a tense back and forth with Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Arquette, who posted dozens of angry tweets about the situation.

The Times said employees running United’s Twitter account spent the day walking a public relations tightrope: explaining to angry social media users why the company was not wrong to bar the young women from boarding, while reassuring potential customers that they would not be barred if they showed up in leggings.

Regularly ticketed passengers are not subject to the same dress code and can wear leggings, Guerin said. But the airline was standing by its policy for pass travellers because they are essentially representing the company, he said. —