Seven-time competitor on television’s “American Ninja Warrior” Maggi Thorne flew Southwest Airlines from Omaha to Orlando and reports being “shamed” by a flight attendant over her attire. The crewmember let her know that her tank top and “high waisted pants” weren’t appropriate in public. She was on a flight to Florida, though! And j
@SouthwestAir attendant just shamed me in front of passengers saying my attire wasn’t appropriate.A tank top and high waisted pants.Flight 1039,Is this really happening in 2023? The passengers around me were stunned as she shamed me for all to hear. pic.twitter.com/weWGQifv3h
— Maggi Thorne 🎀 (@Nvr_GvUp) September 1, 2023
Oddly it seems to me like dressing up to do physical stunts and acrobatics ought to be almost on-brand for Southwest?
While it was American Airlines that insisted a former Miss Universe cover up to be allowed to fly (when video showed other passengers wearing less), Southwest is actually known for removing passengers for their attire.
It was 16 years ago that Kyla Ebbert had 15 seconds of worldwide fame getting kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for her outfit (‘too sexy to fly’). Back then the airline ran a fare sale based on the publicity,
Southwest Airlines today faces the bare facts and reveals the naked truth by issuing an apology to its Customers who have commented about its handling of a few who were dressed in revealing clothing. …Southwest has lowered its already skimpy fares to “mini-skirt” size of $49 to $109 one-way.
“Some have said we’ve gone from loving hot pants to having hot flashes but nothing could be farther from the truth, “said Southwest’s CEO Gary Kelly. “The publicity caught us with our pants down, quite frankly. The story has such great legs, but we have an even better sense of humor, so we’re going to jump out there and lower our fares to match the mini skirts we’ve all been hearing so much about.”
This is an airline that plastered Israeli model Bar Refaeli in a bikini on the side of one of their 737s, which I take as prima facie evidence that the attire in question doesn’t violate Southwest’s standards of what’s appropriate to fly.
Here are Southwest’s original flight attendant uniforms, designed by their original President’s wife. The airline’s ticker symbol is LUV. The peanuts they used to serve onboard were “Love Bites.” Their original ticketing machines were called Quickies.
The days of getting dressed up on planes, like you would for formal dinner on a cruise ship, are long gone. Over the past few years there haven’t been as many business travelers in business attire either. Dress guidelines are vague and left to the interpretation and discretion of gate agents and flight crew. Here it seems to me they got this one wrong.
When US airlines and their flight attendants provide a first class experience and treatment, perhaps pax will start dressing and behaving first class.
What did the flight attendant say? I don’t see it in the video.
A tank top and high waisted pants? Seems like she was just being comfortable.
I admit I don’t dress up to fly. I don’t know what I would do if I ever had the privilege of first class, because my primary goal is to wear something that won’t be damaged if it gets wine or dark soda spilled on it by ill-timed turbulence. And to be comfortable, of course…
Wendy, too many flight attendants read the comment sections of all these travel blogs and see them being called, old, fat, mean, etc so many have given up. They think why bother because people feel that way so why should they go out of their way. Wouldn’t it be terrible to go to work every day knowing every around you thinks you’re old, stupid, fat, useless, etc. It would get to you after awhile. I’m a FABULOUS flight but when I read the comments, I am grouped with those that are surly. It takes a toll. I have family that think I should keep off here before my attitude also goes South. We teach our kids not to bully and then there’s all these adults running around doing it. Can’t imagine how their children are being raised. Everyone needs to be better and do better.
@Jenniper P – I wear shorts in first class if it is hot outside. You see people in first (or international business) dressed just as casually as anyone in coach. Wear what you want to be comfortable.
It’s no surprise that there are conservative people who also work as flight attendants or pilots. Southwest has a rather public spat with a flight attendant who made an issue about her pro-life views and tried to impose her view on a fellow union member who was at a pro-choice rally.
This looks like another one of the conservative FAs imposing their fashion police powers on the public.
There should be dress codes for health and safety reasons. But indecency apparently is very subjective to these folks.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to fly wearing shorts and that style of a top only because I wouldn’t want that much of my skin touching the seat upholstery. I’ve never read a report discussing how ofter the seats themselves are cleaned and, considering what could be on the seat or seat back, I consider more substantial clothing to be a simple protection for my skin.
She looks like nearly every other WN passenger
Much more likely, nothing happened. And she made this up to get back into the headlines. And you Gary pick up on this bs.
I was cold on an international flight so I wouldn’t want to wear this. The top to me isn’t a tank. It looks like a sports bra. Have a little more coverage.
@Wendy I see things a little differently.
Airlines USED to provide a higher level of service. People dressed for flights. Children behaved. Passengers were civil. You know, like how people used to dress for church, Sunday dinner and to go to the theater. Then, somewhere along the way in the “just be yourself” movement we decided that anything goes in public. So now we have dazey dukes, tramp stamps, crop tops, profanity-laced clothing, -ist clothing (sexist, racist, homophobic, you name it), clothing promoting violence, you name it. Eventually, as the US descended into a lack of interest in personal appearance so did standards of service.
There is still good service out there, but it comes at a higher premium than it used to be. Think of it as the difference between staying at a W Hotel (that thinks its a nightclub) and a St. Regis Hotel.
The early days of Southwest FAs.
Love was in the air! Joanie
I agree w Doc. Once you let standards down good luck restoring them. That goes for FAs as well.
There is nothing special about airplanes. If it’s good enough for the movie theater, mall, stadium, or other places people interact (and in some cases may sit next to each other for hours) in everyday public situations, it’s good enough for an airplane. That said, Southwest is a private company and can enforce a dress code if it wants to. I’d think they’d choose their battles differently, though.
It’s all too subjective, and that’s a major problem. I do wish there were enforceable standards which all persons could understand and agree upon…perhaps with pics of “inappropriate” wear to be consulted? I’m a Senior, and, indeed, am shocked by what some folks wear onboard…and then may wind up seated right next to me, an inch away. “Rights” of dresswear go two ways…
Looks good to me. What should be shamed is a size 30 in lululemons.
When tha airline pays me to fly they can tell me what to wear. Of you dont pay my fare STFU.
The definition of business casual attire has dropped significantly
Casual attire has become pajamas, flip flops, crocs, sporting attire (sorry wearing basketball swag to dinner is low class). Ladies wearing a bare midriff and you have a huge beer gut is gross. Wearing stretch pants where the fabric is being pulled so tight you have a camel toe and the outline of your underwear and colors can be seen through the fabric is not sexy there Miss 309 pounder. Goes both ways. Nobody wants to see some fat hairy dude in a muscle shirt wearing bicycle pants
Dress nicely and respect yourself
Stop dressing for attention
Last I checked this is the United States of America and we are free to wear whatever we want. The FA was way overstepping her bounds. No one has the right to tell you how to dress. If that were myself or my girlfriends we would have. serious problem
Did this even happen? The clip shown doesn’t show the FA even speaking to her, much less chastising her. And the post doesn’t seem to be on her Twitter.
Who exactly is offended? I see people in all types of wear, some good some not so good, on and off airplanes. It may be a flight attendant’s work space but it’s a public space nonetheless. In this ladies case there is nothing offensive about her attire.
I’m not sure about her attire, but her face, wow, was she trying to scare fellow passengers?
Thank you Southwest. It’s about time people realize that public spaces are not your living room and show some decorum. There are many studies on how dressing and environment affect the way people behave. Given the continual examples of bad behavior on flights, maybe they should require all passengers to minimally dress in high casual clothing.
This Power hungry FA Aka Karen” needs to have an attitude adjustment! Might be time for the FA to get a job at Walmart to get a true understanding of inappropriate dress.
“Too Many” says and I quote “It’s no surprise that there are conservative people who also work as flight attendants or pilots. “.
You must be a clairvoyant to know the political persuasion of this FA. The FA could just as easily be a progressive liberal as a conservative. I am a conservative and do not find this attire inappropriate especially for SouthWest. In the Ritz dining room yes on an economy flight via a budget airline no.
Judgement call by the FA. If she or others didn’t like your attire they simply could have “averted their eyes from you.” That’s what I was taught to do, back in my teens, by the nuns who told us to “not have impure thoughts.”
That was then, tho. This is now. Times have changed. (Everyone wore ” formal attire” even in _coach_ when I first took a plane trip in the mid-1960s.) FA should have let it go.
The worst are men in tank tops!!
Spend the extra $5 at Dollar General and get a t-shirt that covers your shoulders!!
I see nothing wrong with Maggi Thorne’s attire. People go off so easily these days.
We love in a country where people think it is socially acceptable to wear Crocs in public. That sums it up for me.
And for the people saying “it’s America, I can wear what I want.” Yes you can and since it’s America I am free to call you out for lacking social standards.
I hope the above commenter isn’t actually an ER doc
The title of the article needs to be revised to “Wannabe Reality Star…”
She took her dress code right off the rack from “TMFINR” Tiffany Gomas who is a bit classier.
Where are these Karen FA’s when I need them, last time I flew JAL from BKK to NRT I was shoved into a window seat next to a 300 pound plus sumo wrestler wearing a tank top and short shorts, more bare skin visible than clothing and nobody said or did anything……there was an entire exit row of open seats available and when I tried to sit there the FA told me it wasn’t allowed because they cost more and had to be reserved prior to takeoff.