Southwest Airlines Called Cops After Passenger Sticks Up For Woman Being Kicked Off Over Revealing Top

A woman in a red corset top says she was ‘dress coded’ by Southwest Airlines. And when another woman on the plane stuck up for her, the cops were called.

Southwest’s Lady In Red took to TikTok to ask about dress codes, “are we in high school?”

are u upset about my shoulders? It’s 102 degrees. my torso is fully clothed? and it caused a scene bc some sweet lady stuck up for me and then got kicked off the flight.

@maybejacy give me my money back smelly hoes @Southwest Airlines or send me a bottle of expensive champagne 😘 #fyp ♬ life support mashup by mvlfoy – toukass

The woman who was kicked off of the flight for defending the corset as appropriate attire took to Twitter to share her story. She felt Southwest cabin crew were being inconsistent in removing this woman, while allowing a man in a shirt she found offensive – “Let’s Go Brandon” – to stay on the plane.

According to the woman whose shirt was questioned (and considered questionable) she got a tap on the shoulder. The crewmember told her to cove herself up. First she was asked whether she had a jacket or something else to put on, and then was told they’d get her a shirt. She declined. Things got testy and the other passenger got involved, which is when the cops were called to remove the interlocutor from the aircraft.

She found herself more clothed than “half of the plane.” And she didn’t understand what she was asking to cover – her shoulders? – at temperattures over 100 degrees.

Though it was American that insisted a former Miss Universe cover up to be allowed to fly (when video showed other passengers wearing less), Southwest is known for removing passengers for their attire.

It was 15 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.”

Live and Let’s Fly points out that Southwest 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 couple of 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.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Maybe it complies with dress code, maybe not. It looks like underwear. If there’s any doubt, wear something else!

  2. People who don’t know the difference between underwear and clothes need guidance in how to behave. Women like this are incredibly annoying, showing up at an airport undressed, then complaining when people don’t like it. And she doesn’t seem to even understand the difference between a t-shirt and a corset. Dumb, just dumb. But she got her moment in the spotlight, which is all she cared about obviously. Everything’s so PC today, I’m surprised that the airline didn’t take a vote of all the other pax. But they just acted promptly and got rid of her plus her deluded new friend who thought underwear in public was acceptable. Too funny.

  3. Women are narcissists by their very nature but their entitlement is made worse by American culture that teaches them they are “princesses” from an early age. These problems don’t exist in Asia, Africa or the middle east.

  4. Southwest doesn’t have a dress code. And unless they want to spend time publishing one that passengers can read AHEAD of their flight, they should give their passengers a lot of latitude. This woman’s top isn’t getting in the way of anyone else’s experience. I don’t want Southwest wasting time on this policing- there’s plenty of other policies that are ACTUALLY impactful to their passenger experience.

    PS- I’m disgusted by these comments calling her a tramp or saying she needs behavior lessons. We know nothing about her, other than she’s a passenger who isn’t breaking the Southwest dress code (because again, it doesn’t exist).

  5. So this may be no less revealing than a tank top. Simple question. People wear shorts on planes. If I show up wearing my briefs and a t-shirt, will I be allowed on the plane?

  6. That top is not any more revealing than a sun dress. It is just a corset style. In fact it might be lingerie. But to avoid judgement calls and controversies on board it would be best if airlines would post a simple unisex dress code for men and women: tops must cover cleavage, midriff and armpits; bottoms must cover the navel and come to the knee; shoes are required.

  7. Thank God that the conservatives of America are standing up to loose women!!1!

    We cannot trust ANY of them to make decisions on their own…

    These women should be covered and not allowed into public without male supervision!

    After all, “slaves are to be obedient to their own masters in everything: they are to be well pleasing, not argumentative.”.

    /s

    Grow up people. It’s commerce, not you church pew.

  8. @Thiing 1 “If I show up wearing my briefs and a t-shirt, will I be allowed on the plane?”
    Permission to be allowed on the aircraft can depend on if you are flying with Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or American Airlines.

  9. She calls herself “Melinna the lawtina”. What a clown. Go Greyhound, you piece of trash.

  10. The Southwest agent kicked the other woman off for agreeing with the young lady. Even if the agent is right about the dress code call, how does the other woman disagreeing about that violate the Contract and justify refusing service to her?

  11. Called law enforcement? It doesn’t really say for what, but we’ve seen too many cases of aggressive FA’s getting the police involved over their own petty issues. If it’s OK to wear to the arena or mall it’s OK to wear on an airplane.

  12. She can wear that all day long in her own room and admire herself but outside of her house some people will find it disgusting.

  13. I see nothing wrong with her outfit also there is nothing wrong with Let’s GO BRANDON. T shirts.

  14. It is a corset, sold in women’s LINGERIE A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, it is NOT a shirt or blouse. If that plane is 100 degrees then call HVAC to fix it

    Do not compare it to a tank top. With a Tank it goes over the shoulder . This is nothing more then a bush up bra for the little girls.

  15. I always enjoyed watching the BUR-LAS-BUR passengers on Thursday and Monday. There were inevitably “entertainers” and actresses headed to work or home and they had a better grasp on what to wear on an airplane.
    “Dress how you want to be addressed” . . . it works both ways.

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