NEW YORK (PNN) - June 18, 2012 - You are now free to move about the country. Unless you show too much cleavage, that is.
A woman named Avital was boarding a 6:00 a.m. Southwest Airlines flight on June 5 from Las Vegas to New York, wearing a cotton black dress, flannel shirt and scarf.
Avital says she was politely chatting with an airline worker - who then told her cleavage was inappropriate and that she wouldn’t be able to board the flight unless she buttoned up her flannel shirt.
“I was stunned more than anything,” said Avital. “We had been chatting about the experience of being up and awake at 4:30 a.m., and then her tone changed quite suddenly. It wasn’t until I walked away from the check-in counter that her words made an impact. Then I got indignant and self-conscious.”
Avital declined to cover up and boarded the plane - cleavage and all. The flight and Avital apparently made it to New York without incident.
“[I didn't] think there was anything that special about the outfit I was wearing. It had topped 115 degrees in Las Vegas when I was there, and most people were scantily dressed just to stay cool. I hadn’t even considered that it would have been a big deal,” said Avital.
She added that she most likely will not be flying Southwest anymore.
“I initially chose [Southwest] because they were by far the cheapest option. However, if the hidden cost is that I or other passengers will be shamed or judged without official policy to back it up, then it’s not worth it,” said Avital.
Southwest spokesperson Christi McNeill said the airline offered Avital an apology and a refund “as a gesture of goodwill,” but that their Contract of Carriage allows them to refuse to transport a customer whose clothing is lewd, obscene, or patently offensive.
According to Avital, she wasn’t looking for any fashion awards with her outfit - just to be comfortable.
This isn’t the first time Southwest has made headlines or has had to apologize over its policies, and it seems as if it won’t be the last.
