Spirit Airlines might be known as the no-frills budget airline, but that doesn’t mean the carrier doesn’t have standards.
“The airline recently updated its policies to explicitly outline unacceptable passenger attire and appearance, going beyond the vague policies held by most other airlines,” according to The New York Times. “In its contract of carriage, which is a legal document outlining airline and passenger responsibilities, Spirit says ‘a guest shall not be permitted to board the aircraft or may be required to leave an aircraft’ if the passenger is ‘inadequately clothed’ or ‘whose clothing or article, including body art, is lewd, obscene or offensive in nature.’”
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Inadequately clothed includes having breasts, buttocks or other private parts exposed, or wearing sheer apparel. But what makes a tattoo “offensive” is not defined. Also on the no-fly list is having an “offensive odor unless caused by a qualified disability."
The airline made the change after several instances with passengers that raised questions about their clothing. According to Quartz, those incidents included the airline removing a passenger for wearing a crop top and another wearing clothing with explicit language.
“Spirit, however, isn't the only airline with a dress code for passengers,” according to Travel + Leisure. “United Airlines' policy states that passengers can be removed from a flight if they are ‘barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene or offensive.’ Delta Air Lines specifically states that passengers can be removed ‘when the passenger is barefoot’ or ‘when the passenger’s conduct, attire, hygiene or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers,’ while American Airlines' contract states that its travelers must ‘dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.’”
The new rules give flight attendants more guidance.
“Offensive or revealing clothing has been a contentious issue for years because it’s not clearly defined and is left to the crew’s discretion,” notes "Fodors Travel Guide."“As a result, airlines often face controversies when they ask passengers—mostly women—to cover up.”
"In October, a woman named Tara Kehidi said she and a friend were asked by a Spirit flight attendant to leave because they were wearing crop tops,” according to CNN Business. “The situation has happened on other airlines, too. In 2019, American Airlines apologized to Latisha ‘Tisha’ Rowe after she said she was humiliated and told she couldn’t fly unless she covered up her strapless romper.”