Flight Crew Kicks Women Off Plane For Wearing Crop Tops

Two women speak out after being kicked off a flight over their crop tops.

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• October 12, 2024

Airline dress codes have long been discussed, balancing the need to maintain a comfortable environment for all passengers and respect individual fashion choices. An incident involving Spirit Airlines has recently reignited this debate, highlighting the challenges and potential conflicts arising from such policies.

On Friday, October 4, two women, Teresa Araujo and Tara Kehidi, were at the center of a controversy when they were removed from a Spirit Airlines flight. The pair, traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans to celebrate Kehidi’s birthday, wore crop tops, jeans, and jumpers.

According to Araujo, a Portuguese native, a male flight attendant confronted them immediately after boarding. He requested that they cover their chests with sweaters, citing a dress code violation.

The situation quickly escalated during the three-hour-and-forty-minute flight. Araujo recounted that the flight attendant, “Jay,” became increasingly aggressive when the women refused to comply with the request. Despite support from other passengers, including a CNN reporter and a man who recorded the incident, Jay insisted that Araujo and Kehidi leave the plane.

Araujo described intense nervousness and physical discomfort, which led her to remove her sweater momentarily. This action prompted Jay to order their removal, stating,

“As soon as he saw my bare shoulders, he said, ‘That’s it, you guys leave, now.'” said Araujo.

Two women are raising concerns after being removed from their flight because of what they were wearing.

The incident gained widespread attention after Araujo shared a series of TikTok videos that went viral over the following days. These videos resonated with many viewers who felt that the women were unjustly discriminated against based on their attire.

In response to the growing backlash, Spirit Airlines issued a statement acknowledging the situation and announcing that they were conducting an investigation. The airline referenced its Contract of Carriage, which allows it to deny boarding or remove passengers if their clothing is deemed “lewd, obscene, or offensive.”

"October of 2024 in USA , the land of fredom and we got kicked out of Spirits Airlane plane for wearing crop tops! I can’t stop crying. Blow this up 😭 "

In the aftermath of the removal, Tara Kehidi revealed that they had to purchase new tickets costing $1,000 to return to Los Angeles. However, in a follow-up video uploaded on October 8, Araujo mentioned that Spirit Airlines provided them with free tickets back to New Orleans.

Despite this assistance, the emotional trauma from the initial incident lingered. Araujo feared encountering the same treatment on their return flight, only to be greeted differently. A different steward addressed their previous experience, assuring them that Spirit Airlines “do things differently in New Orleans.”

Spirit Airlines has not directly apologized to Araujo but has offered free tickets for a return trip to New Orleans.

Interestingly, during the return flight, neither Araujo nor Kehidi were asked to alter their attire or leave the plane, even though they wore the same clothes. This inconsistency led Araujo to believe that the initial removal resulted from Jay’s personal bias rather than company policy.

She noted that Spirit Airlines has yet to apologize formally for the incident. However, she pointed out that the treatment they received on the return flight and their seating in the first row suggested that the airline recognized the wrongdoing in their initial encounter.

Spirit Airlines did not address their dress code policy, even though the couple wore the same matching crop tops.

A different steward greeted them and acknowledged the earlier issue, mentioning that things are handled differently in New Orleans.

"Some people got kicked out with us because they stood up for us."

Teresa Araujo and her friend Tara Kehidi.

“Spirit Airlines hasn’t apologized for what happened. But the way the new flight attendant treated us and the fact they gave us seats in the first row leads me to believe they are aware that what they did was wrong.” Teresa Araujo explained.

The incident has started a lot of talk about dress codes in the airline industry and the tricky balance between keeping passengers comfortable and allowing personal expression.

As Spirit Airlines investigates, many are eager to see a detailed response that addresses the issues brought up by Araujo and Kehidi’s experience.

This situation has made people rethink how dress codes affect airline staff and travelers.

Damjan