In yet another incident that has stirred controversy over “woke” corporate policies and perceived double standards, Spirit Airlines is facing backlash after two female passengers accused the budget carrier of sexism. The pair claimed they were humiliated and booted from their flight due to their choice of attire—crop tops.
Tara and Teresa, both in their 20s, were headed from Los Angeles to New Orleans for a birthday celebration when their flight took a dramatic turn. According to the women, the trouble began after they boarded the plane wearing pants and sweaters, but, in an effort to cool off, removed their outer layers to reveal crop tops. This seemingly harmless wardrobe change triggered a confrontation with a male flight attendant who, as they claim, took issue with their attire.
In an Instagram video that quickly went viral, the women can be seen questioning the flight crew as they were told to “cover up” and were later escorted off the plane. The accusations of sexism and discriminatory treatment have since reverberated across social media, with many supporters calling out the airline for what they describe as overreach and unjust policing of women’s clothing.
“It’s just humiliating to be treated like a criminal just because we were wearing crop tops,” Tara told the *Daily Mail*. “We weren’t violating any rules; it felt like pure discrimination.”
According to Teresa, the confrontation escalated when she asked the flight attendant what specific policy they had violated. The airline employee reportedly failed to give them a satisfactory answer, instead telling them to turn off their cameras, which only fueled the duo’s frustration.
“There’s nothing that says you can’t wear a crop top,” Tara can be heard saying in the video. Other passengers onboard voiced their support, with one fellow traveler even stating, “A business can’t treat humans this way.” But despite the backing of other passengers, Spirit Airlines doubled down, eventually ejecting the women from the plane without issuing a refund.
“Everyone else, including flight staff, agreed that there was nothing wrong with what we were wearing,” Teresa wrote on Instagram. “It felt like we were being singled out because of one flight attendant’s personal bias.”
Spirit Airlines’ policy on passenger attire states that individuals may be removed from the aircraft if their clothing is “inadequately clothed” or “lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature.” However, the women claim they contacted a Spirit representative after the incident, who confirmed that crop tops do not violate the airline’s dress code.
The entire incident raises serious questions about the inconsistent application of corporate policies. While Spirit Airlines has long been known for its budget prices and no-frills service, the company has now found itself embroiled in yet another cultural controversy. Many conservative commentators have argued that corporate America’s fixation on “woke” values has led to the creation of rules that are applied selectively, often to the detriment of ordinary customers.
Teresa and Tara, who had to spend $1,000 on a new flight with a different airline, are now considering legal action, accusing Spirit of sexism and discrimination. “In 2024, we are still being kicked off a plane because one male flight attendant didn’t like our shirts,” Teresa wrote. “This wasn’t about policy—it was about prejudice.”
As companies like Spirit Airlines increasingly find themselves navigating the treacherous waters of social justice and identity politics, incidents like this are bound to test where the line is drawn between corporate responsibility and personal freedoms. Time will tell how Spirit responds to the backlash and whether consumers will hold them accountable for their actions.
