A female doctor from Houston was stopped from boarding an American Airlines flight because her clothing was deemed ‘inappropriate.’ The lady was travelling with her 8-year-old son from Kingston Airport (Jamaica) to Miami, United States, reports India Today.
Tisha Rowe was wearing a romper with a tropical print owing to the heat. She was asked to ‘cover up’ by the cabin crew of the flight or she would be barred from flying.
The lady called out American Airlines on Twitter
Outraged, Tisha took to Twitter to share images of her outfit and discuss the sexist incident. Her tweet read, “Here is what I was wearing when American Airlines asked me to deplane for a talk. At which point I was asked to ‘cover up’. When defending my outfit I was threatened with not getting back on the flight unless I walked down the aisle wrapped in a blanket. #notsofriendlyskies.”
Here is what i was wearing when @AmericanAir asked me to deplane for a talk. At which point I was asked to “cover up”. When defending my outfit I was threatened with not getting back on the flight unless I walked down the aisle wrapped in a blanket. #notsofriendlyskies pic.twitter.com/AYQNNriLcq
— Tisha Rowe MD, MBA (@tisharowemd) July 1, 2019
Tisha was asked to cover up because of ‘short’ outfit
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, Tisha spoke about the incident at length. She was returning to the US after spending a week in Jamaica, where her family is from. She said, “I looked at myself. I knew how I looked, front and back.” Once she boarded the plane, a female flight attendant approached her and asked her to step outside to talk. The flight attendant said, “Do you have a jacket?” To which Rowe responded saying, no. After this, the attendant categorically told her, “You cannot get on the plane dressed like that.”
Not having a choice, Rowe asked for a blanket to cover up as she did not want to miss her flight. While Rowe was getting off the plan, she noticed another lady wearing shorts. “The difference between that woman and me is she was about a size 2, thin, It’s hard to understand if you are not a double minority, a woman and a black, how it’s not pulling a card,” Rowe said.
American Airlines releases an official apology
After the incident, Shannon Gilson, American Airlines’s spokesperson reached out to Rowe with an apology. She said, “We apologize to Dr. Rowe and her son for their experience. We are proud to serve customers of all backgrounds and are committed to providing a positive, safe travel experience for everyone who flies with us.”
This doctor was forced to cover up with a blanket after @AmericanAir flight attendants said her outfit was too risqué. They’ve since issued a refund. An apology. She says it’s not enough. https://t.co/yh6oYOPPq6
— Paula Faris (@paulafaris) July 11, 2019
Subsequently, Gilson said that the company had fully refunded Rowe and her son for the flight. However, Rowe says that she did not receive any money in her account so far.
Absurd dress code rules on airlines seem to be causing a lot of women problems. A few months ago, a 21-year-old girl in England was told she was dressed inappropriately by Thomas Cook airlines. Her outfit was said to be causing ‘offence’ according to the stuff. Such instances reiterate the widespread sexism and misogyny prevalent in our society.
