en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en te en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ja en en en en de ru de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en et en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fa en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
I travel to 20+ countries a year sharing my firsthand knowledge of reward travel, travel credit card deals, travel tips and more.
Flying on a United buddy pass in 2004
The big travel news this week is the uproar surrounding United Airlines’ “#LeggingsGate.” You’ve likely heard about it, but in case you haven’t, here’s the story.
I almost always back the consumer and not the airlines, but that’s not the case when it comes to this particular issue. That’s because the girls who were denied boarding weren’t traveling on paid tickets but instead on employees’ passes (aka buddy passes). And the rules clearly state no spandex.
If you’re a longtime reader, you might remember that I’m quite familiar with these passes as my old girlfriend “Amber Airplane” (2000-2004) was a United flight attendant and we used to take advantage of her buddy passes all the time. We just had to pay the taxes (i.e. L.A. to Australia—seen in the photo above—in first class was around $100).
If I remember correctly, Amber only had 12 passes a year to give out but her parents and her domestic partner were allowed to fly anytime, as long as there was space available and they weren’t traveling for business. Back then, it was much easier to get on a flight since planes weren’t filled to capacity as they are now.
But everyone using them knew the strict rules, including the dress code. I can’t remember what the rules around attire were exactly back then (the current ones are linked below) but I’m pretty sure I had to wear slacks and a button-down shirt while up front. I had no problem following the rules, and neither did anyone else.
But we were almost always the last to board and sometimes were even bumped from our seats. I remember once we were flying from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland and seconds before the flight attendants shut the door, a gate agent came down the aisle and told us that a paying passenger had just showed up and needed our seats. It was embarrassing and it was shortly after September 11, so the other passengers probably thought we were terrorists since we were escorted off the plane with our bags. That’s when I decided I would buy my own tickets from then on.
Back to #LeggingsGate. In my opinion, where United Airlines messed up this week was when they immediately started tweeting their “Contract of Carriage, Rule 21,” which allows them to refuse service to anyone. The general public and media jumped all over this. I was about to, as well, but then I learned that the passengers were flying on buddy passes and I realized that this isn’t United’s fault. It’s the fault of the parents and the employee who let the passengers use the buddy passes. If Amber gave her passes to someone and they acted or dressed inappropriately, she could get in trouble with her supervisor. For this reason, she always made sure to explain the rules very clearly—and in fact she didn’t hand all her passes out because it was too much of a risk.
Here are the major U.S. airlines’ rules for their employees and friends using buddy passes:
Passenger on my LAX-DEN flight on AA
On side note, what the general public should be up in arms about is how people like the kid below on my L.A.-to-Denver flight last week are allowed to fly wearing a vulgar jacket. What a disgrace.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
8 Comments On "My Take on United Airlines' #LeggingsGate"
Christina | Christina's Cucina|
March 29, 2017 at 10:03 pm | Reply
THANK YOU for this! As much as I detest United (I’ve been boycotting them for almost 20 years), I agree wholeheartedly that United did nothing wrong this time. People jumped on the bandwagon to defend the passengers without getting all the information first. No one seems to want to follow rules anymore and it’s really getting to the point that our society is becoming a bunch of spoiled brats.
March 30, 2017 at 3:03 pm | Reply
a TASTELESS JACKET — IT MAY OFFEND SOME PEOPLE. NOT ME — I DON’T CARE WHAT PEOPLE WRITE,
BUT USE SOME COMMON SENSE WHEN YOU FLY!N
March 30, 2017 at 4:03 pm | Reply
Ugh. Nothing says “Welcome to America” like a jackass wearing a Pussy Jands sweatshirt. I hope he had to turn it inside out before boarding.
And I agree with you on the no leggings policy. The parents probably assumed they could get away with it. We all know what happens when you assume!
March 30, 2017 at 4:03 pm | Reply
I agree totally that guest passengers should follow the airlines’ dress code. After all, they are ambassadors for that airline. Also, I certainly don’t want anyone with a Pussy Hands T shirt sitting beside me on a flight.
March 30, 2017 at 4:03 pm | Reply
A national crisis, if ever there was one. Two girls were turned away at the airline gate because they violated the rules of their FREE tickets. If the entity allowing you to fly for FREE tells you there’s a dress code, because you are flying under their corporate umbrella, you OBEY THE RULES and then there’s no issue. Yeesh. Why has this become a national headline news story?!
March 30, 2017 at 6:03 pm | Reply
I don’t understand this rule at all. How people using buddy passes are dressed is totally irrelevant as other passengers have no knowledge of what ticket or fare others are paying. Buddy pass users are not identified in anyway that would make their appearance a direct reflection back to the airline. This is just an example of management controls that make no sense but are implemented “because they can”.
March 30, 2017 at 9:03 pm | Reply
I completely agree with you. Too many people think the rules don’t apply to them & can do what they want. The mistake on United’s part was not getting on this immediately & explaining about buddy passes. My daughter worked for Delta briefly & she knew the rules even though she was in her mid 20s (& knew everything) followed them to a “T”.
March 31, 2017 at 8:03 am | Reply
I remember your Sydney trip with your brother Croc Frankie fondly. That was an amazing trip (write up). In regards to the pxssy punk, look on the bright side, he wasn’t wearing a “I Am The Bxmb.” t-shirt.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Required fields are marked *
OUR FAVORITE PARTNER CARDS
80,000 points bonus, 3x points on gas, $100 annual hotel savings. Terms apply.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
75,000 bonus miles, at least 2x miles on everything. Terms apply.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
100,000 points bonus, 5x points on select travel. Terms apply.
Best Credit Cards For Dining, Restaurants, Takeout, & More
The Best Gas Credit Cards for 2022 (Rewards, Cash Back, & Bonuses)
In-Depth Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review 2022
How Hard Is It To Get The American Express Platinum Card? (Review)
Coronavirus: Should You Travel to Europe Right Now?
World of Hyatt Grows More With Thompson Hotels
Popular Credit Card Topics
How Hard Is It To Get the Capital One Venture
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture
Best Credit Cards for International Travel
Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners
Best Chase Credit Cards
Best American Express Credit Cards
World’s First Custom Safari Planning Tool
Boulder, CO, Jan. 11, 2012 –  Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) today announced the release of the Africa safari planner, a revolutionary interactive online tool that allows consumers to build their…
Connected on Royal Caribbean
By Hannah L. Uram: In February, Royal Caribbean unveiled the latest technological advancement for today’s cruise enthusiasts: Royal Connect. The application is revolutionary, being the first software to allow guests…
Around the World on Singapore Airlines A380 Superjumbo Aircraft
Note: This trip was sponsored by www.SingaporeAirlines.com With the introduction of JFK-Frankfurt-Singapore daily service, travelers can now circumnavigate the globe on the A380 with one carrier. The Singapore Airlines A380…
The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2022 Citi Premier Card Review Best Airline Miles Credit Cards The Best Chase Business Credit Cards
About Johnny Press & Media Advertise With Us Contact Join Newsletter Privacy Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Johnny Jet receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Johnny Jet does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace. Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.