--- description: United Airlines responded to criticism over its decision block two teenage girls from boarding a flight Minneapolis for wearing leggings title: United Airlines to Customers: ‘Your Leggings Are Welcome’ image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34c783577a13881e/6988bffe7cdbac4fbfd579db/unitedairlines.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Aviation](/tag/aviation/) ## Aviation Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # United Airlines to Customers: ‘Your Leggings Are Welcome’ by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 27, 2017 12:36 PM CUT  A newly painted United Airlines jet is seen in this UAL handout photograph from its corporate headquarters February 19, 2004 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. A newly painted United Airlines jet is seen in this UAL handout photograph from its corporate headquarters February 19, 2004 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.United Airlines—Getty Images by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 27, 2017 12:36 PM CUT [United Airlines](http://time.com/money/4298145/best-deals-nordstrom-bed-bath-beyond/ "undefined") has responded to [criticism](http://time.com/4713370/united-airlines-leggings-ban/ "undefined") over its decision block two teenage girls from[ boarding a flight](http://time.com/4356616/united-airlines-first-class/ "undefined") Minneapolis on Sunday for wearing leggings. The company doubled down on its decision [in a statement](https://hub.united.com/our-customers-leggings-are-welcome-2331263786.html "undefined"), saying employees and their dependents who benefit from free or heavily discounted air travel, known as “pass riders,” had to adhere to the company’s dress code. It also said this rule does not apply to regular paying passengers. “Like most companies, we have a dress code that we ask employees and pass riders to follow” the airline wrote. “The passengers this morning were United pass riders and not in compliance with our dress code for company benefit travel.” “To our regular customers, your leggings are welcome,” United added in the statement. The decision to bar the girls from boarding the plane sparked outrage online, with many social media users criticizing what they saw as a sexist policy. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4713635/united-airlines-leggings/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4713635/united-airlines-leggings/"},"headline":"United Airlines to Customers: ‘Your Leggings Are Welcome’","datePublished":"2017-03-27T12:36:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:02:43.808Z","description":"After the company barred teenagers from a plane over their attire","url":"https://time.com/4713635/united-airlines-leggings/","keywords":["Aviation","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34c783577a13881e/6988bffe7cdbac4fbfd579db/unitedairlines.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tara John","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tara-john/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34c783577a13881e/6988bffe7cdbac4fbfd579db/unitedairlines.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A newly painted United Airlines jet is seen in this UAL handout photograph from its corporate headquarters February 19, 2004 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.","caption":"A newly painted United Airlines jet is seen in this UAL handout photograph from its corporate headquarters February 19, 2004 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.","creditText":"United Airlines—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/aviation/","name":"Aviation"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4713635/united-airlines-leggings/","name":"United Airlines to Customers: ‘Your Leggings Are Welcome’"}}]}] ```