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Home  >  News • Thomas Cook  >  Woman Who Dressed “Too Provocatively” Told To Cover Up Or Get Off Plane
NewsThomas Cook

Woman Who Dressed “Too Provocatively” Told To Cover Up Or Get Off Plane

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 14, 2019March 14, 2019 38 Comments

Sticking to the Thomas Cook theme today, it appears the airline wants you to be comfortable onboard, but not too comfortable. That’s at least what one 21-year-old passenger claims after a recent onboard incident.

Emily O’Connor was flying Thomas Cook from Birmingham to Tenerife. She was dressed in a crop top and high-waisted pants.

Shortly after boarding, O’Connor was approached by a flight attendant and instructed to cover up because she was dressed “inappropriately” and “causing offense” to other passengers.

O’Connor looked around to the passengers around her and asked if her attire was offensive. No one was willing to say yes…or no.

Still, FAs insisted that she cover up. A relative pulled out a jacket from her carry-on bag and O’Connor covered up.

Later taking to Twitter, O’Connor shared:

Flying from Bham to Tenerife, Thomas Cook told me that they were going to remove me from the flight if I didn’t “cover up” as I was “causing offence” and was “inappropriate”. They had 4 flight staff around me to get my luggage to take me off the plane. pic.twitter.com/r28nvSYaoY

— Emily (@emroseoconnor) March 12, 2019

Flying from Bham to Tenerife, Thomas Cook told me that they were going to remove me from the flight if I didn’t “cover up” as I was “causing offence” and was “inappropriate”. They had 4 flight staff around me to get my luggage to take me off the plane.

She added, “They made comments over the speaker about the situation and left me shaking and upset…”

Thomas Cook somewhat apologized for the incident.

We are sorry that we upset Ms O’Connor. It’s clear we could have handled the situation better. In common with most airlines we have an appropriate attire policy. This applies equally to men and women of all ages without discrimination. Our crews have the difficult task of implementing that policy and don’t always get it right.

I took a look at Thomas Cook’s website and Contract of Carriage and find no information about the dress code. But this rule has been widely quoted in the press:

Inappropriate attire (including items with offensive slogans or images) will not be permitted to travel unless a change of clothes is possible.

CONCLUSION

We can debate about dress codes all day long, but since “inappropriate” has such a subjective meaning in this culture, enforcing it becomes inherently arbitrary and will lead to more situations like what happened to O’Connor.

What do you think about the onboard incident?

> Read More: Thomas Cook Now Offers “Lie-Flat” Seats In Economy Class

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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38 Comments

  1. DaninMCI Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 11:46 am

    Maybe she should be wearing something besides a bra on the plane. Sorry just my opinion. I don’t understand why people have such low self-awareness. This situation was either that or an effort to be famous.

  2. Ben Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 11:47 am

    I don’t understand why policy related to attire, especially women’s sttire is treated differently from everything else.

    For example, some women are fine being addressed as miss, while others would be offended and would want to be addressed as ms. Most people would say the safe decision is to address women as ms., especially if you are in hospitality to avoid offense.

    Why is this policy and taking the least offensive road NOT applied to attire (again specially female attire). If the way you dress makes even a small portion of people incomfortable or untended, then it makes sense to cover up (in her case) or change clothes.

    • Cory Wichman Reply
      October 12, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      [redacted by admin] ridiculous. She looks good.. she’s 21. I think it hurt the other female passengers pride. Well, get over it. Pretty sad we got all these sensitive [redacted by admin] [redacted by admin] (both male and female) everywhere who can’t handle what someone else says or wears and always have to create drama. Our society gets worse daily…

    • Cory Wichman Reply
      October 12, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      That doesn’t make the most sense… Lol. People like you unfortunately are everywhere… “Omg plz don’t offend anyone.. Rob them of their liberties as long as no one’s offended!” Let’s change everything we know and cover every bit of skin we can and no longer refer to individuals as male or female cuz they may not themselves identify that way… Lol.. jesus.

  3. tjp74 Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 11:50 am

    I don’t care what the fine print says… she needs to cover up. I don’t know what kind of culture… eastern or western will look at that as an appropriate attire for public air travel. I am sorry… the top she has on is barely covering her tits. I don’t care if it’s woman or man… if a man wore a tank top like that, I would kick him out too.

    • Cory Wichman Reply
      October 12, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      Cuz you’re a little [redacted by admin]. Get over it and quit worrying about other people so much and focus on yourself…

  4. Josh Hu Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 11:50 am

    Hey I would actually prefer if she went topless…. But that’s just me.

  5. Ed Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:12 pm

    A sports bra is acceptable and this one is not? It’s strange how a small difference in design and a few centimeters of fabric can change opinions.

  6. Geoff Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:12 pm

    She looks damn good. Rock it if ya got it. People get offended by a good looking woman wearing a smallish top? Jeez. prudes.

  7. Neps Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    Could you imagine the commotion if she had paired that top with yoga pants?

  8. stogieguy7 Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    Vehemently disagree with the airline! I could stare at her all day without being the least bit offended…..

  9. Justin Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    “O’Connor looked around to the passengers around her and asked if her attire was offensive. No one was willing to say yes…or no.”

    I’m not sure why she thinks this is a viable way to defend her attire. An offended person is under no obligation to make their identity or reasoning known to her.

    I say this as a neutral person not offended by her attire, though. I agree that wearing a bra as a top in an airport is not a smart decision, but she has a right to make unwise decisions.

    • Cory Wichman Reply
      October 12, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      And why is that? If you’re offended, how bout you man (or woman) up and admit so. I’m really sick of little cry babies hiding in the shadows and whining about petty [redacted by admin]… It’s exactly why the internet is such a nightmare – anonymity.

  10. Matthew Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    Some of the comments here are exactly why I would not permit my own daughter to dress like that (and hope to have instilled a worldview such that she would make that choice on her own when she was 21). It is one thing to appreciate beauty…it is another to become the object of sexual desire through your wardrobe choice. There are cultural mores, certainly applied unevenly and not without issues themselves, that remain helpful in a world in which we don’t live isolated from everyone else.

    I do think that is a different issue than whether she should be allowed to dress like that. Doesn’t she condemn herself by the way she dresses? By that I mean she betrays desperation for attention. But I am not offended in the least…the solution is simple: don’t stare at her.

    • stogieguy7 Reply
      March 14, 2019 at 12:57 pm

      Matthew, I wouldn’t permit one of my daughters to dress like that either – because I know how men think. But I also agree that there’s a difference between how you should dress and how you are permitted to dress. In all seriousness, I’ve seen far worse on a flight.

  11. Stuart Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    She’s flying to Tenerife. Not Riyadh. JFC, this is absurd.

    • Geoff Reply
      March 14, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      Preach! She’s on holiday on the way to the damn beach not the Hajj.

  12. Nick Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    It’s hard to see from the photo, but if the top a somewhat see through then yes i could understand some people’s issues. HOWEVER, it looks to me like it’s a full top that not only covers her up but also doesn’t show any cleavage. Thus it looks more than appropriate for being out in the general public especially on a British flagged airline.

    It just feels like there is something missing from this story. The fact that other attendants were involved and seemed to agree with their college sounds a bit suspicious to me. IDK how the flight teams work but could it be possible that it was a head flight crew member that others didn’t want to disagree with or loyalty?

    Either way, i think people need to take a bit less offense to simple things like this. I mean is someone’s dress really effecting your life that much? And on an aircraft there is really only 2-3 people who are close enough that they can even see you when seated. If someone complained, couldn’t they have simply tried to move her to a different seat?

    Once again i think there is more to this story then what has been reported. Maybe she gave the flight attendant attitude and they responded harshly to their authority being questioned. It just doesn’t sound like this should have been THE issue… If the passenger was innocent, i truly hope this bad PR or a scummy lawyer gets her something for her troubles on the flight.

  13. Donald Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    She could (and should) have easily put a light shirt over that bra top and still been ready for the beach and sun of the Canary’s. It’s not like the plane is landing on the sand. The temperature in Birmingham is only about 50 degrees right now, so I’m sure she had a coat or something else covering her when she left home. Sure she’s flying to one of Britain’s favorite budget, crass beach destinations where anything goes, but she should have respect for herself, the public around her and where she is at that time.

    The FA’s did a ham-handed job of telling her though.

    • Cory Wichman Reply
      October 12, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      You guys haven’t looked around much lately have you? This chick is dressed conservatively… And that’s a good thing. People who are so concerned about other people need to be checked… Worry bout [redacted by admin] self and that’s it.

  14. Justin Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    Meh, it’s a Thomas Cook holidaymaker flight to Tenerife. Sounds like the wrong call by the airline staff to me.

  15. Constantin Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    Well, it looks like a bra rather than crop-top.

  16. Mb321 Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    “No shirt no shoes no service” seems to appropriately apply in this situation. Appropriate attire would include a shirt for both women and men.

    • Matthew Reply
      March 14, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      But how do you define a shirt?

  17. Mfb123 Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    It’s funny to me that if someone were to board a plane in a ball gown or tuxedo, that would probably garner more attention than someone who came in a tank top or pajamas. Honestly, I no longer have any idea what society deems as appropriate.

  18. Justin Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 3:19 pm

    This isn’t about what you would or would not permit your daughter to wear. This is a grown woman who can make up her own mind and we tread into questionable territory when we start presuming we can tell people, especially adult women with all the awful history that comes with, what to wear. I get why airlines have the rule cited above and how it should be enforced in extreme cases (I can imagine some slogans on shirts that would clearly fall in the highly offensive category). If you look at the actual full picture (the photo here is cut off at the bottom), this woman was wearing loosely fitting high-waisted pants and the outfit as a whole is decidedly tame by British social standards. I don’t see how this would be any worse than the shorts and tank top male passengers were wearing on the same flight.

  19. Lucy R Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    I see Western society hasn’t given up yet on telling adult women what is correct for them and their bodies. How is it anyone’s business? This nonsense is only one generation removed from the attire-based excuses for rape I heard about when I was a young woman.

  20. Mattt Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    Look away if you’re offended, snowflakes. This only happened because she’s good looking. Funny how nowadays we wouldn’t say that to a fat chick because it would be fat shaming. Wild

  21. James Reply
    March 14, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    I agree with thomas cook airlines 100%, women must cover up, is she is ugly. Ugly female are pollution to eyes, unapropriate dress is a crime.

    But the picture didn’t showed she’s ugly. Furthermore, no such rule as Matt has explained. Only one logical conclusion tor this: FA is/are ugly and jealous ot her beauty/sexyness.

  22. George Reply
    March 15, 2019 at 1:37 am

    That’s clearly a skimpy top that’s either too small for her or is worn too low – her breasts are being squeezed out the top of it.

    Maybe if it showed more of the midriff and less of the breasts (especially as they’re bulging out), it would’ve been fine. It would’ve been OK outside or in public spaces on the ground, where tense situations can be escaped or defused safely. I think the FAs were right to err on the side of her covering up rather than risk a commotion in a metal tube miles up.

  23. Debit Reply
    March 15, 2019 at 2:08 am

    She is beautiful. And sassy. Doesn’t take shit from old white dudes who probably have mistresses her age they regularly rape but have to show how virtuous they are publicly. Just Like the catholic priests, republican scum, moslem imams and many other hypocritical fake jerks.

    At least she isn’t hypocritical.

  24. Paolo Reply
    March 15, 2019 at 8:24 am

    Where do you draw the line? If this dress is acceptable then so too those gay trousers with exposed buttocks? For both forms there is a time and place: airplane is definitely NOT ok.
    I bet she’s a blogger/social influencers trying to rack up hits/clicks via drama.

  25. Speedbird Reply
    March 15, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    She is basically wearing underwear. I see no issue with having her kicked off

  26. David James Reply
    March 19, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    Can’t believe how many people are ‘offended’ by what someone else wears. Get a life you little Hitlers. You’d be the same people complaining if a mother was breastfeeding on the plane. If you’re so easily offended have you ever wondered if the problem might be with you rather than the people continually ‘offending’ you?

  27. Nate Reply
    March 21, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    I remember flying back in the 1960’s, when everyone was well dressed; men would wear suits and ties, and women would wear dresses and skirts. Then, flying was civilized. Today, one finds hell’s angels types on planes, with large tattoos, women with tattoos, women with pierced belly buttons, wearing semi-bikini type outfits, people who smell from body odor, because they are too lazy to wear deodorant, and other types of clientele, which make me cringe. While this female passenger may have been technically within her legal rights to dress the way she did, there comes a time, when common sense has to prevail. The airline could be sued by someone who gets drunk on the flight, and starts groping her, because of her provocative dress. Then, her lawyers would state that the airline should not have been allowed to dress that way on the plane to begin with, and failed to restrain the drunk passenger. Unfortunately, it is not only on airliners that we are seeing this phenomenon occurring. I’ve seen women working as store cashiers, or as Doctor receptionists dressing with low cut dresses. Either their employers are too lazy to tell them to cover up, or are afraid of saying something. I remember, about twenty years ago at work, when an office worker out of the blue, came in wearing a very low cut blouse, which revealed large amounts of cleavage. The office manager, who was otherwise not a very personable individual, told her to cover up, which she did. There is enough distraction in an office, without adding fuel to the fire.

  28. Leo Reply
    April 2, 2019 at 5:52 pm

    She’s dressed perfectly fine. Do we have Sharia law now? Wtf? All the prudes and islamophiles all of the sudden coming out of all the holes.

  29. Pingback: Too Sexy to Fly: Woman in Crop Top Told to Cover Up or Get Off - View from the Wing
  30. Pingback: Woman Who Dressed “Too Provocatively” Told To Cover Up Or Get Off Plane – Matthew Klint – Better me

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