Aqua
09-07-2007, 06:43 PM
(SF)
A 23-year-old college student claimed Friday that Southwest Airlines singled her out after a male flight attendant told her that her white denim miniskirt, high-heel sandals and sweater over a tank top was too "revealing."
Southwest Airlines stands behind that flight attendant's decision two months ago to confront Kyla Ebbert, who also works as Hooters waitress in downtown San Diego, after complaints from another employee about Ebbert's choice of clothing.
"He told me my outfit was too provocative, too revealing for a family airline," Ebbert told FOX News, appearing in the same outfit she wore on the flight."He told me that I needed to go to the gift shop and buy a new outfit and change and get on a later flight."
Ebbert then pulled down her skirt, tightened her sweater over her tank top and wrapped up in a blanket in her seat.
"I was humiliated," Ebbert said.
Southwest defended the employee's decision.
"We don't feel like our employee was in the wrong," Chris Mainz, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines, told FOXNews.com. "Our employee addressed the situation with the customer and they were able to find a compromise."
Mainz said another employee approached the flight attendant with objections to Ebbert's outfit. The flight attendant then brought those concerns to Ebbert and asked her to adjust her clothes to be less revealing.
A photo of what Ebbert was wearing appeared in a column in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Based on reports by employees, it was very similar," Mainz said about the clothing worn by Ebbert in the photo. "It does seem to fit the description."
Ebbert said she was lightly dressed after a same-day trip to Tucson, Ariz., and back for a doctor's appointment. The weather forecast called for temperatures between 100 and 110 that day.
"I was dressed appropriately for the middle of the summer," Ebbert said.
A 23-year-old college student claimed Friday that Southwest Airlines singled her out after a male flight attendant told her that her white denim miniskirt, high-heel sandals and sweater over a tank top was too "revealing."
Southwest Airlines stands behind that flight attendant's decision two months ago to confront Kyla Ebbert, who also works as Hooters waitress in downtown San Diego, after complaints from another employee about Ebbert's choice of clothing.
"He told me my outfit was too provocative, too revealing for a family airline," Ebbert told FOX News, appearing in the same outfit she wore on the flight."He told me that I needed to go to the gift shop and buy a new outfit and change and get on a later flight."
Ebbert then pulled down her skirt, tightened her sweater over her tank top and wrapped up in a blanket in her seat.
"I was humiliated," Ebbert said.
Southwest defended the employee's decision.
"We don't feel like our employee was in the wrong," Chris Mainz, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines, told FOXNews.com. "Our employee addressed the situation with the customer and they were able to find a compromise."
Mainz said another employee approached the flight attendant with objections to Ebbert's outfit. The flight attendant then brought those concerns to Ebbert and asked her to adjust her clothes to be less revealing.
A photo of what Ebbert was wearing appeared in a column in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Based on reports by employees, it was very similar," Mainz said about the clothing worn by Ebbert in the photo. "It does seem to fit the description."
Ebbert said she was lightly dressed after a same-day trip to Tucson, Ariz., and back for a doctor's appointment. The weather forecast called for temperatures between 100 and 110 that day.
"I was dressed appropriately for the middle of the summer," Ebbert said.