Two Southern California women were removed from a Spirit Airlines flight before it could take off because they were wearing crop tops, according to the airline and reports.
Tara Kehidi and Teresa Araujo were initially wearing sweaters when they boarded their flight from Los Angeles to New Orleans on Friday, the women told KABC during an interview. Due to the plane not having air conditioning before taking off, the women removed the sweaters, thus unveiling their crop tops.
“We were wearing crop tops… just like a little bit of stomach showing,” Tara Kehidi said, per KABC.
At some point, the women were approached by a male flight attendant and told to “put something on” before walking away, the women told the Los Angeles-based TV station.
“He’s telling both of us (to) put our sweaters on,” according to Kehidi, per KABC. “And then we’re like ‘Oh, can we see a dress code? Like, is there a policy that says we can’t wear crop tops on the plane?”
Tara Kehidi and Teresa Araujo violated Spirit’s ‘clothing standards’
Araujo said the women were “kind of embarrassed” because they felt like they were being “treated like criminals,” KABC reported.
“Everyone in the plane was looking at us,” Araujo said.
In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, a Spirit Airline spokesperson said, “Our Contract of Carriage, a document all Guests agree to upon making a reservation with us, includes certain clothing standards for all Guests traveling with us.”
“We are investigating the matter, and we are in contact with the Guests about their experience,” the statement continued.
USA TODAY contacted Kehidi on Monday but has not received a response.
What does Spirit’s Contract of Carriage say?
According to Spirit’s Contract of Carriage, the airline can deny a guest from boarding or require them to leave if they are “barefoot or inadequately clothed, or (if their) clothing is lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature.” The contract does not explicitly list crop tops or detail what type of clothing would be deemed inadequate or lewd.
The contract also states that a guest will not be eligible for a refund if they are asked to leave their flight. After being kicked off of Spirit, the women spent $1,000 on a Delta flight to get to New Orleans to celebrate Araujo’s 30th birthday, according to KABC.
“They were treating us, honestly, like criminals – all because we were wearing crop tops on the plane,” Kehidi said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spirit Airlines flight attendant removes women wearing crop tops
