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A woman has said she was “completely humiliated” after she was almost denied boarding on a United Airlines flight because of her outfit.
Andrea Worldwide, a United Airlines platinum member, was flying first-class from Denver, Colorado to Newark, New York in the US on the first leg of a journey to visit her long-distance boyfriend in San Juan, Puerto Rico when she was stopped by gate staff on 13 January.
She said was asked to step aside by a male employee with no explanation.
“I didn’t get a reason at first, and then there was a little bit of shuffling going on with the other employees,” she told news channel CBS4.
Ms Worldwide said she was eventually told the problem was her top, which was low cut and through which part of her bralet was visible.
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1/22 Day 10
While attending a creative industries and business reception at the High Commissioner's residence in Johannesburg, Meghan opted for a light pink, sleeveless, trench-style dress by House of Nonie. The duchess met humanitarian Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela, during the event.
PA
2/22 Day 10
The duchess styled her hair in a loose bun, accessorising with a pair of subtle turquoise earrings.
PA
3/22 Day 10
On the final day of the royal tour, Meghan and Prince Harry visited a township in Johannesburg to learn about Youth Employment Services. The duchess continued to demonstrate her proclivity for shirt dresses, wearing a white, mid-length number with a pair of tan heels.
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
4/22 Day 10
The duchess added a splash of colour to her outfit with a pair of dark orange tassle earrings.
REUTERS/Toby Melville
5/22 Day Nine
On the ninth day of the royal tour, the Duchess of Sussex visited a school in Johannesburg to learn about a local charity that is fighting against sexual violence in schools. The duchess wore a khaki green shirt dress by ethical fashion brand Room 502 for her visit.
Mark Large/Pool via REUTERS
6/22 Day Nine
The royal accessorised with dark drop earrings, which were designed with gold detailing.
EPA/MARK LARGE / POOL
7/22 Day Nine
The duchess stepped out in a tan trench coat-style dress by Banana Republic when paying a visit to the University of Johannesburg. During her visit, Meghan took part in a round-table discussion about gender equality in education.
Christiaan Kotze/PA Wire
8/22 Day Eight
On the second Monday of the royal tour, the Duchess of Sussex visited Victoria Yards, a regeneration project in Johannesburg, South Africa, which is home to design studios, art galleries and a monthly food market. The royal wore a navy mid-length shirt dress for the occasion, designed by Canadian fashion brand Aritizia.
Sussex Royal/PA Wire
9/22 Day Four
The duchess wore a sleeveless black top and a pleated black and white skirt by American retailer J. Crew when she met with South African activist Sophie Williams-De Bruyn. In 1956, at the age of 18, Ms Williams-De Bruyn helped to lead a march of 20,000 women outside the Union Buildings in the city of Pretoria in protest of segregation.
SussexRoyal via Getty Images
10/22 Day Three
The duchess wore a black jumpsuit by American retailer Everlane while visiting the Woodstock Exchange, an event for women founders and social entrepreneurs in Cape Town, South Africa. Meghan completed her look with a pair of black Manolo Blahnik heels and gold statement earrings by Gas Bijoux.
Getty Images
11/22 Day Three
The duchess is pictured playing with a toddler while visiting mothers2mothers, a non-profit organisation which trains and employs women living with HIV as frontline health workers across Africa.
Getty Images
12/22 Day Three
Archie made his royal tour debut on the third day of the trip to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The duchess wore a blue and white patterned silk dress by Club Monaco for the occasion.
PA
13/22 Day Two
For their final engagement on day two, the duke and duchess attended a reception for young people, community and civil society leaders at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Cape Town, South Africa. The duchess wore a striped maxi dress by Melbourne-based fashion label Martin Grant, while Prince Harry opted for a light grey suit.
Getty Images
14/22 Day Two
Meghan previously wore the striped dress while in Australia on a royal tour with Prince Harry last year.
EPA
15/22 Day Two
Following their visit to Monwabisi Beach, Prince Harry and Meghan ventured to the Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. The duchess wore a khaki floor-length shirt dress by Staud, a cream headscarf and a pair of Sam Edelman pumps for the visit to the Muslim place of worship, which is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa.
REUTERS
16/22 Day Two
On day two of the royal tour, Meghan and Prince Harry visited Waves for Change, a non-governmental organisation, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The duchess wore a white shirt with black jeans and a Madewell denim jacket during the visit.
Pool/Getty Images
17/22 Day Two
The royal styled her hair in a tousled bun, wearing Brother Vellies loafers and carrying a Madewell khaki tote bag. Her Le Specs Bandwagon sunglasses hung from her shirt.
Pool/Getty Images
18/22 Day One
Meghan rewore a blue Veronica Beard dress she previously wore last year while in Tonga on a 16-day royal tour with Prince Harry.
PA
19/22 Day One
The duchess accessorised the dress with Castañer Carina black wedge espadrilles, wearing her hair down in loose waves.
PA
20/22 Day One
The duchess' wore a patterned monochrome wrap dress by ethical Malawian label Mayamiko that retails for £69 on the first day of the tour. The royal accessorised with a pair of Castañer Carina black wedge espadrilles.
PA
21/22 Day One
The duchess wore a bracelet that spells out the word 'justice' during the first day of the royal tour.
PA
22/22 Day One
The duchess danced at the Nyanga Township in Cape Town, South Africa while wearing a monochrome wrap dress by fashion label Mayamiko.
Getty Images
1/22 Day 10
While attending a creative industries and business reception at the High Commissioner's residence in Johannesburg, Meghan opted for a light pink, sleeveless, trench-style dress by House of Nonie. The duchess met humanitarian Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela, during the event.
PA
2/22 Day 10
The duchess styled her hair in a loose bun, accessorising with a pair of subtle turquoise earrings.
PA
3/22 Day 10
On the final day of the royal tour, Meghan and Prince Harry visited a township in Johannesburg to learn about Youth Employment Services. The duchess continued to demonstrate her proclivity for shirt dresses, wearing a white, mid-length number with a pair of tan heels.
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
4/22 Day 10
The duchess added a splash of colour to her outfit with a pair of dark orange tassle earrings.
REUTERS/Toby Melville
5/22 Day Nine
On the ninth day of the royal tour, the Duchess of Sussex visited a school in Johannesburg to learn about a local charity that is fighting against sexual violence in schools. The duchess wore a khaki green shirt dress by ethical fashion brand Room 502 for her visit.
Mark Large/Pool via REUTERS
6/22 Day Nine
The royal accessorised with dark drop earrings, which were designed with gold detailing.
EPA/MARK LARGE / POOL
7/22 Day Nine
The duchess stepped out in a tan trench coat-style dress by Banana Republic when paying a visit to the University of Johannesburg. During her visit, Meghan took part in a round-table discussion about gender equality in education.
Christiaan Kotze/PA Wire
8/22 Day Eight
On the second Monday of the royal tour, the Duchess of Sussex visited Victoria Yards, a regeneration project in Johannesburg, South Africa, which is home to design studios, art galleries and a monthly food market. The royal wore a navy mid-length shirt dress for the occasion, designed by Canadian fashion brand Aritizia.
Sussex Royal/PA Wire
9/22 Day Four
The duchess wore a sleeveless black top and a pleated black and white skirt by American retailer J. Crew when she met with South African activist Sophie Williams-De Bruyn. In 1956, at the age of 18, Ms Williams-De Bruyn helped to lead a march of 20,000 women outside the Union Buildings in the city of Pretoria in protest of segregation.
SussexRoyal via Getty Images
10/22 Day Three
The duchess wore a black jumpsuit by American retailer Everlane while visiting the Woodstock Exchange, an event for women founders and social entrepreneurs in Cape Town, South Africa. Meghan completed her look with a pair of black Manolo Blahnik heels and gold statement earrings by Gas Bijoux.
Getty Images
11/22 Day Three
The duchess is pictured playing with a toddler while visiting mothers2mothers, a non-profit organisation which trains and employs women living with HIV as frontline health workers across Africa.
Getty Images
12/22 Day Three
Archie made his royal tour debut on the third day of the trip to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The duchess wore a blue and white patterned silk dress by Club Monaco for the occasion.
PA
13/22 Day Two
For their final engagement on day two, the duke and duchess attended a reception for young people, community and civil society leaders at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Cape Town, South Africa. The duchess wore a striped maxi dress by Melbourne-based fashion label Martin Grant, while Prince Harry opted for a light grey suit.
Getty Images
14/22 Day Two
Meghan previously wore the striped dress while in Australia on a royal tour with Prince Harry last year.
EPA
15/22 Day Two
Following their visit to Monwabisi Beach, Prince Harry and Meghan ventured to the Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. The duchess wore a khaki floor-length shirt dress by Staud, a cream headscarf and a pair of Sam Edelman pumps for the visit to the Muslim place of worship, which is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa.
REUTERS
16/22 Day Two
On day two of the royal tour, Meghan and Prince Harry visited Waves for Change, a non-governmental organisation, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The duchess wore a white shirt with black jeans and a Madewell denim jacket during the visit.
Pool/Getty Images
17/22 Day Two
The royal styled her hair in a tousled bun, wearing Brother Vellies loafers and carrying a Madewell khaki tote bag. Her Le Specs Bandwagon sunglasses hung from her shirt.
Pool/Getty Images
18/22 Day One
Meghan rewore a blue Veronica Beard dress she previously wore last year while in Tonga on a 16-day royal tour with Prince Harry.
PA
19/22 Day One
The duchess accessorised the dress with Castañer Carina black wedge espadrilles, wearing her hair down in loose waves.
PA
20/22 Day One
The duchess' wore a patterned monochrome wrap dress by ethical Malawian label Mayamiko that retails for £69 on the first day of the tour. The royal accessorised with a pair of Castañer Carina black wedge espadrilles.
PA
21/22 Day One
The duchess wore a bracelet that spells out the word 'justice' during the first day of the royal tour.
PA
22/22 Day One
The duchess danced at the Nyanga Township in Cape Town, South Africa while wearing a monochrome wrap dress by fashion label Mayamiko.
Getty Images
She said she was dressed for comfort as she normally is for the journey to see her boyfriend, which usually involves an overnight flight.
“I’m completely humiliated, embarrassed, confused,” she said. “I feel like all eyes are on me.”
Pictures of her outfit shared by Ms Worldwide show that she was also wearing a long cardigan and a scarf over the top.
In the end staff changed their minds and allowed her on the flight, even offering a travel voucher as recompense.
However, Ms Worldwide declined, saying: “Two hundred dollars doesn’t even compare to the humiliation that I faced, and if another female has to face this, I’d rather get the word out and maybe they’ll choose a different airline.”
United is in touch with her, according to a spokesperson.
They said: “At United, our goal is for our customers to feel welcome and have a comfortable journey. We are reaching out to our customer to better understand what happened.”
The airline currently has a dress code policy for employees or those travelling as friends and family of staff members, but for normal passengers there are few restrictions.
It’s not the first time a traveller has been targeted for their outfit choice.
Last summer, a mother travelling with her son was left humiliated after American Airlines cabin crew forced her to cover up her outfit with a blanket before they would let her onboard.
Latisha Rowe, a doctor from Houston,Texas, was wearing a strapless playsuit for the flight from Kingston, Jamaica, to Miami.
“I have a very curvaceous body, and I put my body in bold colours, so you’re going to see it,” Rowe told Business Insider. “But it’s not vulgar. It’s not inappropriate.”
An AA spokesperson said: “We were concerned about Dr Rowe’s comments, and reached out to her and our team at the Kingston airport to gather more information about what occurred.
“We want to personally apologise to Dr Rowe and her son for their experience, and have fully refunded their travel.
“We are proud to serve customers of all backgrounds and are committed to providing a positive, safe travel experience for everyone who flies with us.”