British Airways flight attendants win the right to wear pants
You'd be forgiven for thinking that, in the year 2016, female flight attendants working for British Airways are allowed to wear pants.
But if you thought that before Friday, you'd be wrong.
Female cabin crew who have joined the airline's "mixed fleet" since 2012 have been subject to a dress code that requires a skirt, unless they applied for a waiver on medical or religious grounds.
You May Also Like
Unite, the union representing the crew, launched a campaign to change the policy and found that 83% of the union's members were against it -- both male and female.
"
British Airways’ stance was unbefitting of a modern airline in the modern age and demonstrates that Unite will not allow cases like this to go unchallenged," Unite regional manager Matt Smith said in a statement. “Not only is the choice to wear trousers a victory for equality, it is also a victory for common sense and testament to the organising campaign of our members.""British Airways’ stance was unbefitting of a modern airline in the modern age"
“Female cabin crew no longer have to shiver in the cold, wet and snow of wintery climates, but also can be afforded the protection of trousers at destinations where there is a risk of malaria or the Zika virus," Smith continued.
The fight to cover one's legs is not over for flight attendants in Britain, though.
"Virgin Atlantic reviews requests on a case-by-case basis, with skirts the norm," the Guardian reports. "Only EasyJet crew are routinely able to wear trousers. Ryanair has yet to make trousers available, although since last year its female crew are no longer encouraged to pose in bikinis for an annual calendar."
U.S. airlines don't require the skirt but they encourage it, and some airlines require high heels while boarding is happening, but not all of them.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
