Short shorts don't fly with JetBlue, according to burlesque performer and passenger Maggie McMuffin, who said she was asked to change before boarding a flight from Boston to Seattle.
A JetBlue employee reportedly approached the performer at the gate, asking her to change out of her high-waisted chevron shorts,
according to The Boston Globe.
“My response was a little angry, and a little surprised,” said McMuffin, who asked to be identified only by her stage name. “I was like, ‘I don’t understand that,’ since I had flown JetBlue [to Boston] earlier that day with no problem.”
But, rather than risk missing her flight, she complied with the request, despite feeling that her thigh-high socks, large sweater and high-waisted shorts “covered everything” and didn't break any indecent exposure laws.
The 26-year-old performer called the incident embarrassing and said she doesn't want to fly with the airline again.
McMuffin told KIRO-TV that she didn't have anything with her to change into and offered to tie her sweater around her waist or cover up with a blanket. When the airline declined those solutions, McMuffin bought another pair of shorts for $22 in the airport.
The airline stood behind its decision.
"The gate and on board crew discussed the customer’s clothing and determined that the burlesque shorts may offend other families on the flight. While the customer was not denied boarding, the crew members politely asked if she could change. The customer agreed and continued on the flight without interruption," JetBlue said in a statement.
"We support our crew members’ discretion to make these difficult decisions, and we decided to reimburse the customer for the cost of the new shorts and offered a credit for future flight as a good will gesture."
McMuffin is called the airlines' offer "a nice gesture," but said she wants an apology and a more clear airline policy regarding the passenger dress code,
KING-TV reported.
The performer took photos of her outfit and posted them on social media.
"They're not like burlesque shorts, they're just shorts," she told KING-TV. "And it's obviously subjective. I've flown JetBlue before. I flew in that exact same outfit the same day, and also if they can rebook me on a different flight, that means it's not any type of company policy. It's very subjective."
Twitter users shared mixed reactions to the incident.
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