Leggings on a plane: Delta says it has no "item-specific" policy for pass travel

It was the leggings policy heard 'round the world.

After United Airlines declined to allow several girls who were wearing leggings to board a flight on pass travel, then another passenger tweeted about it, the question of airline dress policies went viral.

But some have also pointed out that airlines often have more stringent policies for employees' friends or family who are traveling on reduced-rate buddy passes. It's a familiar issue in Atlanta, where Delta Air Lines is the largest employer and the metro area is home to tens of thousands of airline employees.

Actress Justine Bateman, best known from the 1980s TV show Family Ties, is among those who pointed out the distinction on Twitter over the weekend.

"To be fair, these guidelines for 'employee passes' have been in place for decades. All the traveling airline employees know about them," Bateman tweeted on Sunday.

.@nytimes You're not reporting this very well. This is a decades-old guideline for those using "employee passes." https://t.co/oJHcQtsdtM

— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) March 27, 2017

 

"I had to do the same when I flew on 'passes' as a kid, to be fair," she tweeted.

I had to do the same when I flew on "passes" as a kid, to be fair. https://t.co/B49QB6RBp4

— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) March 26, 2017

 

Delta says it does not have an "item-specific" clothing policy for employees and pass travel.

“We ask our employees and their family and friends flying on pass privileges to use their best judgment when deciding what to wear on a flight,” Delta said in a written statement.

And Delta emphasized that in a tweet on Monday.

Flying Delta means comfort. (That means you can wear your leggings. 😉)

— Delta (@Delta) March 27, 2017

Airline dress policies for pass travel are in the spotlight with a leggings flap on United.