Non-Rev Travel Dress Code
I am among many people fortunate enough to have a relative or close friend who work(ed) for American Airlines and have put me on their small list of people who receive flight benefits. In a world where plane travel is (in the words of my husband) the “most expensive bad experience” one can encounter, we are delighted to take advantage of said benefits whenever possible.
That said, there is one area of non-revenue transportation I may never understand: the dress code. We are not hippies from the 60’s or 70’s (when these rules were obviously made, in that Catch Me If You Can glamour era of plane travel) who have bad taste or do not bathe. We are honest citizens who pay attention to style trends. We pay $150 for our designer jeans and leather flip-flops. A paying passenger can wear whatever he or she pleases, but non-revs (of whom only the ticket agent will ever know the true identity) are seemingly penalized for flying cheap by being forced to observe an absurd dress code.
“Collars are not required for male or female,” but t-shirts are “unacceptable attire for any cabin.”
“Women’s style of shoes/sandals such as open toe, sling-backs and clogs are acceptable in all cabins,” but flip-flops are “unacceptable.”
Sweatshirts are “unacceptable attire for any cabin,” but you have to pay $5 (I am so serious) for a blanket to keep you warm.
Over the years (21 to be exact) that I have been flying non-rev, I have met numerous ticket agents (the fashion Nazis of air-travel) who brush off such ridiculous requirements, realizing their arbitrary nature. And then there are the agents who are more anal-retentive than I have ever been even at my worst. “Miss, you’re going to have to change into a different pair of shoes before you can board the plane.” How are you supposed to change if you checked your bag with all your clothes in it?? I have even had one flight attendant give me a piece of clothing to wear so I could get on a flight.
To be fair, American Airlines has changed some of their rules over the years. Girls used to have to wear skirts in any cabin; open toe shoes were never allowed; denim was prohibited anywhere (now you can wear it in coach); men had to wear collared shirts in any cabin and coats in first or business class. So we’ve made it a long way. Right? I deeply look forward to someone in the air travel industry telling whoever is making up these stupid rules to wake up, look in a magazine, read an article or 20 about how business professional dress codes have changed and you can wear flip-flops to work, and UPDATE the non-revenue travel dress rules.