Southwest Airlines Passenger Faces Outfit Shaming by Flight Attendant

• Maggi Thorne said she was on a Southwest Airlines flight when a flight attendant shamed her outfit.
• According to Thorne, the attendant told her that “too revealing and not appropriate.”
• Thorne posted about the incident on X and was later told a formal complaint was filed.

Maggi Thorne boarded her Southwest Airlines flight wearing Nike joggers and a crop top.

Thorne, who has competed on “American Ninja Warrior” seven times, told Insider that, for her, this outfit was far from inappropriate.

So when a flight attendant told her that what she was wearing was too revealing, Thorne said she was “just in shock.”

After the incident, Thorne posted about the interaction on X, formerly known as Twitter, where her post gained more than 20,000 views. Later, she said the airline issued her an apology and told her that they had filed a complaint. 

Southwest Airlines did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Maggi Thorne was flying to Nashville when she said the flight attendant approached her

On September 1, Thorne said she left Ohama, Nebraska, for Nashville, Tennesse. The traveler booked her ticket on Southwest Airlines and had a layover in Orlando, Florida. 

She boarded the final flight out of Orlando, and shortly after, she said a flight attendant approached her.

Thorne said the attendant told her that her outfit — high-waisted athletic pants and a crop top — was “inappropriate” and asked Thorne to cover up.

“She came over and asked me about my outfit and said that she thought it was too revealing and not appropriate for the airline,” Thorne said.

“It was incredibly embarrassing,” she added. 

Thorne said she was in disbelief at the flight attendant’s comments, and she declined her request to put on more clothes. 

Thorne said she knew that Southwest Airlines doesn’t have a formal clothing policy or anything that outlines what passengers can and can’t wear. Southwest Airlines’ passenger contract only states that “wearing clothes that are lewd, obscene, or patently offensive” isn’t permitted.

With that knowledge, Thorne said she approached another flight attendant and informed her of what happened on the plane. Later during the flight, Thorne said the original flight attendant checked in with Thorne. 

“When I told her I wasn’t OK, I don’t think she knew what to do,” Thorne said. “I’m not a confrontational person, but what happened isn’t OK and someone should say something about it.”

After the flight, Thorne posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. There, Thorne tagged the airline, shared an image of her outfit, and posted a video of the flight attendant who she said made the comment. 

Southwest responded and requested that Thorne send the airline a private message with more details.

Thorne told Insider that after messaging with Southwest Airlines, a representative said they had filed a complaint on her behalf.

But Thorne said she felt that the airline’s response was “dismissive.” The “American Ninja Warrior” competitor said she asked the airline what they’re going to do to make sure this doesn’t happen to other passengers.

“They haven’t written back,” she said. 

Thorne isn’t the first traveler with a clothing-shaming story 

Over the past few years, other travelers have gone viral for sharing their stories of being shamed for their airline attire.

As Insider previously reported, a TikToker named Sierra Steadman went viral after sharing a video about her experience on an Alaska Airlines flight. She said that a flight attendant shamed her for hr outfit — shorts, a crop top, and a full-zip sweatshirt — while she was boarding a flight and grabbed her arm.

And in January 2022, former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo was preparing to board an American Airlines flight when she was asked to put on a blouse by airline staff, as her sister Aurora — who she was traveling with — shared on her Instagram story at the time.