plane | Dress code on board: There is also a dress code for passengers

Purchasing an airline ticket does not entitle you to inappropriate clothing on board. What is appropriate often depends on the country in which the airline is based.

Recently, media reports have been piling up that crews criticize passengers because of their outfits or even exclude them from the flight altogether. Waves of outrage were particularly high last summer when American Airlines (AA) denied Turkish bodybuilder Deniz Saypinar a flight at Forth Worth Airport in conservative Texas because of indecent clothing.

"I wasn't naked," writes the 26-year-old on her Instagram account with over a million followers and posts a photo of herself that admittedly blushes prudish minds.

Isn't the outfit the sole responsibility of the passenger?

Apparently Ms. Saypinar, like many other passengers, was unaware that when she bought a ticket she was entering into a contract that defined the circumstances under which the airline could refuse boarding. The case of obvious drunkenness, drug use and bullying should be undisputed.

But what about clothes? Does the airline have any business with my looks? Yes, because almost every airline puts one or two rubber paragraphs in their general terms and conditions.

A good example can be found at Lufthansa under Article 7 "Limitation and Refusal of Carriage"; Paragraph 7.1.2. Passengers may be denied boarding if they "can harm the safety, health or, to a not inconsiderable extent, the well-being of other passengers".

Security is understandable, health too, but well-being? Well-being can be difficult to measure. And yet smooth operations on board depend on this question of discretion and the fact that hundreds of people from a wide variety of backgrounds behave peacefully in a confined space for several hours.

Textile freedom of movement such as micro hot pants, crop tops or backless tops - as currently worn by many - often come up against limits.

These airlines do not have a strict dress code

What is appropriate depends on the culture and openness of a country. There is no dress code for passengers of German airlines.

The Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss does not impose any dress code on its customers either. But that doesn't mean that everything is allowed. Tavelnews.ch confirmed Swiss spokeswoman Sonja Ptassek a few years ago: "If a passenger should come on board in a bikini, our crew would kindly ask him to dress more appropriately, as it could affect the well-being of the other passengers."

Dress code on board: With the Swiss airline SWISS, passengers can wear (almost) anything. (Source: Björn Trotsky / imago images)

Qantas customers can wear just about anything. There is no dress code when traveling on Australian airlines. Only passengers who want to go into the Qantas lounges should not wear shorts, jogging suits or open-toe sandals, otherwise they will have to wait outside.

Virgin Australia is even more relaxed with the outfit. Even travelers in flip-flops and singlets are allowed here. The only condition of the airline: the bottom must be covered.

These airlines have a stricter dress code

In contrast, the regulations of the US airlines are stricter. Nobody comes on board barefoot here. In addition, bodybuilder Deniz Saypinar could have read from AA what the airline expects from its guests: Dress must be appropriate, that is, not offensive.

The regulations of the competitors Delta Air and United Airlines read just as similarly. United rejects indecent, obscene and indecent clothing. Delta rejects anyone whose demeanor, dress, hygiene, or odor presents a high risk of upsetting or offending other passengers.

Delta Airlines: Passengers who do not dress properly can be rejected at check-in. (Source: UPI Photo/imago images)

Alaska Airlines does not carry bare-chested passengers. A bare navel, on the other hand, is not a problem, the rest is up to the crew to decide, because the outfit must not appear slippery. Hawaiian Airlines guests are expected to board covered and with closed shoes.

Women should definitely refrain from micro-mini and deep necklines on a flight with the Saudia. The same applies to the other airlines from the Arab region. Men are better off avoiding shorts if they want to fly.

Saudia airline: With airlines from the Arab world, it is better to find out about the desired dress code before departure. (Source: Kevin Hackert/imago images)

The airline from Saudi Arabia does not explicitly write it in its small print, but it does require its guests to adhere to a dress code that "is in line with public taste and does not offend other passengers". who checks on Saudi Arabia's website for tourists www.visitsaudi.com what the airline means by that.

Since 2019, a "public decency" has applied in the Wahhabi kingdom. It doesn't have to be an abaya on board, an all-covering robe in black for women, but too much bare skin is not acceptable. In general, the tourism authority recommends "loose-fitting clothing that covers the elbows and ankles - for both women and men".