Woman left ‘humiliated’ after airline told her to ‘cover up’ due to choice of outfit

An airline apologised to a woman after telling her she needed to cover up her outfit.

Isabelle Eleanore says she was told by staff on a Jetstar Australia plane that she couldn’t fly if she didn’t cover up her crop top.

She also alleges that a staff member made her wait “in front of everyone” while they searched for something for her to cover it up with, before presenting her with a hi-vis jacket.

Eleanore posted a video of a staff member handing her the jacket and saying “that’s all we’ve got at the moment” to her Instagram story. Explaining what happened to her followers, she said:

“So they made a huge scene when I stepped on the plane and made me wait in front of everyone while they searched for something to cover me up with. Then I had to walk all the way to my seat wearing this vest. This is discrimination and humiliation, Jet Star Australia.

Apparently my top is too small and I couldn't fly without covering up. If I had small breasts I guarantee they wouldn't have said anything. They forced me to put on hi-vis vest. Am I lost... is it 1921 not 2021?”

Recalling the encounter to Nine News, Eleanore said she was shocked to have been stopped by cabin crew. Explaining the incident again, she said:

“She looked at the ticket and then looked up and said, 'Oh, do you have a jumper you can wear?' and then here's me thinking she must be concerned I'm going to get cold on the flight, it's going to be cold in Melbourne or something.

She kept going and she was, like, 'Well, you can't fly with what you're wearing, you can't wear a bikini'. And I'm like, 'Look - it's not a bikini, it's a top'."

indy100 has contacted Jetstar for comment. In a statement to Nine News, they said:

“We've contacted Isabelle about her recent experience and have apologised for the way the situation was handled."

“There was a misunderstanding of what our policy was, and we have reminded our crew of our dress requirements.”

"While we do have basic dress requirements on our flights, for example shoes, we do not have any policy regarding crop tops."

Eleanore said she’s “glad this happened to me” so that she can stand up for “anyone who has ever felt personally victimised by someone”.

In a statement posted to Instagram, she wrote: “I am making a stand against bullying in all forms… this needs to stop”.