This post, originally published Nov. 8, 2024, has been updated with new information.
American Airlines has reportedly made it more difficult for flight attendants to remove passengers for what they wear or what they smell like.
The changes come in the aftermath of an incident over the summer during which eight Black men were removed from a plane in Phoenix while they were waiting to depart for New York. The purported issue was a body odor complaint from a flight attendant. The eight men did not know one another and were not seated together.
The removal prompted employee suspensions, a lawsuit from the affected passengers, charges of discrimination from the NAACP, and a review of policies at American.
According to what appear to be images of the airline's revised in-flight manual posted at travel blog View from the Wing, the upshot is that American Airlines flight attendants are now only allowed to boot passengers who are a threat to safety or security.
Otherwise, per the revised guidance, concerns about stuff like B.O. should "originate from customers only," meaning other passengers can complain about an issue related to a seatmate's smell or wardrobe choices, but flight crews should look—and sniff?—the other way until a customer brings it up.
What's more, two flight attendants, rather than only one, should then "engage the customer" who raised the issue and try to resolve the matter without evicting people from their seats.
If resolution can't be achieved and the flight crew agrees to remove somebody from the plane, the aircraft's captain should contact the appropriate officials at the airline and the flight attendants have to submit a report within 24 hours of the incident.
"No matter the path," reads the revised manual, "handling these types of issues with respect, discretion, care, and empathy is critical to the solution. How we make our customers feel and the perception we leave them with matters, and we all play an important role in that."
View from the Wing's Gary Leff writes that the change applies to removing passengers over attire as well. Since it's hard to conceive of being underdressed as a safety or security threat, the decision to eject passengers for fashion crimes will no longer be at the discretion of a single American Airlines flight attendant.
Reached via email, an American Airlines representative told Frommer's that there is no reference to body odor or clothing in the internal document referenced by Leff—only to "non-safety or non-security complaints." We've sought clarification to confirm that a passenger's odor or clothing would qualify as non-safety/non-security issues—as common sense would suggest—and are awaiting a reply from the American Airlines rep.
American did send us the following written statement:
"Every day and on every flight, we strive to cultivate a sense of community and provide a travel experience where everyone feels welcomed. With that as our guide, we regularly review our policies, practices and protocols, and make updates to ensure we’re delivering for our customers throughout their journey with us."
The airline's conditions of carriage still state that dressing inappropriately and emitting an offensive odor are legit reasons for getting evicted from a flight—conditions also set by American's rivals, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others.
The new guidance for American's flight attendants doesn't negate those rules but does make them harder to enforce.
