Internet rallies around women who were kicked out of the plane for wearing crop tops

Let's be honest, flight travel, though the fastest mode of transportation, is often a chaotic experience. From intolerably long security lines to cramped terminals, the process of boarding itself is a nightmare at times. Once boarded, there is no guarantee that we will end up with an unproblematic co-passenger or a considerate flight attendant. For Teresa, a Portuguese woman living in Newport Beach, California, the trouble came in the form of an insensitive male flight attendant. Going by Teresa Around The World (@teresa_aroundtheworld) on Instagram, she shared glimpses of her and her friend being kicked out of the plane because the man was uncomfortable with their outfits.

In a series of videos, Teresa captured the unfair treatment she and her friend received on the flight from LA to New Orleans. Teresa and her friend were wearing a spaghetti-strapped crop top and in the captions, she mentioned that the flight attendant asked them to "cover up." Though her co-passengers and other flight staff didn't find a problem with the outfit, the man was fixated on kicking the duo out. Also, a mother who was traveling with her toddler was kicked out along with Teresa and her friend. "Ultimately, a supervisor talked to us and told us that either we would leave the flight or she would bring the police. She told us she would rebook our flight and then once out of the plane, she said there were no flights and also refused a refund," Teresa explained.

The women had to cover the travel expenses to New Orleans on their own after they were deboarded from Spirit Airlines. Teresa shared the videos and pictures other passengers posted condemning the flight attendant's behavior. One of them even sent a message to Teresa, saying they instantly reported this injustice once they got off the plane. "I was informed that the Captain would've had to make that call to remove you all. But our Captain was not notified," the text read. Another individual told Teresa that the flight attendant took great pleasure in kicking the 3 women out. "He got on the microphone and he said, 'Welcome to you that made it to New Orleans. Next time, mind your business and you will get to your destination sooner,'" the text read.

Even the airport authorities and the police agreed that this was an act of "prejudice, discrimination and misogyny," but the airlines refused a refund, rebooking or even an apology. "Can we be done with misogyny now, please? I'm sorry this happened to you!" said @kloiihummingbird. "The guy says, 'Mind your business' and yet, if he minded his own business and left you women alone to wear what you want, everyone would have gotten to their destination sooner. Man has some errors in his mind," remarked @batlmatt. "A public apology from the flight attendant and Spirit Airlines representative should happen," added @nelson.freitas18.

In her latest update on TikTok, @teresa_aroundtheworld shared her experience of flying back home to LA from New Orleans on the same airline. She and her friend were terrified to get on the plane and were nervous about finding the same flight attendant again. However, when they reached their designated gate, a Spirit Airlines staff rushed to them and said, "Hey, just want to let you know that we do things differently here in New Orleans. Welcome to the flight and enjoy!" The women were given a first-row seat and they made it back home without any issue. However, this made Teresa think that if she and her friend were truly in the wrong for wearing crop tops against the airlines' policy, why did the staff mention that they do things differently in New Orleans and treat them with first-row seats? Food for thought!

You can follow Teresa Around The World (@teresa_aroundtheworld) on Instagram for travel content.