A woman has disclosed that she was turned away from a Spirit Airlines flight at Miami International Airport due to her shorts. Additionally, the incident led to a heated argument that resulted in her sister being placed in handcuffs.
Tanasia Grayer claimed that on July 16, she was shocked to learn that she would not be permitted to board her Spirit Airlines aircraft from Miami to Chicago due to her clothes. So she called CBS News Miami to report the incident.
“First of all, he told me I’m not getting on the flight at all,” Grayer told CBS News Miami. “I said, ‘I don’t have anything to change into.'”
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The main cause of the problem is a policy change that Spirit Airlines made in January 2025 that tightened its rules on what passengers could and could not wear on airplanes.
“We were getting ready to board the plane, and the lady at the front desk, she stopped me and said: ‘You’re not getting on a plane like that,'” Grayer recalled. “So I looked at her and I said, ‘Like what?’ She said, ‘With those shorts.'”
Grayer stated that the shorts she wore on her Spirit Airlines journey to Miami were also short, but they did not cause any problems.
“This is just regular shorts. This is how I walked through the airport,” Grayer showed CBS News Miami. “This is how I walked through the airport with these shorts with my robe. This is exactly how I have my clothes.”
She was still wearing the same clothes the next day because her luggage had already been delivered to Chicago.
“They treated me like a real criminal in there,” she explained, referring to her encounter at Miami International Airport.
However, what began as a dress code issue quickly developed into a conflict, resulting in the arrest of her sister, Jessica Kordelewski. She was charged with disorderly behavior at MIA.
“I’m going home, getting on a flight and going home,” Grayer declared. “I won’t be back in Miami at all.”
READ ALSO: Spirit Airlines apologizes after footage shows worker pocketing passenger’s items
Spirit Airlines sent CBS News Miami a statement, saying in part:
“We always want our Guests to feel welcome and have a great experience. Consistent with other U.S. airlines, our Contract of Carriage contains certain clothing standards for all Guests traveling with us. Our records show a Guest was not in compliance with our Contract of Carriage and refused to comply when provided an opportunity to do so. The Guest and their travel companion were eventually denied boarding after displaying disruptive behavior. Further questions should be directed to law enforcement.”
According to Kiplinger, the airline’s amended dress requirements now warn that passengers may be denied boarding if they are barefoot, “inadequately clothed,” or wear clothing or tattoos that are “lewd, obscene, or offensive.” If a passenger is denied boarding because they violated the new dress code, they are not entitled to a flight refund.
Meanwhile, some netizens have shared their opinion about the incident.
One person joked on YouTube, “She’s wearing underwear not shorts!”
Another advised, “Sister, you know good and damn well that those shorts are too short to walk around in public like that so you shouldn’t play like Spirit airlines was in the wrong for telling you that can’t board the plane for the inappropriate attire . That outfit is something that wear at home behind closed doors for your significant other to see you and not for the whole world. There is a certain level of class and dignity that you should have when in the public eye .There are restaurants and stores that would have probably called the Police on you for indecent exposure. Lesson 1# A major wake up call to rhe real world is what you got from Spirit Airlines and the majority of civilized society will back them without a doubt !!!!!!!!!!”
Some travelers did not find anything wrong with what she wore.
“Honestly, I don’t think that’s fair. I think every girl, no matter what they’re wearing, should be able to express themselves,” said traveler Makayla Boubert to CBS News Miami.
