United Airlines are not a Misogynist Regime

The recent furore over the United Airlines preventing some users of free travel passes to use them whilst they were inappropriately dressed was simply ridiculous. The BBC along with other media pushed the line that this was a misogynistic policy and was unfair. As is so often the case, the BBC were wrong.

Anyone who has flown a fair amount will have been made aware of the airline employee perk of free (or near free) by chatting to the smartly dressed passenger, usually travelling alone.

'When most people choose jobs in the airline industry, a huge draw for them is the flight benefits. Most airlines worldwide allow their employees free standby travel on their own airline, and nearly free travel on many others. As if that isn't enticing enough, the benefits are usually extended to spouses, parents and children, with buddy passes also offered for anyone else the employee would like to offer them to. These perks are about as wonderful as getting keys to the world. I still feel like I stole something whenever my name is called by the agent to claim my free seat.

In return, our employers make very clear what they would like from us and others to whom we extend our privileges. They take great pains to spell these simple requirements out: We are to not abuse the benefits we are given by selling passes or fraudulently adding dependents, we do not cause a fuss if there is not a seat for us and, lastly, we have to observe the dress code. It doesn't seem a lot to ask, especially now that the requirements have been eased to the point where a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers are permissible. My dependents have never had a problem with it, and neither have I. Nor have I ever heard complaints from others in the industry.'

More here at FlyerTalk http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/united-is-not-a-misogynist-regime-so-myob.html

The BBC like people to have benefits but not have to comply with the regulations around those benefits. In a way this reminds me of the fuss over the increase in NIC for some self-employed in the UK. For some time the BBC happily pushed the line that it was unfair that the self-employed didn't have sick pay or holiday pay, never mentioning the tax and other benefits of being self-employed,  and rejoiced at the fairness of such benefits being so extended. However when a Conservative government decides that the extension of in work benefits to the self employed means that their Tax and NIC advantages might have to be reduced - pandemonium.

For the BBC the worker must have all the benefits possible without any concomitant increases in tax or National Insurance. What's the problem after all it all comes from the magic money tree.