'Only white, young female flight attendants': US-based airline booked for discrimination

Two flight attendants of United Airlines have alleged that the company prefers a "certain look" of "white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed." This is the reason why some flight attendants were passed over for working on charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

United Airlines airplane.

Credit: X/@united

In a recent lawsuit, it was claimed that United Airlines, a US-based airline, preferred flight attendants with particular features and age ranges on charter flights that service professional and college sports teams, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Two United Airlines flight attendants have filed a lawsuit, alleging that the players prefer a "certain look" of "white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed." This is the reason the flight attendants were passed over for working on charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

50-year-old Dawn Todd and 44-year-old Darby Quezada claim they were ignored and later excluded of these flights in favor of female coworkers who were referred to as "young and thin."

Both women claimed they had experienced harassment and/or discrimination because of their age, race, national origin, or religion in the lawsuit, which was filed on October 25 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit also concerned the treatment of the women by coworkers during their employment on United's charter flights for the Dodgers, the publication reported.

As per the lawsuit, Ms Todd and Ms Quezada have been employed by United for over 15 years and have been attempting to join the airline's program that staffs the Dodgers' flights for over ten years. Due to extended flight durations and additional benefits, these assignments can pay attendants up to three times what regular assignments do.

"Plaintiffs had the necessary experience and qualifications," the lawsuit states, "but their requests were dismissed and rejected because Plaintiffs were not white," the Los Angeles Times reported.

The New York Post claims that United Airlines resolved a prior lawsuit alleging that the airline employed "young, white, female, and predominately blonde or blue-eyed" attendants to staff flights. The new lawsuit states that "things changed again in 2022 when several white United flight attendants were added to the 'dedicated crew,'" citing that 2020 settlement as its foundation.