{"id":43067,"date":"2026-06-25T10:06:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/43067\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T10:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:06:10","slug":"german-fitness-influencer-edda-elisa-claims-lufthansa-refused-to-let-her-board-in-revealing-outfit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/43067\/","title":{"rendered":"German fitness influencer Edda Elisa claims Lufthansa refused to let her board in revealing outfit"},"content":{"rendered":"

A German fitness influencer<\/a> has ignited a heated online debate after claiming she was temporarily refused boarding a Lufthansa flight because airline staff considered her gym outfit too revealing.<\/p>\n

Edda Elisa Pilz, 24, who has amassed more than 550,000 Instagram<\/a> followers, posted an emotional video from the airport claiming she was stopped at the boarding gate while wearing a sports bra-style crop top and fitted cycling shorts.<\/p>\n

\u201cLufthansa we need to talk,\u201d she said in the now-viral video shared on her Instagram account<\/a>, translated from German.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was 30 degrees outside and I was about to board the plane when the woman scanning boarding passes looked at me and said, \u2018You can\u2019t board like that.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u201cI asked, \u2018Why not?\u2019 and she said, \u2018You\u2019re not wearing anything. You\u2019re naked.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Edda said she was shocked by the exchange and the tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me I wasn\u2019t wearing normal clothing and that I had to put something over it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me to step aside and said I could only board once I had something on.\u201d <\/p>\n

The influencer said she put on a jacket but claimed staff still wouldn\u2019t allow her to board until she zipped it up completely. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was 30 degrees outside,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen she told me, \u2018Because of you the whole flight is delayed because you\u2019re holding everyone up.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never heard of a dress code on a plane.\u201d <\/p>\n

Edda also questioned whether women were being judged differently to men. <\/p>\n

\u201cMen get straight onto the plane when they\u2019re coming back from Mallorca,\u201d she said, referring to the Spanish holiday island, which is known for attracting large numbers of German<\/a> partygoers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI accept rules, but it\u2019s the way they were communicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edda first built a following with workout and lifestyle content<\/a> before before finding wider fame on Germany\u2019s equivalent of shows such as Love Island and Ex on the Beach.<\/p>\n

The video quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views and divided opinion online, with thousands weighing in over what is considered appropriate attire when flying.<\/p>\n

Many backed the airline, arguing airports and aircraft are public spaces where passengers should dress respectfully. <\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t even know how someone gets the idea to board a plane dressed like that,\u201d one person wrote. <\/p>\n

Another said the issue was \u201cabout dressing appropriately for the occasion\u201d, arguing the same standard would apply to men attempting to board shirtless. <\/p>\n

Others pointed to hygiene, noting airline seats are not disinfected after every flight and saying exposed skin coming into contact with shared seating was a concern. <\/p>\n

Several commenters identifying themselves as cabin crew also suggested practical safety reasons could justify requiring more coverage. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have to evacuate down an emergency slide, you\u2019ll burn your legs in that outfit,\u201d one flight attendant wrote. <\/p>\n

Another commenter, claiming to be an aviation doctor, said clothing was \u201cnot always just a question of style\u201d, arguing cabin crew must consider emergencies, cold cabin temperatures and unexpected delays. <\/p>\n

But many others accused the airline of unfairly policing women\u2019s clothing. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a completely normal sports outfit,\u201d one supporter wrote. \u201cSince when do employees get to decide what someone is allowed to wear?\u201d <\/p>\n

Another said the language allegedly used by the gate agent was \u201cdisrespectful\u201d, adding that women should not be judged because of their clothing.<\/p>\n

Lufthansa declined to comment on the specific incident but confirmed it expects passengers to dress appropriately when travelling. <\/p>\n

\"The\"TheThe 24-year-old boasts more than half-a-million followers on Instagram. Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

\u201cLufthansa takes reports of possible issues in the way passengers are treated very seriously and investigates such incidents internally,\u201d the airline said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, due to privacy obligations, we cannot comment on matters involving individual passengers or employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, Lufthansa expects all passengers to wear clothing that is appropriate for the nature of public travel and does not negatively affect the wellbeing of fellow passengers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds,\u201d the statement said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat expectation forms part of our Conditions of Carriage. Our employees act on that basis with discretion and appropriate judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The airline<\/a> added the language allegedly used by the staff member \u201cdoes not correspond to our standards\u201d.<\/p>\n

Could the same thing happen in Australia?<\/p>\n

It depends on the airline, with carriers adopting different dress requirements for passengers.<\/p>\n

Virgin Australia<\/a> requires passengers to wear footwear along with clothing covering the lower body and a shirt. <\/p>\n

Passengers who do not meet the minimum dress requirements may be asked to change before boarding.<\/p>\n

Jetsta<\/a>r has a similar policy, requiring passengers to wear footwear during boarding and disembarking.<\/p>\n

The airline also prohibits clothing displaying offensive words, images or symbols.<\/p>\n

Both Virgin Australia and Jetstar explicitly state that \u201cthongs are acceptable\u201d footwear when boarding their aircraft.<\/p>\n

Qantas<\/a> does not have a published passenger dress code. However, its Conditions of Carriage allow the airline to refuse carriage if a passenger \u201cmay materially affect the comfort of any person in the aircraft\u201d, fails to follow staff instructions relating to safety or security, or is \u201cnot wearing footwear\u201d. <\/p>\n

Separate dress guidelines apply in Qantas airport lounges.<\/p>\n

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