Jenna Longoria, a Texas mother traveling with her 16-month-old son, was denied boarding on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Austin after she allegedly used the wrong pronoun for a flight attendant.[1][2][3][4]
The incident began when Longoria mistakenly referred to the female flight attendant as "sir" while thanking her for handing over their boarding passes.[2][3] The flight attendant took offense, and the situation quickly escalated, with Longoria and her family ultimately being prevented from boarding the plane.[1][2][3]
Despite Longoria's attempts to apologize and clarify that she was preoccupied with settling her son and managing their carry-on items, the airline refused to let them board.[2][3] United officials claimed the family was denied boarding due to exceeding the carry-on baggage limit, but Longoria vehemently disputed this, stating that their belongings, including her son's medication, were already on the plane.[2][3][4]
The incident has sparked discussions around passenger rights, airline policies, and the use of preferred pronouns.[1][2][3][4] Longoria expressed shock and trauma over the experience, particularly noting the calm handling of the situation without any disruptive behavior on her part.[3][4] She and her mother were ultimately forced to purchase tickets on an alternative flight with American Airlines to return to Austin.[3]
While the full details of the incident remain unclear, the case highlights the complexities surrounding pronoun usage and the potential consequences for passengers who inadvertently misgender airline staff.[1][2][3][4]
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