SouthernWorldwide.com – A fitness influencer, Edda Elisa Pilz, has come forward with an account of being prevented from boarding a Lufthansa flight from Berlin to Austria. Pilz alleges that a Lufthansa employee repeatedly told her she looked “naked” and insisted she cover up her athletic attire before being allowed to board, despite temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Pilz, who has a significant following of over 500,000 on both Instagram and TikTok, shared a video detailing the confrontation. The incident occurred as she was preparing to board the flight during a summer heatwave. The video has since gained considerable traction on social media, with Pilz raising questions about Lufthansa’s passenger dress code policy and criticizing the treatment she received.
According to Pilz’s account, an airline employee stopped her just as she was waiting to have her boarding pass scanned. The employee then informed her that she could not board in her current state and repeatedly described her as “naked.”
Pilz stated she was wearing a matching athletic top and shorts, questioning why this outfit was deemed inappropriate in the prevailing summer heat. She expressed her confusion in the video, asking what she was expected to wear and pointing out that she was, in fact, clothed.
The employee reportedly told Pilz that she was not wearing “normal clothes” and instructed her to put something on over her existing outfit before she would be permitted to board the aircraft. Pilz complied by putting on a jacket, but was then informed that she also had to zip it up completely.
She further alleged that the employee subsequently blamed her for causing a delay in the boarding process. Pilz recounted the employee saying that due to her actions, the entire flight was being delayed because she was holding up the traffic.
Pilz responded by stating that she had merely asked for an explanation, as she had never encountered an airline dress code before. She also claimed that male passengers wearing shorts were allowed to board the same flight without any intervention.
The influencer emphasized that the issue was less about whether Lufthansa has a specific clothing policy and more about the manner in which she felt she was treated by the employee. Pilz stated she could accept rules but found the employee’s attitude to be unacceptable.
Pilz concluded her video by directly addressing Lufthansa, inquiring whether the airline condones such customer service and stating that she was awaiting an official response. A review of Lufthansa’s General Conditions of Carriage does not appear to outline a specific passenger dress code. The airline does reserve the right to refuse transportation under certain circumstances, such as when a passenger’s conduct could significantly impact the safety, security, health, or well-being of other passengers, or for other operational or security reasons. However, these policies do not specifically mention athletic clothing.
