A German fitness influencer, Edda Elisa Pilz, has publicly criticized Lufthansa after she claims she was prevented from boarding a flight for wearing a sports bra and biker shorts. Pilz, 25, detailed the incident on TikTok, alleging that a Lufthansa employee at the gate told her she was "naked" and not appropriately dressed for the flight.
Pilz stated that she was eventually allowed to board after putting on a jacket and zipping it fully. She shared a video from the airport showing her outfit, which consisted of skintight black shorts, a white sports bra with black trim, and a cropped grey sweatshirt. Pilz, who has a significant online following with 639,000 TikTok followers and 555,000 Instagram followers, emphasized that her attire was standard athletic wear. She indicated that her primary issue was with the employee's communication rather than the existence of a dress code.
"If there are rules, I accept them. But then show me the rules," Pilz stated, according to translated remarks. The incident occurred during a heatwave across Europe, with temperatures reportedly reaching 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the time of the incident.
In response to the claims, Lufthansa stated that the alleged comments made by the employee "do not correspond to our standards" and would not have been used by their staff. The airline noted that its employees are trained to use discretion when enforcing policies and that travelers are expected to wear clothing "appropriate to the character of a public journey."
Pilz later took to Instagram to thank her followers for their support, acknowledging her role as an influencer and expressing a desire to remain strong while also sharing her experiences as a human.
