Actress, entrepreneur, fitness expert, and former WWE Superstar Eva Marie has lashed out at Qantas Airlines after claiming she was denied access to a business class lounge (while holding a business class ticket) due to the fact she is a woman who was wearing activewear.
The 35-year-old former pro-wrestler shared an image on social media of her outfit - a red cropped sweater, red gym pants, and red trainers - saying that despite the fact her business is working in the fitness industry, "Qantas prefers their women in a dress".
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Per the official Qantas website, the airline provides business class lounges in many locations around the world, that "offer a stylish, quiet and calm place to relax or work before take-off". However, Marie - real name Natalie Marie Coyle - had an experience that was far from "relaxing".
There are some things you just can't get away with while flying - and this is one of them:
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Writing to her 940,000+ Twitter followers last week, Marie stated: "In 2020 @qantas airlines Melbourne won’t allow a woman holding a business class ticket to enter their business class lounge in active wear. My business IS fitness and an active lifestyle. Qantas prefers their women in a dress. #genderdiscrimination #qantas"
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/natalieevamarie/status/1217699025895460864]]
This was followed up with another tweet in which Marie clarified that the issue was not a dress code issue, but one of gender - as her husband, entrepreneur Jonathan Coyle, was allowed into the same business class lounge wearing activewear (t-shirt, gym shorts, and a baseball cap). Marie shared side-by-side photos of both herself and her husband in their outfits.
She continued: "Clarification: This is NOT a dresscode issue, I support a businesses right to enforce equitable dresscode standards. However, My husband was allowed in no problem wearing this. While I was kicked out wearing this. My issue is that standards should be equitably enforced @Qantas"
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Her husband has since retweeted both of the tweets in a show of solidarity with Marie.
Per the Qantas Airlines website, "head-to-toe gym wear" is strictly forbidden in Qantas' Australian airport lounges - but Marie's issue was not one of policy, but instead a double standard between male and female passengers.
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People on Twitter have been divided over the post, with some people coming to Marie's defense and sharing their own personal experience of flying with Qantas:
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On the other hand, there were several Twitter users who had no sympathy for the couple:
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[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/kassieforro/status/1218813008152948736]]
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Do you think Marie should have been let into the lounge or was the airport fully within their rights? Let us know in the comments section.