In an extremely short memo devoid of explanation, United Airlines has told its flight attendants that from next month, they will only be permitted to wear a US flag pin alongside their name badge and ‘wings’ – effectively banning staffers from displaying Palestinian flag pins.
The decision marks a significant policy shift after the airline refused to back down to calls from a prominent antisemitism lobby group to ban customer-facing employees from wearing the Palestine flag badge or other pro-Palestinian symbols such as watermelon badges.
Last August, United drew ire from the ‘StopAntisemitism’ group, who called the decision to allow employees to wear Palestinian symbols divisive and said that airline employees should keep their political views at home.
Despite other major US carriers, including Delta and JetBlue, quickly amending their uniform policies to prevent further accusations of antisemitism, United refused to back down, saying it would continue to let workers wear pin badges that represent “pride in a place to which they may have a special connection.”
On Wednesday, United revealed that it has had a change of heart, telling employees in an internal memo that from May 28, “only US flag pins will be allowed.” The airline did not tell its employees the reason behind the policy change.
JetBlue was one of the first airlines to change its uniform policy in the wake of a Palestine flag pin furore that one Jewish passenger claimed had been barred from flying with the airline after he challenged a flight attendant.
Paul Faust, 54, had his return flight from Las Vegas abruptly canceled after he told a crew member who was wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ pin badge that he found it upsetting.
JetBlue said it ‘expedited’ a uniform review that was already in progress to prohibit staffers from wearing flag pins that didn’t represent a state, country, or territory currently served by the airline.
Last July, Delta ended a long-running policy that allowed flight attendants to wear various county flag pins, normally to represent a language that a crew member spoke or their heritage.
The airline also decided to ban any other flag pin apart from the US flag after it got caught in its antisemitism controversy when a flight attendant was photographed wearing a Palestine pin badge.
Flight attendants at United have reacted with dismay to the change of policy, saying they will no longer be able to signal to passengers that they speak a foreign language. Others have blasted the decision as politically motivated, with chief executive Scott Kirby aligning himself with the Trump administration.
In protest, many flight attendants have said they’ll proudly wear their official union pin badges, while some have suggested wearing a US flag pin on their uniform upside down.
Matt’s Take – Pin Badge Controversies Seem Uniquely American
There’s a simple way to avoid this kind of pin badge controversy: enforcing a strict uniform policy, like many airlines around the world already do. If it’s not an official airline pin badge worn in accordance with very clear guidelines, then it can’t be worn.
It’s a no-nonsense way to protect both the airline and the employee, and when it comes to signaling language-speaking staff, have an approved badge issued to staff who have demonstrated proficiency in different languages.
Of course, these uniform guidelines don’t always fully protect an airline. Several years ago, Emirates ended up in hot water with Chinese government officials after they found out that flight attendants from Taiwan were wearing a flag pin that represent the island’s independence.
At the time, Emirates highlighted the vast number of nationalities that worked as flight attendants for the airline by issuing country flag pins that had to be worn on their uniforms.
But when Beijing objected to the Tawainese crew wearing their island’s flag pin, the airline found itself in a difficult position. Either carry on and get hit by sanctions in China or force their Taiwanese crew to wear a different pin badge and feel the wrath of Taiwan.
In the end, Emirates decided the simplest way to avoid any further controversy was simply to remove country flag pins from their uniform altogether.
What’s your take on United’s policy shift? Has the airline struck the right balance?
No pins but airline pins or the American Flag works for me.
I agree 100%.
And for languages, let the airline produce pinis with the name of the language in the language’s font:
עברית for Hebrew ; ﻋَﺮَﺑِﻲّ for Arabic; etc.
How racist part of the Israelis are, is proved here. Palestinians were their land stolen and those poor people are not even allowed to wear their own flag.
That’s poor inhuman racism!!
You are full of BS.
And if neo-Nazis want to wear the swastika flag, is that OK?
The difference between the Nazis and Hamas is that the Nazis tried to hide their Genocide,
while the Hamas murderers and rapists videoed their crimes and posted them.
And with a name like Blumenfeld you are probably a self-hating ‘Progressive’ [sic] of Jewish origin.
Shame on you!
It’s a shame everything has to be so political these days. Yes, we all believe in the first amendment,
but out of courtesy and respect to other people on aircraft or in this country, for that matter…..the only
flag pin flight attendants should be wearing is the U.S. It is and always should be, America first. If people
don’t like it here, they are welcome to leave and go to another country, who would cater to their dislikes
and grievances. At this point in time, I find it would be very difficult, much less tolerated. They are lucky
to live in America….