Fitness influencer Edda Elisa Pilz says a Lufthansa (LH) gate agent stopped her from boarding a flight from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Austria because of her athletic outfit. The incident happened during a heatwave on June 25, 2026, with temperatures near 30°C (86°F), Fox News reported. Pilz, 24, says the agent told her she was “naked” and would not let her scan her boarding pass until she covered up.
Pilz has more than 550,000 followers on Instagram and over 630,000 on TikTok. She posted a video about the encounter that quickly went viral across TikTok, Instagram, and X. Lufthansa responded publicly, saying the reported wording does not reflect its standards, though it defended staff discretion over passenger attire.
What Happened at the Lufthansa Gate at Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Pilz was flying from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Austria and wore a matching sports-bra-style crop top with cycling shorts. She said a gate agent looked at her boarding pass and said, “You can’t board like that,” before telling her she looked naked.
Pilz says she asked why she could not board. She recalled the agent replying that she was not wearing “normal clothes” and needed to cover up before proceeding. She grabbed a jacket from her carry-on bag and put it on.
The agent still would not let her through. According to View from the Wing, Pilz says she was told to zip the jacket up fully before she could scan her pass again.
The Gate Agent Allegedly Blamed Pilz for the Boarding Delay
Pilz says the situation grew tenser once she zipped up her jacket. She claims the agent then blamed her for the wider delay to the flight, telling her the whole boarding process was being held up because of her.
Pilz pushed back in her video. She said she had only asked for an explanation because she had never encountered a dress code on a flight before.
She also raised a fairness question. Pilz claimed male passengers wearing shorts boarded the same flight without being challenged by staff.
Pilz Says Her Real Complaint Is About Tone, Not Rules
Pilz repeated in her video that she does not object to airline rules on principle. Her issue, she said, was how the rule was communicated to her at the gate.
She summed up her position simply. “I can accept rules,” she said, “but the attitude was unacceptable”.
Pilz ended her video by addressing Lufthansa directly. She asked whether the airline stands behind the kind of customer service she says she received and said she was waiting for an official response.
Lufthansa’s Official Response to the Viral Video
Lufthansa issued a statement after the video spread online. The airline said the specific wording reported by Pilz, calling a passenger “naked,” does not match its communication standards.
At the same time, Lufthansa defended the underlying policy. The airline said passengers must wear clothing “appropriate to the nature of public travel” that does not affect the comfort of other travelers, a standard drawn from its General Conditions of Carriage.
Lufthansa also said it could not discuss the specific case further due to privacy rules. It confirmed the incident is under internal review.
Lufthansa’s published Conditions of Carriage do not list a specific dress code for passengers. The airline reserves broad rights to refuse transport when conduct could affect the safety, security, health, or wellbeing of others, or for operational reasons.
Why Flight Attendants Say Minimal Clothing Is a Safety Concern
Beyond the etiquette debate, some aviation professionals raised a safety point. A flight attendant, Barbara Bacilieri, said minimal clothing can raise the risk of burns and scrapes during an emergency evacuation.
Evacuation slides are made of rubber and can generate friction burns at speed. Safety-focused commentators online made the same point, noting that exposed skin sliding down a chute carries more risk than covered skin.
Cabin hygiene was another concern raised by commenters. Some travelers pointed out that airline seats are not disinfected between every flight, making bare skin contact with fabric seating a secondary worry for some passengers.
How This Compares to Other Recent Airline Dress Code Disputes
Pilz’s case fits a wider pattern across the industry. In a report published by CNN, model Olivia Culpo had to cover her black sports bra and biking shorts with a hoodie before boarding an American Airlines flight to Cabo San Lucas in 2022, after her sister Aurora publicly criticized the airline.
Airline dress policies vary widely and are rarely detailed. According to Fox News, most major US carriers avoid specifics:
- American Airlines requires passengers to “dress appropriately,” banning bare feet and offensive clothing but not defining exact limits
- Delta can remove passengers whose attire creates an “unreasonable risk of offense” to others, without a fixed dress list
- United requires passengers to be “properly clothed” and to wear shoes
- Hawaiian Airlines is the most specific US carrier, banning bikini bottoms, Speedos, and requiring the upper torso to stay covered
Spirit Airlines updated its own contract of carriage in 2025 after separate incidents involving crop tops, spelling out that exposed private parts or see-through clothing can lead to removal. Lufthansa’s policy remains closer to the vaguer American and Delta model than to Hawaiian’s detailed list, which is part of why Pilz says she was caught off guard.
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All in All
Pilz was ultimately allowed to board once her jacket was fully zipped, and she reached her destination in Austria. Lufthansa has not announced any policy change following the incident, and it has not disclosed the outcome of its internal review as of publication.
The episode has reignited a familiar argument in air travel. Passengers keep testing the line between comfort and cabin decorum, while airlines keep relying on vague wording that leaves case-by-case judgment to individual staff.