US airlines agree to allow passengers to book flights without specifying binary gender
Delta, JetBlue, United and American Airlines have all agreed a new industry standard
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Major US airlines have agreed to allow passengers to book flights without specifying a gender.
Airlines including Delta, JetBlue, United and American Airlines have agreed a new industry standard by the Airlines for America, ending the practice of making passengers pick between male or female while booking a flight.
Now, an ‘unspecified’ option will be introduced which follows the five US states that offer gender X marker on state IDs for non-binary people, according to The Daily Beast.
A statement reads: “US airlines value a culture of diversity and inclusion, both in the workplace and for our passengers.
“We work hard each day to accommodate the needs of all travellers while delivering a safe, secure and enjoyable flight experience.”
The change is set to come into effect from June 1 but each airline will have to update their individual booking platforms.
In a statement, Delta said: “As part of Delta’s ongoing efforts to accommodate the needs of diverse customers throughout our business, we are planning to offer a non-binary gender option during the booking process.”
United added: “As part of our commitment to inclusion, we want to ensure all of our customers feel comfortable and welcome no matter how they self-identify, which is why we will begin offering our customers the ability to select the gender with which they most closely identify during the booking process.
“Beginning in the coming weeks, customers will be able to identify themselves as M(ale), F(emale), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding to what is indicated on their passports or ID.
“Also, customers who do not identify with a gender will have the option of selecting ‘Mx.’ as a title.
“We are excited to share this next step as we continue to break down barriers to promote inclusion.
“We have worked with the Human Rights Campaign for our guidelines in enhancing this customer experience and to include all of United’s customers in the booking process.”