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'Boycott American Airlines' trends after airline allows staff to wear BLM pins: 'Stay neutral or won't fly'

'American is truly committed to having an inclusive culture that is welcoming to all and a reflection of our country and world,' senior vice-president for the flight services Jill Surdek said

American Airlines will be allowing its flight attendants to wear Black Lives Matter pins on their uniforms while they are on duty. The announcement made by the airlines has received a massive backlash from social media users who have called for boycotting the airlines altogether. Several users have taken to platforms like Twitter to slam the airlines for their decision.

One such user wrote, "What happens to flight attendants who are questioned by activist passengers and co-workers why they are not wearing a BLM pin at 20,000 feet? #boycottAmericanAirlines." Another user also commented, "@americanair BLM pins on flight attendant uniforms? Do you mean this Democrat-funded Marxist terror group that attack innocent law-abiding people and destroy businesses? You are Anti-American Airlines. #VirtueSignaling #BoycottAmericanAirlines #GowokeGobroke."

"@AmericanAir Equality? YES! Black Lives Matter? HELL NO! Don't race to support groups without knowing the facts. BLM encourages violence against our police, our flag, our way of life. Their motto: Burn it down! You're supporting them?? Unreal! #boycottamericanairlines," shared yet another outraged social media user.

Another user who echoed the same sentiments also chimed in, "@AmericanAir I’m shocked that a capitalist company like American Airlines would Support a Marxist organization like Black Lives Matter which supports the burning of American cities. I will never fly your airline. #BoycottAmericanAirlines."

"BOYCOTT American Airlines for allowing BLM pins to be worn by flight attendants but a flag hat or facemask is not allowed. They disgust me. As a travel consultant I will NO longer book clients on their flights. Absolutely Outrageous!!," wrote another.

Many said that services like this should stay neutral and not get political. One such user shared, "Hell no! any service personnel should not put their political view on their work, they cannot treat all the customers equally if someone doesn’t see their point."

Another commented, "Damnit! I hate it when my favorite companies choose to be political! Well, hell, my status as a 2.5 million mile customer just became useless because this stuff is actually important to me. Stay neutral or I won't be back. @AmericanAir."

As per a Fox News report, American Airlines had written in a company-wide announcement, "Clearly we live in a time where it is so important to have a dialogue about this important issue of racism in our society and try to find common ground. American is truly committed to having an inclusive culture that is welcoming to all and a reflection of our country and world." "This is why American is so committed to creating a more tolerant and diverse team. Through our partnership with American’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we are continuing to work through an overall plan for addressing these issues in our workplace," the announcement continues. 

The senior vice-president for the flight services, Jill Surdek, responded to all the criticism via an email that read, "American is truly committed to having an inclusive culture that is welcoming to all and a reflection of our country and world. One symbolic way to show our support is through a uniform pin. We are working with our Black Professional Network on designing a specific pin that may be worn with the uniform. In the interim until this pin is produced, to recognize the significance of this moment in history, we are allowing people to wear a Black Lives Matter Pin."