This 'outdated' airline system could be impacting your flight—here’s what you need to know
- Replies 4
Gender inclusivity has become a crucial focus for many industries, especially as technology continues to evolve.
Yet, a recent revelation about Jetstar has sparked a wave of debate around outdated systems and assumptions.
What initially seemed like a minor check-in issue has now brought attention to a larger, more concerning issue affecting female doctors.
Jetstar found itself under fire after an alarming discovery about its system was brought to light, suggesting that all doctors flying with the airline are automatically assumed to be male.
Trauma specialist Dr Amanda McConnell learned about this issue first-hand last month when flying from Cairns to Brisbane for a business trip.
She had checked in online, but when she reached the bag drop, there was an unexpected delay.
The flight attendant apologised, explaining that Amanda's online check-in had to be cancelled and manually processed because the airline’s system had automatically assigned her as a male.
‘I was shocked that in 2025 they’ve still got software that defaults doctors to being male... it’s ridiculous,’ she shared.
This delay meant Amanda had to wait for over five minutes while the Jetstar worker manually input her details, all while other passengers looked on.
She realised that, as a doctor, she had likely been ‘travelling as a male’ for the past 20 years due to this outdated system.
After the incident, Amanda reached out to her colleagues, hoping to see if others had faced similar issues.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many female doctors confirming they had also experienced the same problem.
‘Quite a few of my female doctor colleagues said: "Yes, that has also happened to us. That’s why we don’t travel with Doctor as our title",' she shared.
Amanda expressed frustration at Jetstar’s system, which she described as ‘outdated,’ and accused the airline of reinforcing ‘unnecessary and avoidable gender bias.’
She also pointed out how, in today’s world, where gender inclusivity is essential, organisations like Jetstar should be reflecting modern values with their systems.
In response to the backlash, a Jetstar spokesperson explained that the airline doesn’t assign gender to the title of ‘Doctor’ on customer-facing channels.
However, the airline’s back-end system had defaulted to assigning doctors as ‘adult males’ for flight weight and balance calculations, in line with Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines.
Jetstar defended its position, stating: ‘We understand the importance of this issue to our customers and are looking for ways to provide more gender-inclusive options in the booking flow.’
The airline denied perpetuating gender bias, assuring that improvements were being explored.
In a previous story, we reported on a passenger who caused a Jetstar flight to turn around mid-air.
This dramatic incident highlights growing concerns over safety and security during flights.
To learn more about what happened, click here.
Given the growing push for gender inclusivity, do you think airlines should be doing more to update their systems? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Yet, a recent revelation about Jetstar has sparked a wave of debate around outdated systems and assumptions.
What initially seemed like a minor check-in issue has now brought attention to a larger, more concerning issue affecting female doctors.
Jetstar found itself under fire after an alarming discovery about its system was brought to light, suggesting that all doctors flying with the airline are automatically assumed to be male.
Trauma specialist Dr Amanda McConnell learned about this issue first-hand last month when flying from Cairns to Brisbane for a business trip.
She had checked in online, but when she reached the bag drop, there was an unexpected delay.
Jetstar’s system error sparks outrage over gender bias. Image source: Pexels/Pascal Borener
The flight attendant apologised, explaining that Amanda's online check-in had to be cancelled and manually processed because the airline’s system had automatically assigned her as a male.
‘I was shocked that in 2025 they’ve still got software that defaults doctors to being male... it’s ridiculous,’ she shared.
This delay meant Amanda had to wait for over five minutes while the Jetstar worker manually input her details, all while other passengers looked on.
She realised that, as a doctor, she had likely been ‘travelling as a male’ for the past 20 years due to this outdated system.
After the incident, Amanda reached out to her colleagues, hoping to see if others had faced similar issues.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many female doctors confirming they had also experienced the same problem.
‘Quite a few of my female doctor colleagues said: "Yes, that has also happened to us. That’s why we don’t travel with Doctor as our title",' she shared.
Amanda expressed frustration at Jetstar’s system, which she described as ‘outdated,’ and accused the airline of reinforcing ‘unnecessary and avoidable gender bias.’
She also pointed out how, in today’s world, where gender inclusivity is essential, organisations like Jetstar should be reflecting modern values with their systems.
In response to the backlash, a Jetstar spokesperson explained that the airline doesn’t assign gender to the title of ‘Doctor’ on customer-facing channels.
However, the airline’s back-end system had defaulted to assigning doctors as ‘adult males’ for flight weight and balance calculations, in line with Civil Aviation Safety Authority guidelines.
Jetstar defended its position, stating: ‘We understand the importance of this issue to our customers and are looking for ways to provide more gender-inclusive options in the booking flow.’
The airline denied perpetuating gender bias, assuring that improvements were being explored.
In a previous story, we reported on a passenger who caused a Jetstar flight to turn around mid-air.
This dramatic incident highlights growing concerns over safety and security during flights.
To learn more about what happened, click here.
Given the growing push for gender inclusivity, do you think airlines should be doing more to update their systems? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Last edited:
.png){kind=icon}
