US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has asked Americans to ditch their pajamas and slippers when flying, asking for a restored sense of decorum in the air. Monday at Newark Airport in New Jersey, Duffy said he has seen a “degradation in civility” among flight passengers. This is the start of a national effort to be more polite before the holiday travel season begins.
Soon, flying may not be as easy as it used to be because the US government has told people to “dress with respect.”
In a new message, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also spoke out against the casual dress codes he said have spread to airports and planes over the past few years. He told workers to stop wearing jammies, socks, and other overly casual clothes when they fly.
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US air travel: Duffy compares dressing improperly to the difficulties of air travel.
Fortune reported that the Transportation Department has pointed out some figures about travelers who are acting badly. These include a 400% rise in outbursts on planes since 2019 and a doubling of the number of rowdy passenger events between 2019 and 2024.
However, the schedule also includes the pandemic years starting in 2020 and going forward. During this time, airlines required passengers to wear masks, prompting many who believed COVID-19 was a hoax to fight back against flight crew and cause delays, according to accounts.
In a previous interview with Fox Business, Duffy also said that the mean behavior in air travel today doesn’t just happen on planes, citing fights at baggage claim and arguments with gate workers. When they fly, people dress up like they’re going to bed, he said.
Duffy told travelers to dress “with some respect,” saying that even easy clothes like jeans and a good shirt can make people more polite. He said, “Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas to the airport.” He also said that being polite, like saying “please” and “thank you” to pilots and flight attendants and helping other people with their carry-on bags, can make the trip better for everyone.
In a recent exclusive talk with FOX Business, Duffy said, “I think bringing back civility makes travel better for everyone.”
According to figures from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of problems in the air has gone up by 400% since 2019. Reports of bad behavior and violence are still higher than they were before the pandemic. In 2021, almost one in five flight attendants said they had seen or heard of a physical event.
Experts back up Duffy
Etiquette experts agree with Duffy; they say that what you wear to the airport should show respect, not style. According to Fox News Digital, Diane Gottsman of the Protocol School of Texas in San Antonio said that pajamas should stay in private areas. Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant, said that how people dress affects how they act, which is in line with the idea of “enclothed cognition,” which says that clothing changes how people think and act.
When we take the time to dress with intention, we naturally carry ourselves with more confidence and self-respect, she told Fox News Online.
Both experts stressed that dressed properly is not about how important you are, but about being polite to other travelers. Whitmore also said that people shouldn’t use airports as their living rooms, but kids may be able to get away with it. She said, “Dressing well isn’t about making other people like you more.” “You should show respect for yourself and the people around you.”
Netizens respond
Many people on social media shared their own ideas, such as making security checks friendly for travelers and making budget seats wider.
One person who didn’t like Duffy’s words wrote online, “I can’t wear a suit because I am squished into my seat.”
You’re in the middle seat in row 34 because you can’t afford to pay for your own seat. Instead, ride shotgun in row 1 and see how comfortable that is, they said.
Has there been a dress code implemented?
The government hasn’t put out a formal dress code yet, and planes or travelers who don’t follow the order haven’t been punished for it either. Instead, the government’s message is mostly about taking responsibility for your actions.
A planner at the flight search engine Points Path told CBS News, “It’s more of a gentle reminder about how to behave when traveling.”
