U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants Americans to button up and dress neatly when they fly. Reaction to his request was swift and mostly met with skepticism.
Ahead of the Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement that the Thanksgiving travel period will be the busiest in 15 years, Duffy has launched a new campaign called “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.”
The Ministry of Travel video splices together clips of orderly terminals from the 1950s and ’60s with more recent footage of passengers fighting, stretching barefoot in the aisles and arguing with flight attendants.
“Etiquette doesn’t end at the gate,” Duffy says in it. “Are you dressing respectfully?”
Speaking at Newark Airport, he furthered his wardrobe exploration. “Avoid wearing slippers or pajamas when coming to the airport,” he said.
Travelers say this campaign misses the point
The push sparked a backlash across social media.
Many travelers said this. air travel Duffy believes we should focus our attention on crowds, costs, delays and security checks, as we are feeling more stressed rather than less stressed.
“It’s not like the ’50s when flying was really comfortable. Now we’re all packed in like cows and it’s almost as painful as riding a bus,” wrote Bluesky user Terry De.
“I’ll wear what I want as long as there’s a good chance my flight will be delayed and I’ll be sleeping on the airport floor,” added another Bluesky user.
Uncontrollable incidents are increasing, but comparisons are difficult
DOT says the campaign aims to reduce violence and disruptive behavior in terminals and onboard aircraft. 13,800 cases recorded unruly passenger Since 2021, one in five flight attendants has reported a physical confrontation.
Such incidents are on the rise worldwide.
IATA’s latest statistics, citing data from more than 60 airlines around the world, show that by 2024, there would be an incident on every 395 flights.
But aviation historians say these numbers need context.
In the 1950s, smoking was allowed in airplane cabins, hijackings were more common than today, and flight attendants faced strict employment rules based on appearance.
At that time, fares were expensive, so fewer people were able to fly.
However, aviation disasters were far more common. According to Airbus data, the annual fatal accident rate is dropped In 1961, the number of flights was 10 per million; today it is almost zero.
All in all, the so-called Golden Age of Travel may not be as grand as Duffy looks back on it.
As airlines become more casual, formal attire is required.
Duffy’s appeal comes at a time when many airlines are relaxing uniform standards.
in AustraliaLow-cost airline Bonza has completely phased out formal uniforms in 2022. The company’s flight attendants and pilots can wear Bonza-branded T-shirts, shorts and dresses. You can also have visible tattoos and makeup is optional. Former chief commercial officer Carly Povey said the goal was to create “something fun, vibrant and reflective of the ‘now’.”
In the US, Alaska Airlines will overhaul its appearance policy in 2022, eliminating strict male and female looks. The airline began creating gender-neutral options for all staff, allowing them to wear makeup, nail polish, two earrings per ear, and nose piercings.
United Airlines allows some visible tattoos and long hair for both genders, while Virgin Atlantic eliminated makeup requirements for female flight attendants in 2019 and relaxed tattoo rules in 2022.
In the Maldives, the casual approach is taken a step further. Trans Maldivian Airlines’ pilots may fly barefoot or in flip-flops.
Did I ask for civility or did I misread what was wrong?
Despite all the arguments, Duffy’s appeal has supporters. “I don’t care what you wear as long as you’re covered. Please be more polite,” one person wrote. reddit user.
And aviation experts agree that basic courtesy to both flight attendants and passengers makes travel safer and more bearable.
But many critics say the secretary’s message overlooks the structural pressures that shape modern air travel, including crowded planes, overburdened crews, ultra-low pricing models and airports operating near capacity. It goes without saying that there is no alternative to flying.
“Air travel used to be a fun experience, but not anymore. Airlines treat passengers like a commodity,” another wrote. reddit user.
“The best solution to air travel is to expand and develop the country’s rail network so that people have alternative options other than taking short domestic flights.”
Whether passengers wear pajamas, jeans, or tuxedos, few doubt that stress, not sweatpants, is responsible for many airborne irritations.
And unless the underlying problems are addressed, critics say, DOT’s campaign risks sounding like a dress code debate in an era when everything but civility defined it.