The federal agency head cites a ‘degradation of civility’ while promoting the DOT’s campaign to restore ‘courtesy and class’ to air travel.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is asking Americans to dress “with some respect” while flying, as part of his campaign to restore civility to air travel.
“Whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little bit better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better,” Duffy said on Nov. 24 while giving a Thanksgiving travel briefing at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport.
“Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport,” he continued. “I think that’s positive.”
Duffy’s comments came as he warned of what he called a “degradation in civility” among plane passengers. He urged them to show more “common courtesy” and patience during the holiday rush, such as helping fellow passengers who struggle to lift bags into overhead bins and saying “please” and “thank you” to flight attendants.
He also asked travelers to curb behaviors that could irritate those around them, such as watching movies without headphones or removing shoes and placing their feet on the seatbacks in front of them.
“Just be cognizant and courteous. That’s the ask,” he said.
National Civility Push
Earlier this month, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched a national civility campaign called “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You.” It is intended to “jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel,” the agency said.
As part of its new initiative, the department is encouraging travelers to reflect on five questions during their trip, including whether they are keeping children under control and “dressing with respect.”
The campaign invokes the memory of the mid-20th-century “Golden Age of Travel,” when Americans typically dressed up for flights. Today, comfort is often prioritized over formality, especially given the tightly spaced economy cabins and the rise of flight delays.
The campaign comes in part in response to what the department describes as a record surge in unruly passenger incidents, including confrontations with crew and fellow travelers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that such incidents peaked in 2021 before dropping sharply in the years that followed, although incidents remain roughly twice as many as before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the FAA started referring the most serious unruly-passenger cases to the FBI for potential criminal review. More than 310 of these cases had been referred since 2021 to the FBI under the partnership, the FAA said last August.
By Bill Pan
