U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched an initiative urging travelers to ditch pajamas on flights as part of a larger effort to restore civility in air travel. Speaking at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Monday, Duffy criticized the ‘degradation in civility’ among air travelers and called for a ‘civility campaign’ to encourage courtesy and patience during the busy holiday travel period.
Duffy encouraged travelers to ‘say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants’ and to dress ‘with some respect.’ He suggested that wearing ‘a pair of jeans and a decent shirt’ might be a better choice than pajamas or slippers, stating that this would ‘encourage us to maybe behave a little better.’ His remarks sparked a broader conversation about public behavior and the role of fashion in social etiquette.
The initiative comes at a time when in-flight disturbances have surged by 400% since 2019, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration. Incidents ranging from disruptive behavior to violence have become increasingly common on airplanes, with nearly one in five flight attendants reporting physical incidents in 2021. Reports of unruly passengers have remained above pre-pandemic levels, according to union and FAA data cited by FOX Business.
Etiquette experts have weighed in on the issue, with Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas, stating that the use of pajamas in public spaces is about more than fashion—it’s about courtesy. She noted that ‘one’s pajamas should be reserved for the privacy of one’s own home or hotel room,’ where people are relaxing, not in a public space. She suggested that even comfortable clothing can be both practical and appropriate for public settings.
Some have attributed the trend of pajama-clad travelers to celebrity culture, where stars have been photographed strolling through airports in loungewear, blurring the line between private and public space. However, experts emphasize that dressing with intention can significantly influence behavior and how others perceive us. As the call for civility in air travel gains traction, the hope is that such initiatives will help create a more respectful and harmonious experience for all airline passengers.