U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched an initiative urging passengers to stop wearing pajamas on flights as part of a larger effort to restore civility in air travel. While speaking at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Monday, Duffy addressed the ‘degradation in civility’ among air travelers, emphasizing the need for courtesy and patience during the high volume of holiday travel. He encouraged travelers to ‘say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants’ and to dress ‘with some respect.’
“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. “Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport. I think that’s positive.” The initiative follows a 400% surge of in-flight disturbances since 2019, ranging from disruptive behavior to violence, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data.
Nearly one in five flight attendants reported experiencing a physical incident in 2021, while reports of unruly passengers in 2024 remained above pre-pandemic levels. The campaign is also supported by etiquette experts like Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas, who note the importance of respecting public spaces by avoiding pajamas and slippers. Gottsman argued that the issue goes beyond fashion, highlighting the need for courtesy and respect.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant and founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach, emphasized that attire influences how people behave and how they are perceived. “The way we dress influences how we feel, how we behave and even how others respond to us,” Whitmore stated. She linked this to the psychological concept of enclothed cognition, where what we wear affects our behavior and self-perception.
Experts also pointed out that the trend of pajama-clad travelers is partly influenced by celebrity culture. Figures like Rihanna and Ed Sheeran have been photographed in loungewear, contributing to a perception that public spaces can be extensions of private homes. Both experts agree that dressing for travel is not about formality or status but about showing respect for oneself and others. They welcomed the idea of returning to a ‘golden age of travel’ characterized by more considerate behavior and appropriate attire.