A lot has changed with air travel. There was a time when anyone could go directly to the gate and meet friends and family members, no ticket required, and people dressed to impress. Now, casual attire is the rule — but should that include pajamas?
Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a new civility campaign titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.” The campaign is intended to spark conversation about how to restore courtesy and class to air travel. Based on what I saw at Miami International Airport recently, there’s a lot to talk about.
Duffy told Fox Business he wanted to “go back to an era when we didn’t wear pajamas to the airport,” and I wholeheartedly agree — pajamas should stay in your carry-on. But I don’t think the U.S. government should become the pajamas police. That’s going too far.
Pajamas are only a symptom. As a society, we’ve abandoned personal standards, and that’s led to an erosion of civility in public places, including during air travel. When people stop caring how they show up in public, they simultaneously stop caring how they treat others.
In a column for the New York Post, Kristen Fleming aptly wrote, “As a culture, we took casual Friday and rode it off a sartorial cliff. It’s time to pull ourselves up — and restore some personal pride.”
The Post isn’t the arbiter of proper attire, of course, but she’s right. No government PSA can fix civility through a dress code. That requires personal responsibility.
Over Thanksgiving, I flew through Miami International Airport, home to over 80 airlines and serving roughly 150 countries. A hum of anxiety permeated the terminal as travelers checked their gate assignments, grabbed a cafecito or dashed to catch their flights, worrying about potential delays or long TSA lines. And all around me, I saw travelers in pajama pants and oversized t-shirts and hoodies looking like they just rolled out of bed.
I love a good pair of Lululemon leggings, especially for travel days. But I wouldn’t dare show up to the airport in pajama pants and my slippers. I think it’s a matter of respect, for yourself and those around you. Too often, it seems to me, the people who dress as if they haven’t left their bedroom forget their manners, too.
According to the DOT, since 2019, the FAA has seen a 400% increase of in-flight outbursts. The data only backs up what we’ve all seen on social media viral videos: out-of-control explosions of rage or just bad behavior on planes and in airports.
Duffy’s goal to restore the golden age of travel is well-intentioned, but it misses the mark. Civility in air travel requires personal responsibility, not posters or awareness campaigns.
For me — and a lot of other people I talk to — travel has become more of a situation to be endured than enjoyed. There are long lines, delayed flights and small seats. That’s why personal standards matter more — not less.
I understand that pajamas are comfortable, especially on long flights. But comfort and civility aren’t mutually exclusive. There are a lot of comfortable, appropriate clothing options that don’t include sleepwear.
Flying is no longer a luxury, it’s true. But just because airlines have turned us into cattle, doesn’t mean we have to act that way.
The cultural shift didn’t happen overnight. There’s been a slow decline of what’s acceptable to wear in public. But the solution can’t be issued by the DOT. It requires people to consciously choose to act better — and that starts with dressing appropriately.
Civility is, in large part, governed by individual choices. Until we take personal responsibility, no government campaigns — or calls for a golden age of travel — will make a difference. The standards are set by us right here, not in Washington.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board.