U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a request for travelers heading into the packed holiday season: leave the pajamas at home.
According to Fox News, speaking Monday at Newark Airport in New Jersey, Duffy said he’s watched “a degradation in civility” take hold in America’s airports and airplanes.
Now, he’s trying to reverse that trend with what he’s calling a national “civility campaign.”
Duffy urged passengers to show patience and basic courtesy as crowds swell. That includes small gestures, he said, such as remembering to “say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants” and making an effort to dress “with some respect.”
“You know, 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.”
He also encouraged travelers to look out for one another, especially when they see someone struggling with getting a bag into an overhead bin. Helping, he said, is “a common courtesy and civility.”
“Bringing civility back, I think, enhances the travel experience for everybody,” he previously told FOX Business.
Duffy’s push comes as unruly passenger behavior remains elevated years after the pandemic-era spike. Federal Aviation Administration data shows a 400% jump in in-flight disturbances since 2019, ranging from minor disruptions to outright violence.
Nearly one in five flight attendants reported a physical incident in 2021, and reports of misbehavior in 2024 were still above pre-pandemic levels.
For etiquette experts, the issue of pajamas at the airport is about far more than fashion.
“From an etiquette perspective, one’s pajamas should be reserved for the privacy of one’s own home or hotel room, where people are relaxing — and not in a public space,” said Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas. Comfort matters, she added, but travelers can “still select clothing that is both comfortable, practical and appropriate for public spaces.”
Some observers point to celebrity culture for normalizing pajama-like airport attire. Stars including Ed Sheeran, photographed at LAX in pajama-style pants in 2015, and Rihanna, spotted in silk sleepwear, have turned airport terminals into extensions of their living rooms.
Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant and founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach, notes that clothing choices can influence behavior.
“The way we dress influences how we feel, how we behave, and even how others respond to us,” she said. “When we take the time to dress with intention, we naturally carry ourselves with more confidence and self-respect.”
Whitmore referenced “enclothed cognition,” the idea that what we wear shapes how we perceive ourselves. While attire doesn’t define character, she said she’s found that “people who make the effort to present themselves well often demonstrate the same level of care in their behavior.”
Pajamas and slippers, she said, “should stay in the bedroom,” though she conceded that “flip-flops and shorts are better than PJs.” Children, especially on overnight flights, get “a little more grace.”
Both experts echoed that dressing for travel isn’t about class or status.
“It has nothing to do with social status and everything to do with the respect we show for ourselves and others,” Gottsman said.
Whitmore added that she’d welcome a shift back toward the golden age of travel.
“Dressing well isn’t about being uncomfortable or impressing others,” she said. “It’s about expressing respect – respect for yourself, for the experience, and for those around you.”
