The Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a new campaign aimed at encouraging air travelers to behave more courteously, especially during the busy holiday season. The initiative comes as reports of unruly passenger incidents, though lower than during the pandemic, are already higher this year than in 2019—a trend that often worsens around major holidays.
In a video introducing the “civility campaign,” titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You,” viewers see nostalgic scenes from vintage airline commercials followed by recent footage of disruptive passenger behavior. The campaign aims to “restore courtesy and class to air travel” and “ensure the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy appears in the video offering advice for travelers. He asks passengers if they are “dressing with respect,” helping others stow bags, keeping children under control, thanking flight attendants and pilots, and “saying please and thank you in general.”
Experts suggest additional tips for maintaining order during flights: packing light to avoid cumbersome carry-ons; boarding only when your group is called; organizing carry-on items before boarding; allowing middle-seat passengers access to both center armrests; using headphones for all inflight entertainment; reclining seats cautiously; avoiding strong-smelling foods; keeping shoes on if feet smell; limiting personal grooming to essentials like hand sanitizer or breath mints; cleaning up after oneself in lavatories; and dressing appropriately.
While DOT encourages travelers to “dress with respect,” it does not specify guidelines. However, some airlines have updated their rules. Spirit Airlines revised its Contract of Carriage in January 2025 stating it may remove passengers who are “barefoot or inadequately clothed (i.e., see-through clothing; not adequately covered; exposed breasts, buttocks, or other private parts), or whose clothing or article, including body art, is lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature […].”
Christine Negroni, author of “The Crash Detective” and the upcoming book “Don’t Wear Leggings on an Airplane and Other Lessons from Unhappy Landings,” commented on the importance of dressing for safety rather than just comfort. She said: “Most airline accidents are not fatal. So travelers should really focus on clothes and shoes that will not hinder their ability to get off an airplane as quickly as possible.”
Negroni added: “Secretary Duffy may be right in calling out drop-waist pants, draw-string pajama bottoms, high-heels and flip-flops. These are very bad choices if you’re trying to get off a burning, smoking or damaged airplane in a hurry.”
Airline contracts often include dress codes meant both for decorum and passenger safety.
