U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called for increased civility among airline passengers during the busy Thanksgiving travel weekend. Speaking at a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport, Duffy emphasized that a little respect can go a long way in improving the travel experience.

Duffy suggested that passengers should avoid wearing “slippers and pajamas” while flying. He encouraged travelers to dress better, stating, "I call this … dressing with some respect. Whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better." He believes that dressing appropriately can foster a more civil atmosphere in airports and on flights.

The Transportation Secretary highlighted a troubling trend in air travel, noting a 400% increase in in-flight disturbances since 2019. He reported that there have been 13,800 incidents involving unruly passengers since 2021, with one in five flight attendants experiencing physical incidents that year.

John Gradek, an aviation management lecturer at McGill University, acknowledged Duffy's points but criticized the lack of enforceable guidelines regarding passenger attire. "There are rules about how you behave, but I think Secretary Duffy is getting frustrated and would like to see some other behaviors curtailed, and a dress code is one of those behaviors that he thinks needs to be changed," Gradek said. He added that Duffy's suggestions might be unrealistic, stating, "I think it’s just wishful thinking on his part, because he doesn’t like to see fights on airplanes."

Duffy recently launched a campaign titled "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You," which aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia for the more formal flying experiences of the past. The campaign features a video with images of Pan Am flights, accompanied by Frank Sinatra’s classic song "Come Fly With Me." Gradek remarked, "He’d like to see everybody go back to flying in the 1950s. The world has changed, Mr. Duffy. We now have a very different set of social guidelines and social mores."

While Duffy praised the idea of moral persuasion, he acknowledged the limitations of his influence. "We’ve seen … a degradation in civility in the airspace. You can’t legislate that, right? You can’t mandate it, but I think if you ask people: Could we do better? Could we be better? I think you won’t get a better result unless you make the ask. And so I’m just making the ask. Let’s all travel better together," he said.

Duffy also encouraged passengers to assist others with their luggage and boarding, and to express gratitude to flight crews. "Maybe we should say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants," he suggested.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, who joined Duffy at the event, echoed the call for respect among travelers, stating, "We hope we have everyone treating one another with respect."