US Government Says Stop Wearing PJs on Planes. It’s the Golden Age of Travel

The U.S. Department of Transportation just launched a campaign asking Americans to ditch the pajamas and sweats when they fly. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rolled out “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You” this week, suggesting travelers might want to rethink showing up to airports in sleepwear. As you can imagine, the internet immediately exploded.

Call me old-fashioned, but for me, my PJs have always been something I wear at home, not out in public. However, I do accept the fact that the world has changed, and it’s now perfectly acceptable to walk out in whatever you feel like wearing. But part of me longs for those days when we dressed up when we left the house and made sure our pants stayed on our hips and not halfway down our backsides.

So, how does this affect travel to France? Will the French deny you entry to the country if you’re wearing yoga pants? Will border security be adding fashion police to their resume? No, I highly doubt it, but it might make you rethink your travel attire when hopping on a flight to France. But how has this campaign come about, and what’s the aim?

What Is The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You Campaign?

If you watch the official campaign video, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a 1950s movie with Frank Sinatra singing Come Fly With Me. So what’s it all about?

The initiative is pretty straightforward. The Department of Transportation wants to bring back some basic civility to air travel, and they think how we act and present ourselves plays a role. No new rules exist, no regulations are being written, and airlines won’t be checking your outfit at the gate.

The campaign aims to jump-start a nationwide conversation about restoring courtesy and class to air travel. Officials say this is as much about ensuring the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots as it is about making the experience more enjoyable.

The Five Questions Secretary Duffy Wants You to Ask

Secretary Duffy posed five key questions every flyer should consider this holiday season. 

1. Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin? 
2. Are you dressing with respect? 
3. Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport? 
4. Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
5.  Are you saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in general?

The questions cover everything from basic manners and parenting to what you’re wearing. The government hopes that if travelers stop to think about these things, the overall flying experience improves for everyone. The clothing question is just one piece of the puzzle.

Why Officials Say This Campaign Is Necessary

The numbers tell a pretty ugly story about what’s happening on planes these days. Since 2019, the FAA has seen a 400% increase in in-flight outbursts, ranging from disruptive behavior to outright violence. There have been 13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021, and reports of bad behavior rose six times between 2020 and 2021.

One in five flight attendants experienced physical incidents in 2021. The situation was serious enough that 2024 saw double the number of unruly passenger events compared with 2019. These incidents range from verbal altercations with crew members to physical confrontations with other passengers, from refusing to follow safety instructions to causing flight diversions.

The pandemic created an unprecedented spike in passenger conflicts, mostly because of mask mandate enforcement. Since masks are no longer required on flights, those numbers have dropped from the peak. They’re still higher than pre-pandemic levels, but the situation has improved from the worst days of 2021.

The Nostalgia Factor

Part of the campaign’s appeal relies on nostalgia for a time when flying meant putting on your best clothes. Men wore dress shoes and carried briefcases. Women coordinated outfits with accessories. Children appeared in formal clothing that would now seem absurdly overdressed for a typical flight.

This formality reflected both the novelty and expense of air travel during that era. Flying was a special occasion, often once in a lifetime for many passengers. Airlines positioned themselves as glamorous, exclusive services. The entire experience, from airport lounges to onboard meals to seat spacing, reinforced the idea that flying was something extraordinary requiring proper attire.

What Airlines Flying to France Actually Require

Major U.S. carriers maintain dress code policies as part of their contracts of carriage, the legal documents governing the relationship between airlines and passengers. These policies typically prohibit clothing that is lewd, obscene, or offensive.

They require passengers to wear shoes and shirts. They give flight crews authority to deny boarding to passengers whose appearance might cause disruption or discomfort to others.

In practice, airlines rarely enforce these provisions beyond extreme cases. Passengers wearing profane t-shirts might be asked to turn them inside out or cover them. Someone boarding barefoot might be told to put on shoes.

But the vast middle ground of casual, comfortable, or even sloppy attire generally passes without comment from airline staff, who have more pressing concerns than fashion policing.

Air France, Delta, United, American, and other carriers operating transatlantic routes to France all follow similar policies. The baseline is pretty simple. Wear shoes and a shirt; don’t wear anything offensive or obscene. Beyond that, you’re fine. This campaign changes absolutely nothing about what airlines actually allow or prohibit.

An irony not lost on critics is that airlines actively encourage pajama wearing in premium cabins. Business and first class passengers on long-haul flights to France typically receive pajama sets as part of their amenity kits.

Carriers market these sleepwear offerings as luxury perks, with some airlines even partnering with fashion brands to design exclusive sleep sets. 

What Do the French Wear When Flying?

Walk through Charles de Gaulle airport, and you’ll notice the difference immediately. French passengers tend to look more pulled together, even on long-haul flights. Casual chic is acceptable, but you won’t find the French wearing track pants to the airport. They have an entirely different relationship with clothes and fashion than Americans.

French culture still draws distinctions about appropriate dress for different settings. Flying falls into the category of being out in public, which means making at least some effort with your appearance. Nobody expects you to look runway-ready after a ten hour flight, but showing up in obvious sleepwear will raise more than a few eyebrows.

Social Media Reaction Has People Divided

Online responses to the campaign have followed familiar patterns. Some users enthusiastically support the idea of dressing better for flights, reminiscing about past eras when air travel involved more formality. Others mock the initiative as government overreach or out of touch nostalgia for a past that wasn’t actually better for most people.

Several commenters noted that the people most likely to respond positively to voluntary civility campaigns probably already behave courteously. Those engaging in genuinely disruptive behavior are unlikely to be swayed by government messaging about dress codes. The challenge with any awareness campaign is reaching audiences who need the message rather than preaching to those already converted.

What the Travel Industry Actually Thinks

Travel industry professionals who commented on the campaign generally expressed skepticism about its potential effectiveness. Etiquette experts acknowledged that passenger appearance has become more casual, but questioned whether voluntary guidelines would meaningfully change behavior.

Consumer advocates noted that airlines and government regulators might better serve travelers by addressing service quality issues rather than appearance concerns.

Some pointed out that the campaign costs the government nothing beyond social media posts and media appearances. It represents the easiest possible response to passenger behavior concerns precisely because it demands nothing from airlines, airports, or federal regulators.

Actually improving aviation infrastructure, enforcing passenger rights, or requiring better service standards would involve difficult policy decisions and potential industry pushback.

Flight attendants generally welcomed any initiative that might improve cabin atmosphere. However, many expressed doubt that clothing choices significantly influence the conflicts they manage. Problems typically arise from intoxication, flight disruptions, enforcement of safety rules, or interpersonal disputes rather than from wardrobes. 

And What Do You Think?

So, where does this leave Americans planning trips to France? You can board your flight to Paris in whatever makes you comfortable. That said, the cultural context matters. France isn’t Florida. The French notice personal presentation in ways that Americans often don’t. 

The real question is what works for you. Can you find that middle ground between surviving a ten-hour transatlantic flight and arriving in France looking somewhat put together? I’d love to hear your take on this.

What do you wear when flying to France? Have you noticed how French passengers tend to dress compared to Americans? Do you think the government should even be weighing in on this topic?