Stop wearings pajamas on airplanes, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says about 'bringing civility back'

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a message for Americans: Stop wearing pajamas on planes.

While speaking at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Monday, Duffy said he had noticed "a degradation in civility" among air travelers - and launched what he called a "civility campaign" to encourage courtesy and patience during the crush of holiday travel.

Duffy encouraged travelers to "say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants" and to dress "with some respect."

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"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," he said. "Let's try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport. I think that's positive." 

Duffy also encouraged passengers to help other passengers who are struggling to put their bags in the overhead bins "as a common courtesy and civility."

"Bringing civility back, I think, enhances the travel experience for everybody," Duffy previously said during an exclusive interview with FOX Business.

The initiative follows a 400% surge of in-flight disturbances since 2019, ranging from disruptive behavior to violence, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data.

Nearly one in five flight attendants reported experiencing a physical incident in 2021, while reports of unruly passengers in 2024 remained above pre-pandemic levels, according to union and FAA data, FOX Business previously reported.

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Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert and founder of the Protocol School of Texas in San Antonio, said the issue of airport attire goes beyond fashion. She said it's about courtesy.

"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," she told Fox News Digital.

While comfort is important, Gottsman added that it's possible to "still select clothing that is both comfortable, practical and appropriate for public spaces."

Some could blame the trend of pajama-clad travelers on celebrity culture. Stars have been photographed strolling through airports in loungewear, turning the terminal into an extension of their living rooms.

Ed Sheeran was photographed at Los Angeles International Airport in 2015 wearing pajama-style pants, while Rihanna has recently been spotted wearing silk sleepwear in public.

Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant and founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach in Florida, told Fox News Digital the way people dress affects the way they act.

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"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."

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Whitmore points to enclothed cognition - the psychological idea that what we wear shapes not only how people see us, but how we see ourselves.

Although attire doesn't necessarily translate to character, Whitmore said it's been her experience that "people who make the effort to present themselves well often demonstrate the same level of care in their behavior."

"When we are intentional about our appearance, we're also more likely to be intentional about our manners," she said.

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Whitmore added that pajamas and slippers "should stay in the bedroom," but she noted that "flip-flops and shorts are better than PJs."

Children, she concedes, get "a little more grace," especially on overnight flights.

Both experts said dressing for travel isn't about formality 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 said she welcomes a return to the golden age of travel.

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"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."