Well, air travelers, it appears we’ve officially been put on notice: The US Department of Transportation recently launched what it’s calling a “civility campaign” to get fliers to adhere to the kind of good behavior that (apparently) made the 1950s such an ideal time to take flight.
The spot, set to the strains of Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me,” opens with a retro ode to “the golden age of travel” that quickly evolves into a terrifying compilation of in-flight brawls, audible cursing, and bare feet rested on plane seats. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy then appears, reminding viewers that “manners don’t stop at the gate.”
“Things aren’t what they used to be…. Let’s bring civility and manners back,” he continues. “Ask yourself: Are you helping a pregnant woman put her bag in the overhead bin? Are you dressing with respect? Are you keeping control of your children? Are you saying ‘thank you’ to your flight attendants and your pilots? Are you saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in general? The golden age of travel begins with you.”
A lot of that is fine and well; what gives me pause, however, is the note about in-flight attire. Yes, we’ve talked a lot here on Vogue.com about how one should dress to fly. But the concept of being shamed out of dressing for comfort in this moment feels beyond the pale. It’s not exactly a secret that air travel has become pretty challenging, with a Biden-era plan to compensate fliers for long delays being scrapped under Trump and aviation safety in general being imperiled by FAA cutbacks. So, when it comes to maintaining civility in the skies, please allow me to say with maximum derision: You first, airlines!
While I don’t think the correct response to our governmental shortcomings is initiating a fistfight with the passenger behind you in the security line, when it comes to how we dress in order to pay for the privilege of being shoved into an ever-shrinking, ever-delayed tin can for hours on end (if, that is, we’re lucky enough to actually have our flights take off), I could not possibly express to you how little I care about Duffy’s take on my sleep-forward air travel ’fits. If I’m going to have to crash on the floor at LAX because my flight to New York is now scheduled to leave sometime next month, I’m going to dress down for the occasion!
