SALT LAKE CITY — Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested that Americans dress nicer when flying.
So on Monday, FOX 13 News spoke with travelers in Salt Lake City about the topic. They were dressed in everything from jeans and sweatshirts to flip flops to full businesswear, and they had mixed opinions about the idea of a dress code while flying.
"What’s your normal attire when you fly?" we asked.
“This — sweatshirt and jeans, or shorts, depending on where I’m heading," said a man visiting from North Carolina.
Another traveler said comfort always wins.
“Comfy! Sweatpants. I’m on a lot of late-night or early-morning flights. I’m not trying to wear business clothes on a plane," they said.
A group of college students said they’ve never seen clothing become an issue.
“I don’t think it matters too much,” one said. “People should dress how they want — comfy or a short top, it doesn’t matter.”
Another added: “If it’s relatively appropriate, there’s no problem with people wearing pajamas to the airport.”
Duffy echoed his previous comments on Monday, calling for more civility in air travel.
"Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas to the airport. Maybe just dress with respect — jeans and a nice shirt," he said.
Paul Hudson, president of Flyers Rights, says many airlines do have dress codes, but they’re often vague — and most passengers don’t know they exist.
"When they try to enforce it, it often creates controversy," Hudson said.
He also points out that unruly passenger incidents are rare: out of five billion global travelers and 650 million in the U.S., only about 1,500 cases are reported to the FAA each year.
“Those are really tiny numbers,” Hudson said, adding he’d like to see more clarity on what “dressing up” actually means, while still believing loose, comfortable clothing is best for flying.
Jonathon Pratt, who dresses up for work downtown, says traveling is a different story.
“I think everyone has the right to choose what they want to wear,” he said. “I don’t see the need for rules on flights.”
Duffy said this Thanksgiving is expected to be the busiest on record — and he believes dressing and acting with a little more respect could even help keep flights on time.
One thing every traveler we talked to agreed on: Keep your shoes on.
