Just in time for the busy holiday season, the Department of Transportation is urging flyers to mind their manners, reconsider their attire and return to a “golden age of civility” in air travel.
In a new safety campaign titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy encourages travelers to dress respectfully, while pushing to restore courtesy and class to air travel.
The campaign features a video that begins with a look-back of the early days of air travel, showing people dressed elegantly in what the narrator called a time when taking to the skies was “a bastion of civility.” It then transitions to a montage of videos from modern day flights, showing barefooted flyers dangling their feet over seats and on board brawls.
The department cites a 400% increase in bad behavior and violence on flights since 2019, with 13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. However, the majority of these incidents occurred in 2021 when mask mandates were in place. FAA data shows 5,973 incidents were reported that year and have dramatically dropped to 2,096 incidents in 2024 and 1,431 so far this year.
Still, Duffy emphasized the importance of small acts of kindness, like helping pregnant women and the elderly place their bags in overhead bins, keeping children under control, and just saying “please” and “thank you.” He also encouraged dressing with respect to set a more positive tone for the travel experience.
Asked by NBC News’ Tom Costello what the agency means by “dress with respect,” a DOT spokesperson said travelers should keep their shoes and socks on.