Why a Federal Program Is Encouraging Thanksgiving Flyers to Dress Better and Be Nicer

As Americans head home during what is expected to be the busiest holiday season in 15 years, a Transportation Department official is trying to send a message that civility and proper attire will make it easier.  The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) last week launched a campaign ahead of Thanksgiving calling for travelers to “bring civility and manners back,” by “dressing with respect,” and remembering to say please and thank you to airport workers. “The golden age of travel begins with you,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says at the end of the vintage-style campaign video, which contrasts footage of orderly passengers with pristine suits and ties against clips of airport brawls and passengers in more casual airport attire. Thanksgiving is the busiest U.S. holiday for travel, and Americans may break records this year as nearly 82 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their home, according to AAA. For those who choose to board one of the more than 360,000 flights scheduled during the Thanksgiving travel period, Duffy suggested on Fox News that passengers opt for “a pair of jeans and a decent shirt” over “slippers and pajamas” to “behave a little better.”  So far this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made 1,453 unruly passenger reports—down from the more than 2,000 made each year from 2022 to 2024, and the spike of 5,973 in 2021. The agency, which reports a zero-tolerance policy for poor passenger behavior, has initiated 125 enforcement actions so far this year, and has seen a 400% increase of in-flight outbursts since 2019, per the DOT.  The problem appears to be global: The International Air Transport Association found that numerous airlines and governments were concerned about the number of disruptive passenger incidents in recent years. There was one incident for every 395 flights in 2024, compared to one for every 405 flights in 2023. Frustrations at airports, train stations, roads, and highways may be particularly tumultuous this week as passengers recall the many flight delays and cancellations that took place during the recent government shutdown. Passenger ire may also be impacted by a decision by Duffy this month to formally withdraw a Biden-era rule that would have required airlines to pay passengers for significant flight disruptions.  But temporary flight restrictions enacted by the Transportation Department during the shutdown have since ended, and an expert previously told TIME that current travel disruptions were “nothing unusual.” Instead, they may be caused by inclement weather as two different storm systems this week are forecast to affect states from Texas to North Dakota. The FAA on Tuesday pointed to poor weather as a reason for potential airport delays in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Houston, and Memphis. There have been 64 flight cancellations and 2,217 delays into or out of the United States today, according to Flight Aware. Some Democrats have poked fun at Duffy’s focus on airport behavior and attire. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office reacted to Duffy’s post by sharing a photo of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy barefoot on a plane. Sara McGee, a Congressional candidate for the Texas House, said she would wear pajama pants while flying for the rest of the Trump Administration. “If we’re going to crash due to of incompetence, I may as well be cozy when it happens,” McGee wrote.