The current U.S. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, released a statement saying that the golden age of travel should start with you and expressed a desire to return to the era when you didn’t wear pajamas to the airport.
Now, let’s pause and think about that for a second. Travel used to be considered luxurious, so you definitely had to dress up to be accepted on board.
Over time, travel became more affordable thanks to the rise of low-cost carriers. The U.S. has Frontier and Southwest; the EU/UK has Transavia, EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air; and Asia/Australia has AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Scoot, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and so on.
The problem is that affordable travel doesn’t automatically mean everyone who flies is a class act. Recently, I’ve seen videos of travelers wearing bikinis on board, shirts with profanities or political/religious statements, and, of course, ripped shirts and jeans. It reminded me of Zoolander 1, where he struts “homeless chic” during fashion week.
There’s a time and place for everything. Pajamas belong in the bedroom, bikinis belong on the beach or by the pool, and ripped shirts and jeans are fine for going to the mall or hanging out with friends.
My rule of thumb is to wear something comfortable yet decent when traveling. Loose clothing helps a lot, and fresh underwear is a must. Running joke between my friend and me: if something bad happens, at least we’re wearing fresh underwear. LOL.
Here’s a useful tip: for long-haul flights, it’s highly advisable to invest in a good pair of compression socks. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is very common if you sit too long without moving. Besides wearing compression socks, I try to walk up and down the aisles to stretch my legs. Side note—doing yoga stretches on board is not advisable, hehe.
Maybe skip the high heels as well. They may look good, but in the event of an emergency… goodbye, Christian Louboutins.
As for dealing with prima donna attitudes from passengers, I’d rather leave that to local authorities, as airline security may have restrictions when handling disruptive travelers.
Bringing back the golden age of travel might still be possible — provided everyone does their part.