Why the Transportation Department wants you to dress ‘with respect’ at the airport

Why overhead bin space isn’t guaranteed on flights

Airlines don’t guarantee overhead bin space unless you pay extra or board early. Here’s what travelers need to know.

• The Department of Transportation has launched a new campaign to promote civility in air travel.
• Since 2021, there have been 13,800 unruly passenger incidents reported.
• The DOT encourages travelers to dress respectfully and offer help to fellow passengers.

The Department of Transportation wants you to start dressing up again when you fly.

Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.

“The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You” campaign is meant to “jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel,” according to the DOT.

Feds ask travelers to be more civil. Readers want airlines to step up.

In the campaign’s announcement, the department cited worrying trends that have festered in among travelers for years, including 13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021, a 400% increase in inflight outbursts since 2019, and one in five flight attendants experiencing “physical incidents” in 2021.

“There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun – the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations,” the DOT’s announcement said. “Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners, and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country.”

Cruising Altitude: There was no Golden Age of flying. We’re in it now.

Here are the things Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants travelers to ask themselves next time they fly:

1. Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin?
2. Are you dressing with respect?
3. Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?
4. Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
5. Are you saying please and thank you in general?

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.