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Transportation Chief Calls for 'Golden Age' Manners as Holiday Travel Peaks
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched a contentious campaign urging air travelers to adopt more courteous behavior-just as the nation braces for its busiest Thanksgiving travel week in 15 years, with over 52,000 flights scheduled for November 25 alone. Critics argue the initiative ignores deeper industry failures exacerbating passenger frustration.
Campaign Sparks Backlash
The Department of Transportation's "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You" campaign, unveiled last week, contrasts 1950s-era footage of orderly passengers with viral clips of modern in-flight brawls and barefoot travelers. Duffy's appeal-"Are you dressing with respect? Helping a pregnant woman stow her bag?"-has drawn sharp rebuke on social media.
Thousands of responses flooded Duffy's posts on X (formerly Twitter), with users blaming shrinking legroom, chronic delays, and TSA procedures for eroding civility. "Stop treating us like cattle," one comment read, while another demanded: "Give us our legroom back."
You could be dressed in black tie and still be a jerk. The clothes, in this case, do not make the person.
Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group
Experts Dismiss 'Manners-First' Approach
Aviation analysts call Duffy's focus on attire and politeness misplaced. Scott Keyes, founder of flight-deals site Going.com, told the BBC the campaign's efficacy was akin to "asking a wall to print money." He attributed rising tensions to systemic issues: understaffed air traffic control, overcrowded cabins, and a pay-per-amenity model that sours passenger moods before takeoff.
Data underscores the challenge: The DOT reports a 400% spike in disruptive incidents since 2019, with 13,800 unruly passenger cases logged since 2021. One in five flight attendants has faced physical altercations. Yet historians like Dan Bubb (UNLV) note that raw incident numbers-while alarming-must be weighed against today's record-breaking travel volumes.
'Nostalgia Ignores Harsher Realities'
Keyes countered Duffy's 1950s nostalgia by highlighting past travails: higher crash rates, rampant hijackings, smoke-filled cabins, and sexist flight attendant policies. "It's laughable how much worse air travel was back then," he said. Modern frustrations, he argued, stem from avoidable operational failures-not passenger decorum.
Industry Practices Under Fire
Analysts point to airline policies as the root of passenger ire:
- Shrinking seats: Economy cabins now average 28-31 inches of legroom, down from 35 inches in the 1980s.
- Fee-heavy models: Basic tickets often exclude meals, checked bags, or even overhead bin access.
- Staffing shortages: Underresourced crews struggle to manage delays, which hit 22% of US flights in 2023 (per FAA data).
Harteveldt argued that "cattle-boarding" conditions-coupled with minimal amenities and unpredictable schedules-"naturally put passengers in a bad mood before they even board." He urged airlines to prioritize comfort and reliability over superficial civility appeals.
What Could Actually Help?
Experts propose concrete fixes over manners lectures:
- Reduce delays: FAA/DOT pressure on airlines to improve on-time performance.
- Expand space: Mandate minimum seat dimensions and legroom.
- Streamline security: Modernize TSA procedures to cut wait times.
- Curb alcohol sales: Limit in-flight drinking, a known trigger for disputes.
- Restore inclusions: Bundle meals/checked bags into base fares.
Bubb added that airport infrastructure upgrades-like expanded boarding areas and easier parking-could alleviate pre-flight stress. Still, he acknowledged: "Encouraging courtesy remains important, but it's not a substitute for fixing the system."
Thanksgiving Crunch Looms
With 30 million Americans expected to fly over Thanksgiving (per AAA), the campaign's timing feels tone-deaf to many. The FAA warns that Wednesday, November 27, will be the busiest day, with 2.9 million passengers-a volume testing an already strained system.
Duffy's DOT insists the initiative aims to "reduce violent incidents", not just polish etiquette. Yet as one X user summed up: "Fix the delays, and we won't dress for a night in the airport."
