If you’ve been thinking, “Wow, U.S. air travel is more expensive, less comfortable, and one mechanical issue away from turning into a group therapy session — I wonder what the Department of Transportation is focusing on,” I have great news.
They’ve identified the real problem.
You.
The DOT’s new message: the “Golden Age” starts with… your outfit?
In mid-November, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy rolled out a civility campaign with the extremely subtle title: “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.”
According to DOT’s own press release, the campaign is supposed to “restore courtesy and class” and is framed as a response to unruly passenger behavior. Fine. Nobody’s begging for more chaos at 35,000 feet.
But then DOT listed the “key questions” every flyer should ask themselves, and this is where things got weirdly… fashion-forward. One of the questions is literally:
“Are you dressing with respect?”
That’s right. In the year of our boarding group 9, the federal government wants to talk about whether you’re dressed nicely enough to eat a $12 airport sandwich.
And of course, there’s a video. It’s trying hard to channel that glossy “golden age of flying” vibe — more Mad Men than modern-day middle seat.
Well… that’s 90 seconds I’ll never get back.
Again, I’m not against civility. Please and thank you are great. Helping people with bags? Sure.
But it’s hard not to laugh when “dress better” gets treated like a serious policy lane while everyone else is just trying to survive the process of getting from A to B without losing a day of their life.
The snack crusade
Then came the next big target: airline snacks.
Duffy made news again after complaining about in-flight snack options — the usual suspects like cookies and pretzels — and suggesting airlines should offer healthier choices instead.
And look, I’m not anti-healthy snack. If someone wants almonds and a seltzer, I support their journey.
But this is where the DOT’s priorities feel especially disconnected from what people actually like about flying. Because, believe it or not, passengers love their plane snacks.
They’re familiar. They’re nostalgic. They’re one of the only little “perks” left that haven’t been unbundled into a fee. The snack cart rolling down the aisle is still one of those tiny moments where flying feels… almost pleasant.
Delta has leaned into that comfort-food branding so hard that it’s basically part of the experience at this point. They’ve had people obsess over Biscoff for years — and they even teamed up with Starbucks on a Biscoff-flavored drink.
So when the government is out here scolding airlines for serving pretzels, I can’t help thinking: we have planes with shrinking legroom, rising fees, and customer service that sometimes feels like an escape room… and we’re going after the cookies?
Meanwhile… the DOT backed away from stronger passenger protections
Now here’s the part that makes the earlier stuff land with a thud.
Around the same time these “bring back the golden age” stories were making the rounds, the DOT also moved to withdraw a proposed rule that would have required airlines to provide cash compensation to passengers for major flight disruptions within the airline’s control.
Important clarification (because headlines sometimes blur this):
- Refunds are still required in many situations (like when an airline cancels your flight and you don’t take the trip).
- The proposal that got pulled back was about mandatory compensation for big disruptions (think “your day is ruined” delays/cancellations), not simply giving you your money back when you’re owed a refund.
So, in the same era where we’re being told to bring back “class” and “courtesy,” the message to travelers when flights go sideways is… basically: good luck, ask nicely, maybe they’ll throw you a voucher.
Is this really what we should be focusing on?
If the goal is to reduce bad behavior, then yes: people should act like adults. No argument.
But it’s hard to take “dress with respect” seriously when modern flying often feels like:
- smaller seats
- higher prices
- more fees
- less service
- and a customer-service process designed to make you quit
So sure — let’s encourage good manners.
But if we’re picking priorities, the “Golden Age of Travel” probably starts with something a little more basic than nicer pants and fewer pretzels.
It starts with accountability.
Because I promise you this: nobody is wearing pajamas or leggings because they hate America. It’s because flying in 2025 is an endurance sport, and comfort is the last thing passengers still control.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
