As the holiday season approaches, travellers in the US are ready to leave behind the hustle and bustle of city life and move ahead with the motive of travelling. We often find ourselves booking a quick escapade or embarking on a long vacation. With the festive season in line, airports often face increased footfall, leading to issues for staff that check in the tourists. Keeping the surge in perspective, US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has launched a new initiative.
In an interview with Fox Business, Duffy had highlighted that misanthropy does not only happen on board planes, indicating the flights that happen at baggage claims and arguments with staff that check travelers in. “He added that people dress like they re going to bed when they fly” he also warned travelers to not take their shows off and put then up on the chair ahead of them as that would not “honour” the country. To rectify the attitude a new campaign has been initiated.
The all-new civility campaign, titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You”, aims to spark a discussion on reinforcing respect and manners in air travel. It encourages kinder and more considerate behavior, aiming to make the flying experience smoother for passengers, gate staff, flight attendants, and even pilots.
New Campaign to add to seamless Travel
The campaign video opens with a nostalgic look at the golden age of air travel, portraying elegantly dressed passengers during what the narrator describes as “a bastion of civility.” It then shifts to a stark contrast—a series of clips from present-day flights featuring barefoot travellers propping their feet on seats and chaotic onboard fights. The video delivers a clear message: “Manners don’t stop at the gate,” urging viewers to “bring civility and courtesy back to the skies.”
According to Sean P. Duffy, some of the questions that every traveller should ask themselves this holiday season to help themselves as well as their fellow passengers would be:
- Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly having problems while placing their bags in the overhead bin?
- Are you dressing with respect?
- Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?
- Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
- Are you saying please and thank you in general?
New Insights for better Travel Experience
These new insights will be helpful considering that in the 2019 data obtained by the Federal Aviation Administration, there has been a 400% increase in in-flight outbursts, ranging from disruptive behaviour to outright violence, with over 13,800 unruly passenger incidents. The numbers have showcased a six-times rise since 2020 and doubled in 2024 when compared to 2019. Meanwhile, numbers also showcase that 1 in every 5 flight attendants experienced physical assaults in 2021.
The campaign further adds, “There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun – the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations. 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.”
