Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames passengers for bad behavior—while ignoring the airline policies that make it happen
Recently, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stepped into the middle seat of public opinion with a PSA urging Americans to “bring back civility” to air travel. His advice? Dress better, be nicer, say thank you to flight attendants, and — most importantly — leave the pajamas and bare feet at home.
And while critics were quick to pile on with jokes about nostalgia and the shrinking legroom of modern economy class, those of us in the meetings and events industry know there’s some truth buried in the message — just not the one Duffy thinks he’s delivering.
Because here’s the real issue: courtesy goes both ways.
You Can’t Lecture People Into Politeness While Herding Them Like Animals
Let’s state the obvious: passengers don’t act unruly in a vacuum. Most have already been corralled through TSA like livestock, strip-mined of their toiletries and dignity, squeezed into overcrowded gates with no power outlets, and told nothing — literally nothing — about why their flight has been delayed for four hours.
It’s not just a bad customer experience — it’s one of the most chronically degrading service environments in the economy.
In fact, you know who communicates better than most airlines? The New York City subway system. And that’s saying something. Sure, the audio is often garbled. Sure, you might still have no idea when the train is arriving. But at least the MTA is trying. The airline industry? Silent. Unaccountable. Indifferent. In too many terminals, the only thing more outdated than the gate seating is the expectation that passengers will behave like dignified professionals when they’re being treated like cargo.
So when Duffy tells the flying public to put on a pair of slacks and mind their manners, it lands a little flat — because manners don’t survive neglect. And no one knows that better than corporate event planners.
What Planners Know (That Politicians Often Don’t)
People behave better when they’re treated better. It’s not a complicated formula. And it’s one that experienced planners have known—and built around—for decades.
Behavior starts with expectations. Before attendees ever show up at the airport, good planners prepare them. That means clear communications, realistic schedules, contingency plans, and a reminder that they’re representing something bigger than themselves. Not just a company—but a culture.
You can’t incentivize through discomfort. If your team’s journey begins with delays, silence, and stress, no surprise if they arrive on edge. A reward trip that starts with a boarding disaster doesn’t feel like a reward — it feels like a trap. Planning teams work with airlines and DMCs to prevent friction from becoming the first impression.
Comfort isn’t the opposite of civility. Travel doesn’t require neckties to be respectful. The best-dressed passengers aren’t always the most polite — and the coziest ones aren’t necessarily the culprits of poor behavior. People don’t need formalwear to act like adults. They just need to be treated like humans.
What the Industry Can Learn from the Etiquette Dustup
Despite all that, Duffy’s campaign has real potential — if we stop framing it as a fashion critique and start seeing it as a call for mutual respect. If we want more civility in the skies, we have to design for it.
Train the system, not just the people. Airlines must re-invest in gate communications, customer service staffing, and accountability. Announcing updates every 15 minutes — even if it’s just “we don’t know yet” — is a basic, achievable standard. Planners expect this from venues. Why shouldn’t passengers?
Rebuild trust through transparency. When delays happen (and they will), keep people informed. Offer water. Send push notifications. Or hey, maybe just speak into the gate mic like we’re actual paying customers, not background noise. Respect doesn’t cost much — but silence does.
Lead by example. For planners, this is about more than flights. It’s about how your people arrive—physically and mentally—to your event. Civility starts at the first checkpoint, not the welcome reception.
The Golden Age Wasn’t About Outfits—It Was About Effort
Duffy wants to revive the “golden age of travel.” Fine. But let’s be honest: the suits and ties were never the point. The real gold standard was service. Full meals, real-time updates, a sense that the experience mattered.
So yes, let’s ask travelers to be kind. But let’s also ask airlines, airports, and yes — transportation secretaries — to raise the bar too. Because no one’s in the mood to behave like royalty when they’re being treated like checked luggage.
Manners don’t stop at the gate. But neither should basic decency.
And if the government wants to preach civility, it should start by getting the PA system to work.
Any thoughts, opinions, or news? Please share them with me at vince@meetingsevents.com.
Illustration: Created by ChatGPT.
