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If you’ve been following this blog, you’ve heard that my family will be flying in business class seats next summer (using miles and points, of course). It will be our first time flying in business class. I am excited for the added level of comfort these seats bring, and I hope we can all get some good sleep to and from Europe.
Even though our trip is still many months away, I’ve been thinking about what to pack and which suitcases will be best for schlepping around Switzerland by train. As I was thinking about these things, a memory of a big controversy came to my mind.
Dressing Up (Or Not) for Business/First Class Flights
Five years ago, a blogger posted a photo of him sitting in first class wearing a tshirt (Dan from Points With a Crew). Apparently, his attire offended some folks. Many people commented that he should have dressed the part to blend into first class better. You can read the post here.
Another blogger posted a photo of him wearing shorts in business class. Apparently that was very controversial as well. Oh, the horrors!
People certainly have strong opinions on both sides. This article on TPG has advice from travel etiquette expert Myka Meier:
“When traveling business class, it’s important to always wear clothing that is considered business attire. I always recommend [dressing] for the occasion or environment you are in, and just as you would dress more formally for a nice restaurant, you are expected to do the same when flying. This is not only out of respect for the establishment, or airline class, but for the other passengers onboard your class.”
Travel + Leisure asserted earlier this year that dressing up on a flight gives you a better chance of getting upgraded. However, Ben from One Mile at a Time offers some logical reasons why this probably isn’t the case.
I’ve never joined the conversation on this topic because my family always flies in economy. Until now.
Why We Won’t Be Dressing Up
I booked our flights in business class for practical reasons. I want us to be comfortable and get sleep. I’m not trying to show our status or spend the entire flight looking to impress others or get pampered.
I don’t think flying in business class is the same as visiting an upscale resort or restaurant. It’s a mode of transportation. People on board will be changing into PJs and sleeping, for goodness sake. We will be sitting in seats that are mostly obstructed from other people’s view.
We won’t be wearing shorts and flip-flops, but only because they’re not practical for a long flight. More often than not, we are cold on airplanes.
I’ll likely wear leggings with a short-sleeved comfortable shirt and bring a sweater or jacket to layer. My kids will wear leggings or comfortable athletic pants/jeans with shirts as well. And yes, it’s possible their shirts will have some words printed on them. Nothing offensive, of course, but they won’t be wearing button-down shirts. We won’t look like we’re heading to the gym or the beach, but we also won’t look like we’re heading to a business meeting or a Homecoming dance.
I think that the idea of an unwritten dress code for business or first class is antiquated. And if someone is offended by the appearance of my family, that reflects more on them than it does on us.
Of course, if I were on a business trip or traveling with corporate colleagues, I would dress in business appropriate attire. But our upcoming trip is not such an occasion.
Bottom Line
I really don’t understand why some people get so worked up over how other people dress. This discussion reminds me of the controversy surrounding dressing up for dinner on a cruise ship. Even though most cruise lines have relaxed the dress codes to reflect the times, some people still insist that dressing up for dinner is a tradition that needs to continue.
I say, do what makes you happy, comfortable and confident. Don’t let how other people dress ruin your experience.
Do you think people should dress nicer if they are flying in business or first class? Why or why not?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Really great answers, really! Answers from people, who are completely overgrown todlers claiming, that looking like slob is ok in every situation in life, even first class, business class, fancy restaurants etc… I am so glad, that I belong to only minor group of people nowadays, that still have mentality of a grown person, not of a beggar or infant. You people are completely brainwashed into thinking, that dressing up is old fashioned, that it does not matter and looking like scum everywhere is the thing to go. Well good luck with that. No wonder, that most people today don´t have healthy relationships and are completely repulsive. It is so good to look like imbecile and destroy the experience to others, right? There are people, who want to enjoy their time in luxury spaces with everything, that fits and has some logic, but overgrown infants just ruins the enviroment completely. Well I got a lot of money and I am going to start hiring private jets, so I can dress nicely and no slob will destroy my experience. Why bother to fly with airlines, when nobody respects anything anyway, so I will not pay an extra money to have my precious time ruined by slopy idiots without any dignity and you can keep flying in first class wearing sweatpants:-))))
Seated in Europe’s Business class means, the pax has class too. That’s just normal and expected.
Not sure why people make such a fuss over what one wears flying up front. People do treat you well if you don’t look like a bum. Like Erik says, nice things have happened to me when I travel. So it’s the ‘middle ground’. On one end, a coat & tie. On the other end, clothing the color of dirt that’s too big and wrinkled, grey sweatpants, washed out t-shirt with a message. Right in the middle, a polo shirt tucked into a pair of pants that fit, with a belt. Or a tank-top with an open shirt as a ‘jacket’ over a pair of pants that don’t look like you’ve slept in them. Everything can be stretchy. I wear a scarf and earrings, and I am comfortable on a 15-hour flight … and I look perfectly presentable anywhere.
I used to fly business class to Europe or Asia on a monthly basis for about 10 years. Had the occasional bump to first (usually on LH!). Many different airlines, but mostly concentrated in SkyTeam and Star Alliance. In general, I went for comfortable and casual, but not sloppy. Usually that meant nice jeans and a polo shirt, which could be long-sleeved or a rugby shirt in winter months. I wear natural fabrics like cotton or linen vs. synthetics for safety reasons – if there is a fire emergency, synthetics ignite more easily and melt into the skin. I’m sure there were a few times that I wore golf shorts/golf shirts due to hot weather in the departure city, but I avoid shorts in biz for practical reasons: 1) cold cabin temperatures and 2) bare legs touching the seats (which pre-COVID, probably were not cleaned very often). I totally agree with Tom, the major European airlines (LH, AF, BA, etc.) generally keep the cabin much warmer than US or Asian airlines.
I’m a firm believer that people will unconsciously treat you differently depending on your appearance. As mentioned, I’ve been bumped to first or had other courtesies extended to me during travel when the people did not necessarily know my elite status. Was it the appearance? Who knows. But I think the key is not standing out in a way that draws negative attention – you might get that extra security check, additional scrutiny on bag sizes/weights, or being ignored when you hail a taxi or ask for more wine on a flight.
You do you, but if you’re rocking the sloppy hostel backpacker vibe in business or first class, don’t be surprised if people behave differently towards you.
I wear jeans and a shirt with a collar (like a Polo shirt) in FC. I think that is fine.
My husband and I fly business regularly and we wear the softest, less restrictive clothes. Also consider you have to use the restroom so no jumpsuits anything that might touch the floor. Lots of layers just in case they decide to freeze you. We dress as nicely as possible within those guidelines but because we always do, no dress code for air travel. Why would you want to mess up and wrinkle a dress shirt and suit and be uncomfortable? Makes no sense.
Women’s fashions can be more variable than men’s and therefore more tricky. While I certainly don’t think that people need to dress up, I always wear a shirt with a collar. That’s certainly no great concession on my part and it helps to fit in better since I tend to not prefer to be the worst dressed in any group.
As far as TPG goes – if their website says that the sun rises in the East, make sure for yourself.
Business class is about the lie flat bed so wear comfortable clothes. I wear sweat pants. Half the airlines don’t give pajamas and slippers so wear what’s comfortable. Business class being about business is a myth in recent years. Half of the cabin is filled with people on awards/paid upgrades/status upgrades. A lot of the other people are simply tourists on a once a year vacation or well off and are visiting family.
If flying on premium airlines on first class, maybe wearing jeans to board instead of shorts is appropriate (they give you pajamas)
@Jackson I think the perception/expectation has shifted over the past few years, and I’m glad to see it. I honestly thought there would be readers telling me I should dress up.
Business class is for enjoying a meal and sleeping in some comfort. First class is for enjoying and being part of the experience. For first class I feel there is more to be gained traveling in style and paying personal attention to appearances.
@Levy I wouldn’t be dressing up in first class either 🙂
This is so dumb. Just dress decent and comfortable in whatever class you are flying in. My company isn’t paying thousands of dollars to fly me to a workshop across the world for me to be uncomfortable in business attire. They want me to arrive well rested, fed, and not agitated (which is what 16+ hrs in formal attire would do to me…) Well rated airlines are going to give you PJs anyway, so for a vast majority of the flight you will look “dressed down”….So this means people want me to conform to “looking nice” for 30mins boarding / takeoff and 30mins landing? Give me a break :eyeroll:
@nazgul Exactly!
If you’re flying a US airline then wear sweaters. If on a European carrier then be prepared to be warm. I’ve been fortunate enough to fly business plenty with my family and one thing I’ve noticed is United, for example, keeps their business cabin like a meat locker. Whereas, Lufthansa/Swiss/Austrian keeps their cabin very toasty. Last Christmas, we flew Denver-Frankfurt with LH and I woke up sweaty and uncomfortable. I rather not to be sweating and my clothes to stink after a long flight so I prefer the US carriers in that regard.
@Tom Thanks for the advice. We are flying on Air France for the journey over, so I’ll see if I can find any chatter about the temps on that airline.
The only reason wearing a suit in Business is if you have a meeting just before/after.
I dress in business or firs the way I dress in economy. Smart casual with an emphasis of comfy (and having always a layer of loth between myself and my setmate etc. so no shorts etc.).