As airports prepare for the onslaught of holiday travelers, a peculiar piece of advice comes from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. In statements covered by both FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family, Duffy urged Americans to up their sartorial game during air travel this Thanksgiving, suggesting that attire could positively influence behavior. "I think that’s positive," he asserted, after encouraging a step up from slippers and pajamas.
Speaking amid expectations of record numbers with over 52,000 flights scheduled to take off on Tuesday alone, and a total of more than 360,000 flights during Thanksgiving week, Duffy embraced the idea that dressing, "with some respect" could positively impact both the atmosphere and conduct during travel. This year, Duffy added, the Federal Aviation Administration is bracing for what could be the busiest Thanksgiving period in 15 years, according to the information obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Not everyone's on board with Duffy's style counsel. "There’s a lot more interesting stories in this world rather than worry about pajamas," one traveler expressed in an interview with FOX 10 Phoenix. A different flyer not keen on dressing up for an early flight remarked that they're not going to "put on a nice outfit if we just have to go to the airport." However, Duffy has his proponents too, with one agreeing traveler commenting on the need for passengers to appear "respectful and decent," as they told FOX 10 Phoenix.
This advice dovetails with operational updates, as the Transportation Department hopes to mitigate travel tension for the over 17 million estimated to be passing through airport terminals this week. So far, flights out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport have been smooth sailing, with reports of on-time departures on Tuesday afternoon, FOX 10 Phoenix notes. Meanwhile, Duffy tipping off to car travelers reported by AZ Family, revealed that about 73 million Americans are expected to travel by car during the Thanksgiving festivities, with the busiest days being Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday.
