- The US launched The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You campaign to promote civility in air travel
- The campaign contrasts polite past air travel with current unruly passenger behavior in a video
- FAA data shows a 400% rise in in-flight disruptive incidents since 2019, doubling again in 2024
Come the holiday season, and the traveller in us is ready to escape the humdrum of routine life. As soon as the temperature drops, we often find ourselves booking a quick escapade or embarking on a long vacation. Security lines get longer, flights fill up faster, and that familiar buzz of holiday excitement takes over the terminals. Keeping the surge of holiday travel in mind, the US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy has launched a new initiative.
This 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 behaviour, aiming to make the flying experience smoother for passengers, gate staff, flight attendants, and even pilots.
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 air passenger should ask themselves this holiday season to help fellow travellers reach their destinations as quickly, efficiently and comfortably as possible include:
- Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with 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?
As per 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 rose 6 times since 2020 and doubled in 2024 when compared to 2019. Meanwhile, 1 in every 5 flight attendants experienced physical assaults in 2021.
The campaign 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."
