Comfortable clothes for flying can affect the trip, or rather the level of comfort. According to Travel + Leisure, travelers looking to increase their chances of getting an upgrade should dress appropriately, avoiding jeans and sneakers.
The phrase “dress for the job you want, not the one you have” also applies to air travel – “dress for the class you want”. Jeans and sneakers on the plane can be the deciding factor in whether or not a tourist makes it to first class.
According to the flight attendants, the appearance of passengers with ambitions should fit into the thesis “Stylish, but restrained”, that is, they should look as if they travel often. It helps, said the flight attendant.
“Someone who is potentially due for an upgrade may be deprived of it if they are not dressed appropriately. No jeans or sneakers, so I always opt for skinny black pants and a blazer or dress. Men wear chinos or other pants and a shirt,” she explained.
Let’s list wardrobe items that should be avoided:
- shorts
- dirty shoes
- leggings
- flip flops
- sport pants
“If you follow all the rules, you can be the first in line to get to first class for free,” the flight attendant added.
Former British Airways flight attendant Simon Jay Marton previously said: “It doesn’t hurt to dress smart. If you look like you qualify for first class, you stand a better chance of that than someone who walks into a plane in casual clothes.”
However, if you didn’t manage to get to the first class, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy better food. So, an economy class passenger told Express that he managed to get an improved meal after he fell asleep and missed a meal.
“I was on a long-haul flight in economy class from Tokyo to London, and my partner and I fell asleep on takeoff, missing the first of two scheduled meals. When we woke up, we were hungry, but we were told that all the food on the cart was sold out. Moreover, due to food service restrictions, none of the “economy” meals were safe to eat. We were fed food from a class above,” the traveler concluded.