First Class dress code?

[dudspizza]

Flying first class for the first time.... American Airlines.....

This may sound silly, but should I dress up? My dad always taught me that you dress nice for a flight, but I don't put on the sport coat and dress pants that he always wore..... I typically fly in a nice pair shorts and a collared shirt. I just don't want to look like an idiot up there in the nice section.....

I wonder how long it will take Bavaria to respond to this one.....

Duds

 

[Tozzie]

Flying first class for the first time.... American Airlines.....

This may sound silly, but should I dress up? My dad always taught me that you dress nice for a flight, but I don't put on the sport coat and dress pants that he always wore..... I typically fly in a nice pair shorts and a collared shirt. I just don't want to look like an idiot up there in the nice section.....

I wonder how long it will take Bavaria to respond to this one.....

Duds

Personally I would wear whatever I was comfortable in. I will not sit on a plane and be uncomfortable. I don't look at what other people are wearing and if have nothing better to do than look at what others are wearing then they need to get a life. Sorry if this is not the correct answer but If I am paying for a flight I will wear what I want as long as it isn't illegal.

 

[safetymom]

I have seen all types of outfits in first class. I do think I dress a little nicer when I sit up front. It's a shame the habit of dressing up for certain occasions seems to be going away.

 

[safetymom]

BTW, your outfit sounds fine.

 

[bradisgoofy]

First class is the only way my wife will fly and we have a trip coming up shortly. We don't dress any different no matter what part of the plane we are in. Be comfortable.

 

[SurfinTX]

See my Sig? That's how we flew into MCO first class earlier that day. So be comfortable. Buisness casual would be the average I think.

 

[dioxide45]

When I fly business class, I dress up in business casual wear. Consider that when employees fly standby on employee rates they can often get placed in business class or first class. They are expected to dress up better than just casual jeans and a t-shirt.

You are already flying first class, so comfort won't be a problem.

 

[DebbieB]

I flew first class to CA last month on an award ticket, it was a 5 hour flight and I wanted to be comfortable. I wore jeans, sneakers & a jersey top. I don't think anyone pays attention to what people wear.

 

[bavaria]

Bavaria was busy booking some First Class tickets.

While this is a hotly debated topic on flyertalk.com, and while some do wear their most tattered items, I fly in what Americans term 'business' attire most of the time, even when on holiday.

I highly recommend travelling in a skirt, which is far easier to manage in tiny airplane bathrooms or for squat toilets. Add a cotton knit shirt and cardigan and pashmina, easy to remove shoes, and you are all set.

Flying can be very warm, especially internationally, as there isn't as strong AC around the world. Also different airlines set the cabin temps differently, and LH has some of the hottest as the vast majority of Germans cry out 'es ZIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHT!' if they do not do so.

If one is seated in an exit row, the air can be cooler, but that is why I wear tights and carry a pashmina. Even with Raynaud's I don't find it unbearable.

Some airlines such as LH provide 'pyjamas' for their F passengers on long haul overnight flights - please do not change in the cabin. And please do not wander around the cabin in your bare feet.

For your special trip however sir anything goes. Knowing the airline, the route, the destination, and the purpose of your trip, even if you choose to wear the most tattered of flyertalk.com outfits and expose your hairy toes, nobody at all will care.


Edited to add: I didn't read any of the responses before, but the voice of your Dad and the words of Safetymom are the ones that I follow. Wise people!

And I don't care one bit what someone else wears unless they insist on flashing their privates, or exposing their hairy feet, or putting those feet on my person or my seat.

 

[kathie859]

I flew first class to CA last month on an award ticket, it was a 5 hour flight and I wanted to be comfortable. I wore jeans, sneakers & a jersey top. I don't think anyone pays attention to what people wear.

I really am tired of seeing people at the airport who look like they just rolled out of bed So I guess I am guilty of paying attention
DebbieB, your outfit sounds fine as long as the jeans aren't the ripped, butt-crack revealing type and the jersey top isn't revealing--it sounds like something that I would wear. Comfy sneakers, too!! Let's face it there are jeans and there are JEANS

FWIW...there have been studies on how people react to folks based purely on outward appearances, I know, I know--not fair, not fair!! But it's true.
People who present a more polished appearance get more favorable treatment. So while I certainly strive for comfort on a flight, I don't forget that I am in public. See, I TOLD you I was an old fogie!!

 

[bavaria]

I have no issue with 'jeans' - there are extremely fashionable ones out there, and the uniform for millions of German and European men is dark denim trousers paired with a dress shirt and sports coat or blazer, and scarf. That is a very attractive outfit to our eyes, even if some here deride it.

I would far rather see a man dressed like that, in what is technically 'jeans', than see a man in a low cut tank top, short shorts, sandals, and gold chains, as some here choose to fly.

It is not the fabric but how it is worn which makes the difference.

 

[Brian Noble]

A nice pair of shorts and collared shirt will be fine in the front cabin in summer time, though when I'm up front I generally wear slacks appropriate to the season or a very nice pair of jeans rather than shorts, unless it is truly g'dawful hot at my source and/or destination.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I must say that we flew Airtran Business class ( I know--that's not really first class) down and back this last trip. On the way down there was a family in that section and both parents wore shorts. On the way back we had an Airtran emlployee in the section and he also had on shorts, sneakers and no socks.
No one batted an eye--

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I really am tired of seeing people at the airport who look like they just rolled out of bed So I guess I am guilty of paying attention . . .

I remember flying back from Puerta Vallarta with a freind in the 90's and while in the temrinal, we noticed a young man who looked pretty ratty but had a really interesting postal service jacket on. When we boarded the plane, there he was sitting in FC and we realized it was John Cusack!

Which made me realize that the only time its important to dress up (beyond clean, neat and groomed) is when you don't have a ticket for the class you plan to fly in. My DH and I have only been successful in getting an Op-Up once, and I was in business casual, but he was in his standard shorts and collared shirt (we were flying to Maui). Of course, that once spolied us, so now we use miles to make sure we already have FC tickets in hand! -- Suzanne

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

I typically fly in a nice pair shorts

Hopefully you won't be sitting next to Larry David.

 

[DebbieB]

I really am tired of seeing people at the airport who look like they just rolled out of bed So I guess I am guilty of paying attention
DebbieB, your outfit sounds fine as long as the jeans aren't the ripped, butt-crack revealing type and the jersey top isn't revealing--it sounds like something that I would wear. Comfy sneakers, too!! Let's face it there are jeans and there are JEANS

None of the above! I even cleaned my sneakers so they were perfectly white.

One time I was in first class on an upgrade and sitting in row 1. I looked across the aisle and there was a guy who was wearing sandles and he took them off and put his bare feet up onto the bulkhead! His toenails were gross!

 

[bavaria]

One time I was in first class on an upgrade and sitting in row 1. I looked across the aisle and there was a guy who was wearing sandles and he took them off and put his bare feet up onto the bulkhead! His toenails were gross!

That happens on about 1/2 of my US flights. The FAs really cannot stand it when people do this, by the way.

And I can top that - I was flying on an A340 a few weeks ago when I was awoken by a bad smell. The two women behind me had their shoes off and had their feet balanced on the back of our seats - these were on lie flat seats in C, so there was absolutely no excuse for that behaviour. Needless to say the LH FAs were as disgusted as I was.

Even worse are the people who put their bare feet on the arm rest of the person in front of them, touching their arms, or those who clip their toenails during a flight.

Flying in close quarters is difficult enough without people being so thoughtless. Please maintain some distance and have some respect for others.

 

[crashbb]

You may not have an issue with jeans, Bavaria, but some agents do!

Admittedly, this was many, many years ago, but I almost lost an upgrade on a Air Canada flight from Osaka to Toronto because I was wearing jeans. Apparently, when flying out of Asia, jeans were not acceptable in Executive Class (basically Air Canada's version of First/Business). After much toing and froing they finally let me sit in Executive. Funnily though, it was a 747 with two Executive sections (one in the nose and one just behind it) and I was the ONLY person in my section - so no one was there to be offended by my jeans.

I did point out that had they told me of the upgrade when I checked in, rather than at the gate (and the upgrade had been approved days before - they just forgot to tell me), I would have been able to change.

 

[bavaria]

AC also has one of the most strict employee dress code policies, and most airlines extend that policy to children as well. The policy covers things like hose must be worn, etc, and is far more restrictive than most people here may think.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Here's a pic of my nephew and sister-in-law this past May (my preference like others is First/Business class - so I rarely book coach) on Continental, so you can see they were dressed decent, but by no means dressed to the nines: