Travelers Weigh in on Proper Attire for Air Travel

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Mar 06, 2015, 01:19 ET

CHICAGO, March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Long gone are the days when people dressed up for flying. Today's travelers arrive in sweat pants, tank tops and flip flops, and apparently not too many people care.

The GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation service provider, along with GO Airport Express, a GO member and Chicago-based ground transportation company serving O'Hare International and Midway airports asked their passengers their opinion on the subject.

Of the 602 respondents, just 19 percent said they wished people dressed nicer; of those slightly more men (22 percent) were more particular than women, at 18 percent.

Forty-six percent said they had no opinion on the subject, while a full 31 percent said as long as people paid for their tickets, they should be able to wear whatever they want.

Just three percent said airlines should have a dress code, banning certain items such as tank tops.

When asked how they dressed for leisure travel, most responded "nice but comfortable" such as jeans, casual pants and decent tops. Nine percent of women and six percent of men said they prefer to dress up, because they prefer to look their best.

Just over a third of respondents (35 percent) said they dress differently for business travel; Thirty nine percent said this would depend on if they were going directly to an appointment or had time to change before hand.

Comments from respondents varied. One said they "hated being told how to dress, but we should teach proper public behavior so dress codes wouldn't have to be written and enforced." Another noted they don't like seeing other travelers' under garments or pajamas and that sleeves and shoes should be worn.

Another said they dress to be presentable, adding "if a person chooses to be a spectacle" they should be prepared to deal with the response of fellow travelers. Another respondent noted "this is a free country and not a dictatorship."

"In general, people seem uninterested in how other travelers are dressing, unless the attire is offensive or causes a nuisance," says John McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express.

One of the oldest companies in Chicago, GO Airport Express traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago's railroad stations and the downtown hotels. The GO Group, LLC is a one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services. Its members transport some 13 million passengers to and from some 66 airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe annually.

SOURCE The GO Group, LLC