This advice I came across in my social feed seems right: ‘Southwest Airlines passenger makes rookie mistake’ and that’s wearing short pants.
You really don’t want to wear short pants on a plane. And when you get where you’re going, change clothes! There’s really no reason to sit on your couch at home in the pants you wore on the aircraft. Regardless, though, long pants are better than shorts:
- Cabins are often cold. Even if you board someplace warm, the aircraft may be cold. Not on many European or Asian airlines, which are usually too hot. But how often is a U.S. carrier just right?
- Bare legs on airplane seats are kind of gross, since planes aren’t well cleaned between flights or even overnight. Fabric seats absorb things, and sturdier materials are smeared with plenty of germs. Shorts maximize your skin contact with a surface you probably wouldn’t choose to rub your thighs against.
- Emergency evacuation slides aren’t great on bare skin, and you may end up with scrapes, cuts and burns. Long pants are better on the ramp, too.
- Lavatories and contact with your seat opponent are worse in shorts, too, for the same reason.
I get someone might still wear shorts on a short daytime flight in warm weather anyway but at any margin beyond that it seems indefensible. This is obvious, right?
Gary, you really should just do a weekly ‘what women are wearing on planes’ post. This post would go well with your post about Carolina from June 5.
One word………..GROSS
The paranoid germaphobe Gary is showing. Connecting in ATL and just walked off a DL first class seat in shorts. In summer I wear them every time I fly. Retired, financially set and don’t care what anyone may think ((BTW half the first class cabin was in shorts). Also I don’t care what my bare leg or any other part of skin on my body touches. Please worry and write about real things!
Wear closed shoes, also. Many years ago, I read an article from a women who survived a plane crash. Some people lost their shoes and were barefoot trying to get out of the crash site walking on glass.
@Retired Gambler — Talk about gambling… (nah, I’m with you, especially for flights to/from Caribbean, I wanna be comfy when it’s like a sauna outside.)
I read somewhere that you should avoid bare feet on an airplane, too.
OH MY GOD…the leg diseases one might contract!
What are you even talking about?
@nsx at FlyerTalk — Sorry, according to our Health Secretary *checks notes* RFK, Jr. (wait, that can’t be right)… it’s perfectly fine.
https://viewfromthewing.com/science-says-delta-air-lines-barefoot-lavatory-passenger-is-proof-weve-failed-as-a-species/
@Gary: :Re: The title. If you don’t wear shorts your underwear will show.
Crazy Gary is entertaining Gary.
How can you be an elite traveler and be this big of a germaphobe?
I have never contracted an infection, rash, or other disease from my exposed lower legs. Jesus….
Yesterday, I followed a grossly obese 30-something male up the escalator to the gates at CLE. He was wearing flip-flops. Glad I didn’t have to sit by him.
When I fly to the Bahamas from Maine, I’m in shorts. I find planes too warm and I want to be ready for the tropical heat. Unless I’ve got open wounds on my legs, I’m not gonna worry about it.
I never wear shorts on a plane. Case in point. Last Saturday at PHL the Captain announces the auxiliary power is down and that the plane would not cool down until take off. He was 100% correct. The idea of my bare sweating legs on the seats was a bit too gross for me. That plane was like an oven. Thank God the first flight attendant was right there with a napkin for my drink order when I sat down.
@George Romey — Oh no. At least your cheesesteak stayed warm. Or was it a Wawa sandwich?
So ..when you find (standing water…or likely worse) on the lavatory floor, at least you can hold your shorts up just enough to keep them from touching the aforementioned liquid.
Good Luck accomplishing that with the cuffs of your (standard length) slacks.
Must really be a slow news day.
@Gary — “slow news day”… actual-Gary is probably praying for a new viral fight video to scrape off Reddit, ideally, between people of different backgrounds, so that we reignite a race-war discussion on here… or, yet another dogs-on-planes story… anything about unions, so the typical worker-bashing can commence… and, perhaps, if truly desperate, an alleged antisemitism or Israel post… what other ‘classics’ are we missing?
@1990 — Posts on tipping! PS: did you get your AA trading cards? Thought I saw you wrote you went on your AA flights recently
@L737 — Sadly, no cards. (Great flight, though.) I guess not all crews carry them.
@L737 — It was to EZE, so I did think of @Mike s (and his legendary breakup) for a moment. (Do) Cry for Me Argentina! Bah!
@1990. You certainly like to throw shade upon people you don’t even know.
In the end, though, you paint yourself into the corner as the village idiot (and bigot) with your desperate attention seeking posts.
Good grief, Charley Brown.
@Gary — You’re welcome to mistake my meta-commentary for actual bigotry. Attention? Outrage?? Yes, exactly. Now, you’re getting it. *stirs the pot*
@1990 — Ha-haa, a VFTW classic! IYKYK
I wear gym shorts to and in the gym. I can walk through a busy downtown to and from the gym when I travel not feeling any discomfort (at home I’m in a car to the gym and long pants after showering). But, otherwise I can’t wear shorts in public. Just like I could be shirtless at a pool or beach, but I would be miserable topless in a supermarket. It just feels wrong to wear shorts, and all the males doing it look silly to me. Not saying I’m right, but I only own gym shorts. It was 105° today. No desire for shorts.
I’ve said it on this website before and I’ll say it again. As a pilot instructor for a major airline, I watch people getting off, and getting on, who wear shorts, pajama bottoms, track clothes and the like. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL DIE OR GET HURT in an emergency. Because of their dress code, if they go down the slide, they will be injured. PERIOD. If there’s a fire (gawd forbid), they have NO protection AT ALL Captain A. G. Lamplugh, an Englishman wrote, many years ago, “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.”. Noting the obese man wearing flip flops on the escalator, they have been known to easily snag a toe, foot, etc. Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.
Not a germaphobe by any means, but I always wear jeans and a hoodie on a flight, not because I’m worried about surfaces, but because I don’t want skin to skin contact with the fat smelly guy that is inevitably always seated next to me and trying to manspread into my space.
@Mantis — Dr. Toboggan, those must be tactical jeans and hoodies, because, if I recall correctly, didn’t you once “invert the bird” to save a plane?
I’ll do it if it’s a short flight and the weather’s right (SFO to LAX in the summer for instance) and I’d do it for any international flight in the tropics that’s under five hours (you don’t want to be stuck in jeans for an extended period after getting off a plane in Pohnpei, Labuan Bajo, or Sorong with that weather). Otherwise I’ll wear long pants.
@Doug Swalen — Labuan Bajo! This guy Komodo Dragons! (@jack the ladd)
Wear shorts where you want to wear shorts. Planes are gross, but so are restaurant seats, bus seats, train seats, park benches, bar stools, and rental car seats. If you’re concerned about your skin touching an airplane seat, but not about any of these other items, then your fears are inconsistent and even a rational fear, applied inconsistently, is irrational.
@Gary – I agree that a lot of things on a flight can expose you to germs. The thing is, the world is packed with germs. I’m certainly no Florida Man nutbag who swims in sewer water to prove how healthy it is but are you really going to have your progeny not go outside and make mud pies because they might encounter germs? We have to deal with exposure and accept that our immune systems actually improve from that exposure. Otherwise we just go around wearing gloves and a mask in public all the time.
I always wear shorts on a plane, I’m always too warm, give my blankets away on International flights when everyone else is bundling up.
Even the 24hr flights to far east.
I wear shorts on every flight, including long hauls. I’ve never been too cold with a blanket over me but certainly too hot.
Not worried by germs lol.
Also, safety doesn’t worry me. I’m not cavalier in the slightest but I’d prefer to be comfortable on 10-12 long haul flights a year than to dress for theb1/100000000 chance of a crash. Why not wear a padded suit in case the plane goes down? Bring a snorkel and flippers in case you land in water!
I’m flying with my son on American today in domestic first. Do I just ask for trading cards?!
@Mick — That’s what I did. But, I didn’t just walk up to the pilot. I spoke with the purser first; so, ask a flight attendant, like, “Hey, umm, so, I heard about this trading card thing that the crew sometimes hands out to passengers; would I be able to ask the pilot or first officer?” (In my case, she came back and explained that they didn’t have any.) Perhaps, I was too old; if your son is younger, they’d have some. At the very least, they could have those little ‘wings’ pins to give to kids! Safe travels!
Goodness, you make it sound like the cabin is awash in Ebola virus!
Instead of long pants maybe I need a hazmat suit!
Airports as well for that matter, and add taxi/Uner cars. Pretty much all forms of public transportation is gross.
@ 1990, Doug
I generally do not wear shorts outside my house exc. at the beach as it is socially frowned upon; how often do you see locals in shorts? There is also the question of being uncovered in the tropical sun. I agree jeans don’t work; wear Khakis.
@1990 yeah it feels awkward to ask the pilot when they’re prepping for the flight ! I asked the attendant (with my son in tow) and they said they were out. Appreciate the advice.
@Mick — Yup, same experience. Good that you tried! (And enjoy rest of trip!)
Just can’t turn myself into a germaphobe.
I almost always wear shorts when flying, especially on long haul flights.I get very uncomfortable flying in long pants and often sweat while flying, so shorts are the only way for me to go. On long haul flights the seats lay flat and there is almost always a pad or blanket to cover the seats anyhow.