Is it acceptable to travel in shorts and sandals?

[sevenwonde]

Help! The friend group is split on this one and it is largely tongue in cheek

We’re off on a girls holiday soon. Half the group thinks it’s fine to travel in shorts and sandals (Birkenstocks), the other half thinks you need to look put together in the airport and dress in a nice outfit (linen, silk trousers etc), in case of an upgrade. They think the nicer you’re dressed the less likely you are to be asked to check your bag at the gate etc.

So, is it acceptable?! They’re not tiny shorts that show my bum cheeks!

Why on earth not?
Last year I visited Liverpool when it was 34 degrees. There is no way I would want to be sweating in trainers or other enclosed shoes at those kind of temperatures. It was flat sandals all the way.

I wear trousers because planes get cold. And seats are plastic and I don't want skin to stick!

Customer facing staff.... marketing/brand image trumps pretty much everything else...(and of course these days there's often a trousers option for cabin crew anyway).

For info on the odd occasion our crew used to (might still do) get the slide experience during initial training or recurrent training they put overalls on over their uniforms to protect the uniform and to help avoid slide burns.

Your friends would hate me, I always travel in a cotton tracksuit!

You're right, they wouldn't usually choose someone with a special meal. It's rare they choose anyone though, they will go with empty premium seats instead. Upgrades are only if it benefits the airline such as an over sales issue or similar.

No matter what I wear in an airport I always end up feeling gross by the time I reach my destination for some reason

Dressing up to fly is more like 60 years ago. 30 years ago we already had airlines like Ryanair and easyJet, and flying was a completely normal everyday event.

I don't get this at all. Flying is an uncomfortable, inconvenient faff with a lot of standing around waiting for things. What on earth would possess you to make it an even more uncomfortable experience? No-one cares what you're wearing.

I always travel in clothes I'd like to be wearing to escape a burning aircraft wreck. Trainers, often jeans.

Have your friends time travelled from the 1960s?

Your friends are weird

The only time I ever got upgraded, on a flight to Australia in my 20s, I was very casually dressed in combat trousers, t-shirt and trainers. There were several people upgraded, we were all lone travellers who had checked in early.

As if the lady checking you in behind the desk gives a shit what you are wearing. Do they honestly think they are sitting there going let’s wait for the most presentable person to give an upgrade to ? If it happens which is very rare how you look or what you are wearing would have zero to do with it . Such a ridiculous thing to think

Oh just wear what you want. Life's way too short for this nonsense: the other half thinks you need to look put together in the airport and dress in a nice outfit

Jesus....this is an ott trip. I wouldn't have friends who would ever be "horrified" by my wearing shorts. How old are these women?

Well check you out my lovely 😁

The thing is, with a short haul trip like this, the upgrade gives you virtually nothing anyway, and you'll have absolutely minimal contact with airline staff. You check in online, go through security, and then get admitted to the plane. No-one is going to even think about offering you an upgrade.

Could there be an any more Mumsnet thread? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Fwiw my 2 chn (aged 6 + 4) and myself were once upgraded to business for free.

None of us were wearing linens or looking put together. We weren't frequent flyers either.

I could never go on a plane wearing sandals. Far too cold!

I’m an anxious flyer anyway so really can’t fathom planning my outfits around the possibility of a less painful death - it would stop me even getting on the plane.

The Birkenstocks are Milano, so they have a strap at the back and stay on

Dress for comfort.

And anyway, people wearing linen, by the time they’ve sat in a car to the airport, will look as if they’ve slept on a park bench.

Airlines have been known to to ask people to cover up.

Nor I, cropped cotton yes

Not in normal shorts!

Slip on sandals dont seem very practical for schlopping about an airport. Or if you somehow end up having to run for your flight.

Won't shorts be cold?

I dont know the upgrade procedures but I can't imagine that a group would be upgraded anyway.

I don't wear sandals, I have foot problems. Trainers are my go to, because I like to walk/take public transport. But it doesn't make sense, you're more likely to have a train incident or car crash, or be mugged etc, so outside of a closed resort, there's no place for holiday clothes, by that pilot's logic.
When younger, pre scanners, I'd wear a strappy dress and flat, sling backs, to save being searched/having to remove clothing/shoes.
I've never been cold on an airplane, though, or hyper about supposed hygiene risks.

"Could there be an any more Mumsnet thread"
It's given posters the chance to declare their status re flights, it's probably made their day 😄