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!

Agree, just watch your top is fairly decent.

I’ve said they won’t be slip on?

WTF?? Why would you dress up for the airport?

And I do travel in business class regularly. My partner wears shorts of it's going to bet when we land I tend to wear leggings for comfort

The box class on that flight is same as economy with a block middle seat Whoopie do

I wouldn't wear flipflops and a vest top with my boobs hanging out but shorts and sandals are fine.

I'd take a cardigan though as air con can be fierce.

It’s a normal slightly oversized t-shirt. I still don’t see the issue!

Just landed back from Greece.

All four of us, me, DH and 2 DC (late teens) all travelled in shorts and flip flops/crocs.

Travel in what you are comfortable in.

As for planning for plane disaster, they tell you about life jackets, not fire so safe to assume landing in water is more likely and therefore less clothes will make it easier to swim/float 😁

That is perfectly fine.

Dh and I once got upgraded from premium economy to club class on a transatlantic flight home. It was from a very small airport and have no idea what either of us were wearing. Certainly not linen or very dressed but just comfortable clothes for an 8 hour flight.
What got us up graded or so dh thinks is the fact he helped with suitcases onto the conveyer belt for the woman at checkin. Made the flight home much more comfortable especially the extra leg room for dh who is over 6'

Are your friends imagining that there is going to be a block of unused seats in a better class on a short haul flight to Mykonos in the summer, and the airline staff will look at your group and think - gosh, they are dressed nicely, let’s give all of them a free upgrade?

i mean…bless them, but no. Wear something comfortable.

They’re not going to upgrade you either way unless you’re a Gold or Platinum member of their airline club. They have no reason to. The only times I got upgraded were because the airlines had a note by my name due to the highly relevant job I used to have that meant I assessed their performance. I left the industry and no more upgrades lol.

Shorts or fancy silk you’re remaining in economy.

I wear nothing but sandals all summer when not at work. I’m doing living in London all wrong it would seem?
(that was to @Miranda65 not you @RampantIvy !)

They’re not going to upgrade you either way unless you’re a Gold or Platinum member of their airline club. They have no reason to.

it depends...

This is really one for the ticketing experts but as I've always understood it If the airline has oversold economy and there's room in business Class the airline will upgrade some economy passengers to avoid denying travel...and that's the reason - it avoids paying comp (EU261 etc)

Priority for upgrade would be on points/loyalty scheme membership but if there aren't enough of those it's possible Mr/Mrs Random with no links to the loyalty schemes might get a pleasant surprise.

Edited as comment repeated what PP had already said, sorry.

Oh agreed, usually you'll find someone suitable, but possibly not always.

BA has loads of flyers with silver and above status Just take a look at the boarding groups 1 and 2 at Heathrow. Half the plane boards in them

Yes yes yes..believe me I know that...

I'm just being a picky sod (as usual) and pointing out that being a Gold, Silver, Bronze, Blue Cardholder or whatever it is these days is not always necessary for an upgrade, which is what I think was being claimed.

Define normal. Knee length ( so your sweaty bum and legs aren't on the seat)- no-one should object and would be acceptable in most countries.. Anything shorter, crawling up your bum , absolutely not Disrespectful all round. Up to you rgds footwear - dress for the emergency and wear something you could slide / run in. Its a plane not a train, and it'll be you suffering / causing problems for others otherwise. On the other hand, throwing on a party frock and heels is ludicrous.

It’s disrespectful to wear mid thigh length shorts?

Dress for comfort, the changes of an upgrade are next to none unless you’ve got a high status of frequent flyer membership.

I used to get upgraded as a teenager in jeans and hoodie. I assumed it was because I was flying alone and booked via my Dad's work.

Thigh pic required. Also pic of shorts in question. Its seriously a question of more things than length.

I was thinking rgds the culture of the country they are travelling to- not just the plane..cos then you have airport to destination

I don’t like the idea of my bare legs on the seats , so I wear loose fitting trousers and a t shirt .
i wear something tidy but not “nice “

They won’t even be able to see your trousers at the desk. My dh is always getting upgraded but he travels a lot and he’s on his own. He wears jeans.