I get that some people have business waiting at the pickup and wanting to look professional, but why everybody else?
I always put on pants when I go out. It’s the decent thing to do
There is a simple reason you haven’t considered.
I want to bring my suit on the trip, and I don’t want to crush it into a bag, because it’ll wrinkle.
LPT: You can roll suits and shirts in the bag so they don’t wrinkle.
My company was very old school and had a dress code for all stupid situations, including travel on business. Also, fly in and fly out meetings are a thing. In the 90’s they wouldn’t let you sit in first class - before points aligned status were a thing, travel enough and you would get bumped up often when in a suit over others.
Wearing a shirt and nice trouser helps my business traveller persona dont want to explain an immigration officer why I wear work clothe and steel toe booth for a business meeting.
Anyway, I have a business meeting, need a suit and will be back the next day, so I am rather wearing my business suit, rather than taking a checked in luggage
Because I come from a family of pilots and the free F&F tickets came with the stipulation that we dressed very nice. I grew up with that and the habit stuck.
They probably dress nicely most of the time.
I’d say… why not?
For me, comfort, but also I’m usually flying for some kind of vacation where formal apparel doesn’t make sense, like snowboarding or hiking.
By dressing nicely you show respect for other people.
I’ve never heard of that and I’m not sure I would agree.
How? If I were meeting with someone in a formal setting, sure. If I’m flying somewhere after work just to go straight to my hotel, I’m not formally interacting with anyone where being dressed up makes a difference.
I’m don’t see how it’s any more respectful for anyone else I’m walking by in an airport terminal if I’m wearing a suit and tie vs sweatpants and a hoodie.
Does your statement imply that it’s disrespectful to not dress up, or is putting on informal clothes kind of the baseline and dressing up is extra?
Maybe that’s considered so in your (sub)culture, but it’s not a universal truth. That sounds like something a WASP boomer would say.
One reason among several is tradition. Air travel used to be the domain of the wealthy, at a time when the wealthy seldom left the house in super-casual or working-class attire.
