Your Sloppy, Disrespectful Clothing Is the Reason Air Travel Is Bad, Says Transportation Department

Your Sloppy, Disrespectful Clothing Is the Reason Air Travel Is Bad, Says Transportation Department

https://www.fodors.com/news/news/dot-launches-civility-campaign-urging-air-travelers-to-dress-with-respect

Scott Laird

“The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched a promotional campaign centered around civility for air travelers, suggesting in part that air travelers “dress with respect” during their flights.

Titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You,” the program appears to center around five main pillars: helping pregnant women and elderly passengers with their carryon bags, dressing with respect, keeping control of children, and saying please and thank you, both broadly and specifically to flight attendants.

The accompanying video started off showing promotional and advertising footage from air travel in the mid-20th Century (some even depicted propliners popular in the 1950s) before morphing into a depiction of “modern” travel shown largely from passenger cell phone videos of barefoot passengers and onboard altercations.

The department cited relatively outdated data surrounding passenger incidents onboard commercial flights, pointing to a now four-year-old year-over-year increase in passenger incidents onboard flights from 2020 to 2021, when mask mandates were still in effect. The DOT also cited a 2021 statistic about physical incidents against flight attendants. Also noted was a 400% increase in outbursts since 2019, but the year 2024 itself counted only double the number of incidents compared with 2019, suggesting that a five-year increase trend was well past its peak by 2024.

In an August 2024 release by the Biden DOT, the department noted that incidents had fallen by more than 80% from their peak in 2021, but remained too high. It stated that the FAA had increased the number of incidents referred to the FBI for additional investigation.

It’s worth noting that the DOT campaign is a promotional campaign, rather than an attempt to make any regulatory changes regarding the enforcement of passenger behavior onboard commercial flights. The DOT recently elected not to regulate how airlines reimburse passengers for expenses during delay situations, saying that consumers could instead choose airlines with better policies to accommodate them in the event of flight delays or cancellations.

Passenger behavior isn’t the only way air travel has significantly changed since the decades depicted in the DOT’s campaign video. The real cost of air travel—until the late 1970s only within the budget of the very wealthy—has significantly dropped, putting flying within reach of most Americans. Airlines have adjusted to a much more competitive environment by reducing passenger space, cutting perks and amenities, and introducing software that fills flights so efficiently that it’s rare to find even a handful of empty seats, even on low-demand days.

In short, it may be fantastical for the DOT to suggest passenger behavior and fashion sense to match that of promotional videos from the 1950s, when the air travel experience has changed so vastly in the decades since.

Passengers who might wish to wear a sport coat or suit jacket on their flight will find that the coat closets that once existed for them have disappeared in favor of more passenger seats. Hat racks that doubled as stowage for pillows and blankets have also disappeared (as have the pillows and blankets themselves from economy class on most domestic flights), turned into massive overhead bins that still offer too-little-space on full flights for everyone to stow their bag, which has become a flashpoint among fliers. Lavatories that once had electric shavers and tiny airline-branded bars of soap now have sinks so tiny they’re difficult to use without splashing on your clothes.

Airlines have responded to the deregulated environment that dictates passengers only pay for what’s important to them. Passengers can have the space and amenities that once came included in their ticket, but they now must pay extra for them—which adds to the overall frustration of travel.

It’s also important to explain that most airlines already have policies requiring passengers to dress—as the DOT puts it—with respect. The contract of carriage for most U.S. carriers allows them to deny boarding to passengers with clothing that is overly revealing or contains offensive or upsetting messages or images.

Sometimes It Feels Like There’s an Earthquake on the Jet Bridge — But Here’s the Weird Truth

Photorhzr/Dreamstime

https://www.fodors.com/news/airlines/why-jet-bridges-shake-the-real-reason-passenger-boarding-bridges-jolt-and-wobble

 Scott Laird

Don't be scared.

They’re a common sight at airports around the world: Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBBs), also known as “jet bridges” or “Jetways” (which is a brand name), are some of the more distinctive architectural features in aviation. In the United States, they’re used by most airports handling passenger jets after being developed in the 1950s to funnel passengers directly from the terminal interior to the aircraft interior, sparing them from the outdoor elements.

Anybody who has spent a fair amount of time on a PBB (or is really observant) is familiar with the rather jarring sensation of the bridge seeming to have a seizure—jerking and wobbling for no apparent reason as the floor jars and jolts. It almost never fails to get everybody’s attention and elicit a flurry of remarks.

But what is the mysterious rumble?

Ever felt an automobile settle onto its tires when you get in? It’s the same concept. During turnarounds, aircraft slowly rise off their landing gear as passengers, baggage, and cargo are offloaded, and they slowly sink again as new passengers, baggage, and cargo are loaded. This means that without adjustment, the level of the PBB can differ by several inches from the floor of the aircraft at various points during the process—that’s a trip hazard for people entering or exiting the aircraft, and too much movement can put pressure on the aircraft exits, a situation that often requires a lengthy damage assessment from an aircraft maintenance team before the aircraft can be cleared to safely depart.

The obvious solution is to put down ramps, but there’s another wrinkle: aircraft skins are uniquely sensitive to wear-and-tear. The seal on an aircraft door is vital to maintaining a pressurized cabin while inflight, so it’s also a safety risk to scrape away a micrometer of metal each time a ramp is placed, so all the servicing equipment is designed to come up close to the aircraft skin, but not remain in contact with it.

Baggage loaders, PBBs, and catering trucks all inch close to the aircraft, but generally don’t make contact. There are certain exceptions, like the cloth canopies on PBBs, which are soft enough not to be an issue, or the metal ramps temporarily used for catering carts and passenger boarding on some regional jets are similarly designed to bridge the gap without constant contact with the aircraft’s skin.

The floor level of a PBB already adjusts up and down so that it can service different aircraft types at differing heights above the ground: way down low for regional jets and occasionally turboprop aircraft, and way up high for the big widebody jumbo jets. When the PBBs are parked against the aircraft, there are sensors that can determine how much the aircraft has moved relative to where the floor level was originally set, and make adjustments to keep the floor level with the aircraft floor.

While the newer auto-level systems use video and lasers to detect movement, the older ones are pretty low-tech. When the PBB is parked, an arm comes out with a rubber wheel that sits against the aircraft skin to measure how much the level has changed. When it reached a certain threshold, it suddenly adjusts on the wheel back to where it was. It’s not always a gentle movement, and it can rub the canopy against the aircraft skin. This isn’t unsafe, but over time it leaves a rather unsightly square of gray smudge around the door, which is particularly on aircraft painted a light color like white, cream, or grey (as so many are).

The important thing to remember is that this is completely normal. Nobody messed up, the systems aren’t malfunctioning, and the passengers aren’t about to spill out onto the ramp (although sometimes they might need to grab onto a railing). It’s just a byproduct of a handy invention designed to keep travelers safe boarding and deplaning from their flights.

Blackstone buys Australia’s Hamilton Island

Resort destination with five hotels changes hands from Oatley family for a price reported at more than A$1 billion.

Aerial view of Hamilton Island

https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Deals/Mergers-and-Acquistions/Blackstone-buys-Australias-Hamilton-Island?

By Jeffrey Weinstein

SYDNEY – Real Estate funds managed by Blackstone have entered into an agreement to acquire Hamilton Island, an integrated resort destination in the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia, from the Oatley family.

Blackstone did not publish the price paid, but the Financial Review reported that two market sources not directly involved with the transaction said it had sold for about A$1.2 billion (US$804 million).

The island resort was initially listed in 2023 and reportedly came back to market in October 2025 with a price tag of around A$1 billion.

Hamilton Island is located in the heart of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef. Hamilton Island spans more than 2,800 acres across two islands (around 70% of which remains undeveloped) and comprises five hotels, more than 20 restaurants and bars, 20 retail outlets, an 18-hole championship golf course on neighboring Dent Island, a marina, and a commercial airport. A range of stays include qualia, Beach Club, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows, The Sundays, and self-catering holiday homes and apartments.

The billionaire Oatley family inherited Hamilton Island from their father, winemaker and sailor Robert Oatley who died in 2016, aged 87. They have reportedly invested more than A$450 million in upgrading Hamilton Island’s tourism facilities over the years.

“Hospitality and leisure is a key investment theme at Blackstone globally, including in the Asia Pacific region, where we’ve brought scale and operational expertise to invest in and build leading brands,” said Chris Heady, chairman of Asia Pacific & Head of Real Estate Asia, Blackstone. “We are committed to investing in the long-term success of Hamilton Island, its people, and its local businesses and community.”

Australia is home to some of Blackstone’s most significant investments, including Crown Resorts (acquired for $8.9 billion about three years ago), the country’s largest hospitality employer with three premium entertainment and hospitality resorts in Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne; and AirTrunk, the largest data center platform in APAC.

Blackstone’s key investments include an eight-hotel portfolio from Kintetsu Group Holdings in Japan; a joint venture with Panchshil Realty on Ventive Hospitality, which owns and manages a portfolio of luxury hotels in India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka; and Great Wolf Resorts, an owner and operator of family-oriented entertainment resorts in the U.S.

Busy Gencom reacquires Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove

After selling the property to Hersha in 2017, the acquisitive Miami-based investor sees a value-add opportunity and takes it back.

Gencom has reacquired a majority stake in the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove.

https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Deals/Mergers-and-Acquistions/Busy-Gencom-reacquires-Ritz-Carlton-Coconut-Grove

By Jeffrey Weinstein

MIAMI – Gencom, having just acquired with partners The InterContinental New York Times Square and reopened the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne after a refinance and $100 million renovation, has now closed on the acquisition of the 115-key Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami from Hersha Hospitality Trust for an undisclosed price.

A Gencom-led joint venture originally acquired The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in 2011 and in 2017 sold a majority stake on the property for a reported $24.63 million to Hersha. The new deal, where Gencom has taken sole ownership, was financed by Banco Inbursa.

“The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove has always been a special property for Gencom, reflected by our history with the asset and Coconut Grove’s timeless appeal,” said Karim Alibhai, founder of Gencom. “Reacquiring a majority stake aligns with our strategy of investing in high-quality assets in markets with strong fundamentals. We see significant opportunity to build on the property’s legacy and exceptional brand by creating value through disciplined investment and asset management.”

The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove property first opened in 2002 in Miami’s historic Coconut Grove neighborhood. In addition to the hotel’s 115 guestrooms, the Ritz-Carlton property features ~30,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space, a swimming pool, poolside restaurant, boutique spa and salon, and a fitness center. The 21-story upscale hotel underwent its latest renovation in 2018. The upgrades included renovating the guestrooms and suites, the lobby, swimming pool, and food and beverage spaces that led to the opening of Isabelle’s Coconut Grove and The Commodore cocktail bar.

Gencom’s Miami holdings also includes Miami Riverbridge, a privately funded mixed-use development planned along the Miami River.

Today, the Gencom portfolio is comprised of nearly $8 billion in assets under management and includes 24 owned assets in operation or under development with over 6,000 hotel rooms around the world; in addition to 185 properties, comprised of 50,000 keys through its third-party management affiliate, Pyramid Global Hospitality.

DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory

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