Dress comfortably but not slovenly.  Too many people travel in sweats and sweatshirts and then wonder why they aren’t taken seriously.  If you want to be taken seriously when you have a problem, don’t look like you just got out of bed. 

That doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit.  Wear comfortable but attractive clothes that imply you are person who means business.  Jeans are OK but not jeans with holes for instance.  Wear a comfortable pair of shoes but not sneakers or a sweater not a sweatshirt.  Going someplace that requires a dressier look?  Try wearing your sportcoat or jacket while traveling which will save room in your luggage and make you look professional at the same time.  Women should not wear pajama bottoms and men should not wear t-shirts.

Layer your clothing with a nice shirt, comfortable sweater and a jacket.  Getting a blanket on an airplane is unlikely these days but if you have layered your clothing, it becomes easier to adjust to the temperatures on airplanes.   Believe it or not, pilots control the temperature on most airplanes and they may well be unaware of how cold or warm it is in the cabin.  Flight attendants will often ask them to raise the temperature in the cabin so that people will feel drowsy  on flights they expect to be problematic.   Yet, if it is the first flight of the day leaving from a very cold destination it could take as much as half of the flight to warm the cabin to a comfortable temperature. 

Keep your clothing loose and of natural fibers such as cottons and wools.  You’ll feel less constricted and confined as you sit in that economy seat.  If you have to wear a winter jacket and it has zippered pockets, use them to carry the things you might take in a small bag such as a small snack or an MP3 player or gloves. 

If you do experience trouble at an airport, the right clothing can help a lot.  By dressing well, gate agents are more likely to take you seriously when there is a problem.  Agents are humans too and they will tend to respect those who are dressed respectfully and they will tend to ignore those who are dressed carelessly.   The bottom line is that if you are comfortable enough for a long airplane trip, you’ll be comfortable enough for an extended airport wait. 

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