By Jay Brown
There was a time when flying was more than simply getting from one airport to another. Air travel was an experience.
Passengers dressed for the occasion. Men wore suits and sport coats. Women arrived in stylish dresses and coordinated outfits. People took pride in their appearance, and boarding an airplane carried a certain sense of excitement and occasion.
Today, air travel is considerably more casual. Comfortable clothing has largely replaced the formal attire of aviation’s golden age, and for many travelers, flying has become little more than another form of transportation.
But what if an airline could bring back some of that excitement—not by imposing a dress code, but by making dressing well fun again?
That’s the idea behind “American Travel in Style,” a proposed customer-engagement campaign developed by Jay Brown and his girlfriend.
The concept is simple: recognize passengers who voluntarily choose to elevate their travel experience through polished, tasteful, and appropriate attire—and give them a chance to win some extraordinary travel prizes.
How Would It Work?
Under the proposed program, flight attendants on American Airlines flights could nominate the three passengers who best represent the spirit of “Travel in Style.”
Each nominated passenger would receive a style rating from 1 to 10, with 10 representing the highest rating.
The passenger’s confirmation number and rating could then be entered into a secure American database.
Every nomination would provide an entry into an annual drawing, with higher ratings receiving additional entries:
10 rating = 10 entries
9 rating = 9 entries
8 rating = 8 entries
And so forth.
Passengers could receive multiple nominations throughout the year, giving frequent travelers additional opportunities to participate.
The idea isn’t intended to create a dress code or make anyone feel excluded.
Instead, it would recognize passengers who voluntarily decide to make flying feel a little more special.
As the old saying goes, “When you look good, you feel good.”
While clothing certainly doesn’t determine a person’s character or behavior, dressing with intention can make people feel more confident and can help create the feeling that an ordinary trip is something worth celebrating.
The Prizes
At the end of each year, American could hold a drawing for eligible participants.
The proposed grand prize would be a two-week luxury vacation for two, including round-trip premium-class airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, ground transportation, curated excursions, and other major travel expenses.
A second-place prize could consist of a one-week vacation for two, including premium airfare, hotel accommodations, and an American Vacations package.
A third-place prize could be a long-weekend getaway for two, including round-trip airfare, three nights at a premium hotel, and additional travel benefits or credits.
The exact prizes, eligibility requirements, and program rules would ultimately be determined by American Airlines.
A Marketing Opportunity
Beyond the prizes, the real value of American Travel in Style could be the attention generated around the campaign.
With participants’ permission, American could feature nominated travelers on its website and social-media platforms.
Passengers could share photographs of themselves traveling in style using hashtags such as:
#AmericanTravelInStyle
#FlyInStyle
The campaign could also create partnerships with premium clothing designers, luggage manufacturers, footwear companies, watchmakers, travel-accessory companies, hotels, resorts, and other lifestyle brands.
Those partnerships could potentially provide sponsorship opportunities while introducing American customers to complementary travel and lifestyle products.
The Earned-Media Potential
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the idea is its potential to generate earned media.
A campaign that encourages passengers to dress up and celebrates their personal style could attract attention from television programs, morning shows, newspapers, travel publications, fashion magazines, podcasts, bloggers, and social-media creators.
Imagine a passenger boarding an American Airlines flight in an impeccably tailored suit and being surprised by a flight attendant with a “Travel in Style” nomination.
Imagine passengers posting their outfits before a flight, hoping to be selected.
Imagine an annual event featuring the year’s most memorable nominees and announcing the grand-prize winner.
The campaign could create a story that passengers themselves would want to share.
And unlike traditional advertising, those stories could continue spreading organically through social media and news coverage.
More Than Just Clothing
The broader idea is really about changing the way people think about the journey.
Flying doesn’t have to be merely transportation.
It can be an experience.
A wedding.
A vacation.
A business trip.
A romantic getaway.
A family reunion.
An adventure.
Why not give passengers another reason to make the journey itself part of the occasion?
The campaign could encourage confidence, courtesy, and a sense of pride in traveling while maintaining a completely voluntary and inclusive approach.
A New Aviation Tradition?
Brown believes American Travel in Style could potentially become an annual tradition associated with American Airlines.
The campaign could generate customer engagement, encourage repeat travel, create social-media content, provide sponsorship opportunities, and distinguish American from competing airlines.
Most importantly, it could tap into something that many travelers remember—or have heard stories about—from aviation’s past: the idea that flying was something special.
The goal isn’t necessarily to return aviation to the 1950s or 1960s.
It’s about taking one element from that era—the excitement of dressing for the journey—and giving it a modern twist.
From an Idea to the Skies
Brown says he and his girlfriend have spent considerable time developing and refining the concept.
Their hope is that American Airlines—or potentially another major carrier—will recognize the potential of turning Travel in Style into something bigger than a marketing campaign.
It could become a tradition.
Something passengers look forward to.
Something flight crews enjoy participating in.
Something social-media users want to share.
And something the media wants to cover.
Because sometimes the most memorable ideas aren’t complicated.
Sometimes they’re simply about taking something people once loved and finding a new way to make it relevant.
Travel in Style could be one of those ideas.
And perhaps, just perhaps, the next time you walk through an airport, you’ll see a few more suits, dresses, jackets, polished shoes, and smiles along the way.
Because maybe flying really can feel special again.
Original article
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