adventures_await

I am travelling from SFO to Frankfurt next week in Business class. It is a 10-hour overnight flight. I want to be comfortable and be able to sleep. I would like to bring onboard and wear some pajamas for the flight. What is the proper etiquette for this?

Thanks in advance.

mahasamatman

Just think of what's appropriate in any public setting. You can change in the washroom, or you can wear your sleepwear underneath your other clothes and just remove your outer layer when you want to. Depending on what your sleepwear is like (e.g. T-shirt and sweatpants), you could even just change into them before boarding.

fumje

Personally I would say do what you like, assuming general awareness of decency. I have seen people board in their PJs before. When I use the ones UA supplies on longer routes, I change in the lav. The 77W (aircraft for SFO-FRA) has a larger lav at door 2L, which makes changing easier. The one thing I would say don't do � which I have seen people do � is change in the seat.

adventures_await

Thanks for the reply. I will have them in my carry on backpack.

rankourabu

Until United gets doors, change in the lav or beforehand.
There is no etiquette. Wear what you like.

cfischer

Huh, well ... I'd say it depends

UA will also have PJs on this flight in case the OP doesn't want to bring one. They are not spectacular, but cotton and Mrs. cfischer likes them when we fly long-haul UA

bmwe92fan

As someone who has been burned by this before -- I would say UA "may / should" have them available.... OP if this is very important -- I'd advise you pack your own.... My wife and I have been on many flights to Tokyo where there should have been PJ's but they weren't available....

autobahnal

Also one other thing on the pajamas -- I always change after take-off as opposed to during boarding, just bc I've had a couple of cases where we boarded and then something happened and we had to de-board, and I didn't want to be wearing pajamas in the terminal (though I realize others may disagree on this...the pajamas I travel with are definitely not couture lol)

Starman

I've done SFO-FRA countless times on UA over the past few years and have never once seen UA pajamas, nor had them offered. There is theoretically a policy that they are available on flights longer than a certain threshold (which I believe SFO-FRA fails, if I recall), but also multiple earlier threads stating that they are never actually there.

abaheti

When I do PJs, I tend to board as early as I can then go to the lav to change while boarding finishes up. And, about 1.5 hours before end of flight I go to the lav and swap back. Nobody has ever raised an eyebrow. I also tend to carry PJs from prior flights, different airlines, nobody cares but every now and then will get a friendly comment about "oh, I love <insert airline here> PJs" or "I have those at home!".

Kacee

Exactly. Anything else is fine. Heck some percentage of pax seem always to be flying in pajama-like sweats, honestly no one will even notice if you put them on prior to boarding (though I generally change in the lav prior to takeoff).

SPN Lifer

There seems to be a resurgence of interest in pajamas on FlyerTalk.

Polaris Pajamas -- Experiences, How to Request, Changing Logistics, ....

PJ in overnight flights (Information Desk forum)

When I commented, "Many passengers change into pajamas / pyjamas (PJs) in their seats," (Post # 8), this was countered in the next post by someone who had never seen this happen, an assertion upvoted by FlyerTalk Posting Legend beckoa .

I am glad to see I am not the only person who has noticed people changing in their seats. Yet I am not so judgmental about the practice.

Most people who change into pajamas do so discreetly, which is why some very frequent travellers do not even notice it. A blanket can certainly cover up below-the-waist changes.

Keep in mind that those who use a lavatory as a changing room are diverting a very scarce resource from being used for its intended excretory functions.

As someone who suffers from benign prostate hyperplasia, I would hate to have to urinate into an air sickness bag because so many people were putting on pajamas in the lav, a time-consuming process. And what about fellow passengers with diarrhea?

I myself have donned a pair of UA-issued PJs in my seat, as a point of courtesy and respect for my fellow passengers. There are many ways to be helpful. We should each do what we can, which will be different for each of us.

Fly the Friendly Skies!

docbert

I frequently change into a pajama top at my seat, especially when in an odd-numbered window Polaris seat (which are a little more private than most others). I'm male, so worst case someone walking past sees a little bit of topless skin - not exactly a good business-class look, but hardly an issue on either side.

I don't use the pajama bottoms, but I do change into shorts during boarding (and back before landing). I wouldn't consider doing this at my seat - especially as I change during boarding when there are people everywhere. However I don't disagree that if you were to take suitable precautions (such as covering up with a blanket) and do it at a quiter time then I can't see any real issue with doing it at your seat.

krispy84

We�re missing some passenger specific context here. If you model for Calvin Klein or Abercrombie & Fitch, feel free to change standing up at your seat, or even in the aisle (particularly if I�m onboard). If you look like me, then do as I do and always in the lavs! 😁😁

IluvSQ

The only times I have done this ( twice) is when I was the only passenger in the F compartment.