If there’s one outfit I’m passionate about, it’s pajamas. Especially airline pajamas. I don’t just wear my airline pajamas on planes, but also at airports, in hotel lobbies, at Starbucks, etc. 😉
Since pajamas are a topic I’m so passionate about, I can’t help but answer the question MattFL posed in the “Ask Lucky” forum here:
Hi Lucky – my wife and I will be flying Emirates from Orlando in early October. What’s the story with the pajamas? Do you personally wear them during the flight and are they comfortable & decent looking? I’m trying to figure out what to pack and wear during the long flight, especially for sleeping.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes… wear your airline pajamas, and wear them often!
Why?
1. Wearing pajamas will keep your clothes fresh
Living out of a carry-on, this is possibly the biggest selling point of wearing airline pajamas. I have limited clothes I travel with, so it’s important to me that I can board with “crisp” clothes, and deplane with clothes in the same condition. That’s the beauty of airline pajamas.
If you don’t have much carry-on space you can just leave them aboard after your flight, but at least wear them and get one good use out of them, in my opinion.
2. They’re actually comfortable
Emirates has among the most comfortable airline pajamas out there. They’re extremely light and soft, so you won’t sweat to death in them.
As much as I love Singapore Airlines, for example, their pajamas are more like parkas, which is only made worse by them keeping their cabins quite warm.
3. Where else do you get to wear pajamas and drink cocktails in public?
Perhaps this is the coolest thing about airline pajamas. Where else is it considered socially acceptable to wear pajamas while walking around, or walking up to a bar, or interacting with other adults?
Much like airlines serve warm chocolate chip cookies and ice cream sundaes in many first class cabins, these are treats which would only usually be considered acceptable for kids, but somehow air travel makes them appropriate for everyone.
4. The sizes will flatter you
What I love about Emirates pajamas in particular is that they run really large. There is something nice about being given medium pajamas and having them be way big on you. Unfortunately for smaller people, medium is the smallest size they have.
Bottom line
For me it’s not specifically about whether or not you wear the airline’s pajamas. Rather, I think changing into something more comfortable on a longhaul flight is an absolute must. For me that’s always either the pajamas offered by the airline, or in the event that they don’t offer them or I don’t like them, it’s gym shorts and a t-shirt.
It’s perhaps even part of my “ritual” on longhaul flights, which gets me into a different mindset and ready to battle jetlag.
What’s your approach to changing on longhaul flights? Anyone always keep on the same clothes?
UPDATE: I did get pjs on my Singapore first class daytime flight, no need to ask ;-)
I'm curious, I am flying Singapore first class tomorrow from Singapore to Melbourne it's a day flight will I still be provided with pjs? If not will it be weird for me to request them? I have a little collection and the extras I get I usually eBay and they actually sell for $50-$100 so that's pretty cool. Anyways just curious if I will get pjs during the day? Thanks :-)
My wife wears JL and CX pajamas around the house all the time. But I'm tall and not slim, so none of the Asian carrier PJs ever fit me so I only wear them during the flight.
I dont wear the PJs only because I'm embarrassed for the FAs if they see I got a Standing Hampton while sleeping.
https://medium.com/@Lenny_Mendonca/an-open-letter-to-the-new-united-airlines-ceo-or-why-i-left-united-after-3-million-miles-5076b3382978
interesting article about virgin & united - I was going to post it elsewhere
but couldn't get access
My experience is that the airlines seldom carry PJ's on day flights but same flight at night and you're OK With my Scottish heritage, I ask for spares for house guests and though sometimes having to accept inappropriate sizes from their unused stock, I can normally keep most sizes at home to go with the unopened cosmetic bags. Most staff are only too happy to oblige. FYI I think the Shanghai Tang's of CX are...
My experience is that the airlines seldom carry PJ's on day flights but same flight at night and you're OK With my Scottish heritage, I ask for spares for house guests and though sometimes having to accept inappropriate sizes from their unused stock, I can normally keep most sizes at home to go with the unopened cosmetic bags. Most staff are only too happy to oblige. FYI I think the Shanghai Tang's of CX are the best. The other thing to keep the staff on their toes is to wear BA jim jams on a CX flight or EK on a SIA flight...tacky but fun
@MJ, I did exactly that few months ago on Austrian/Tyrolean Air, it's perfectly fine. I also changed into my CX pj on Air Canada couple days ago. Most likely no one will notice you are wearing other airlines pj. Just make your flight as comfortable as you deserve.
Is it acceptable to wear another airlines pajamas in J class when there's no F? I'm flying Austrian J in a couple of weeks and want to wear my comfy CX pajamas. Is that a faux pas since none are offered on Austrian?
First, David and Jay, what the . . . ?!
2nd, my only pj experiences so far are CP and Sing. I LOVE my CP pjs, and find them nicer than anything I'd ever buy myself. I Agee with Lucky's review of Singapore s, but they are pretty comfy. They're too short for me, though, and I have short legs.
Lastly, looking forward to trying the emerites and Lufthansa pjs in the near future.
Lucky, we would love to hear your thoughts on all F pjs. Please?!
Lucky, in my opinion Lufthansa offers the best pajamas in the sky. I haven't tried so many airlines like you did first class, but LH's are not so big like EK's and not so thick like SQ's. I wear it just after boarding and also at home. Their are made by Van Laack, a traditional and renowned German high quality company. If you buy such a pajama in a shop they cost more than €100....
Lucky, in my opinion Lufthansa offers the best pajamas in the sky. I haven't tried so many airlines like you did first class, but LH's are not so big like EK's and not so thick like SQ's. I wear it just after boarding and also at home. Their are made by Van Laack, a traditional and renowned German high quality company. If you buy such a pajama in a shop they cost more than €100. Another point, LH's are really high-quality.I have washed them so many times and they look new!
Lucky, looks like you have stopped replying to most comments/questions on your blog, I hope you new "business model" works for you. I guess you prefer to be like those bloggers here who simply ignore questions from their readers.
Hi Ben, it's off-topic, but recently i discovered something that a germophobe like you might be interested in. It has changed my perspective of flying a bit:
http://www.travelbook.de/service/dinge-die-man-im-flugzeug-auf-keinen-fall-beruehren-sollte-688693.html (in German)
Finaly a post like old that really gets to the core of travel. Qatar F and amenities, change on board ASAP. They have PJ's in J too.
Eva Air provides PJs in "Royal Laurel Class" (long haul J). And Dom to spill on them.
I'm a big dude....so give the PJs to my parents. So I wear a t-shirt and my Seahawks Zubaz pants once we have reached the cruising altitude.
I'd like to see a post of you modeling your different pajamas so we could all vote on which ones look the best on you.
Personally, I've only ever seen men wear the pyjamas and it skeevs me right out (as a female). Super creepy seeing strangers in their pyajamas -- things I don't need. Ewww. And they are so NOT flattering which is the least of my concerns.
"Much like airlines serve warm chocolate chip cookies and ice cream sundaes in many first class cabins, these are treats which would only usually be considered acceptable for kids, but somehow air travel makes them appropriate for everyone." I do not know what reality you live in but it is a very odd one.
Haha! I would care less if I were in pj or not if I need to escape from an engine fire emergency. Just run!
I like the pajamas as well but I only change into them after lunch or dinner, usually while the flight attendant is turning my seat into a bed.
I love wearing the EK F class pajamas on the A380. When you go to the business class lounge in the back of the plane, the flight attendants will typically have a bottle of Dom Perignon that will be served only to those from first class (and those wearing the pajamas stand out as such). A couple of times, when I've found myself traveling in business class, I still changed into some pajamas I had...
I love wearing the EK F class pajamas on the A380. When you go to the business class lounge in the back of the plane, the flight attendants will typically have a bottle of Dom Perignon that will be served only to those from first class (and those wearing the pajamas stand out as such). A couple of times, when I've found myself traveling in business class, I still changed into some pajamas I had from prior trips and managed to get a glass or 2 of Dom, even though I was a business class passenger. Heaven forbid I have to drink the Veuve Clicquot with those other people! :)
I value your post and opinion but I'm 6'2" and find the legs to be too short to wear much more than on overnight long hauls. I also think it's a very very bad idea to change into them until your at altitude. The recent BA fire in Las Vegas is a good example of why you shouldn't take off your shoes or change in PJ's until your airborne.
Just don't wear them in the terminal, eh Lucky?
Would love to see a review from you of the new Iberia business class product. Looking for a trip to Spain soon from DFW and wonder if it's worth it to connect to fly that rather than the unrenovated 767 with my AAdvantage miles.
After I flew LH F and didn't use mine, I chose to wear them on the following evening flight back home with a Delta CRJ-200.
I am not to sure if it was socially acceptable based on the fact that everybody were looking at me while I was changing in the aisle, but if you say so I guess you're right...
Not enough airlines give out PJs in J, I've only received them on Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern and I'm not sure VS still do them. I'm down to one step and given I'm in Australia and mainly 1stopping to Europe right now I've been reduced to, shock-horror, wearing non-Airline pyjamas on the second leg.
Pyjamas and showers are the two essentials of long haul travel. I can't believe people who wear a set...
Not enough airlines give out PJs in J, I've only received them on Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern and I'm not sure VS still do them. I'm down to one step and given I'm in Australia and mainly 1stopping to Europe right now I've been reduced to, shock-horror, wearing non-Airline pyjamas on the second leg.
Pyjamas and showers are the two essentials of long haul travel. I can't believe people who wear a set of clothes all, leave one of the night flights and don't change till they hit Europe 24 hours later. 36 hours+ in the same togs.
I always bring my pj from Cathay Pacific First class with me on any long haul flight. I would board the plane early and get into the lavatory and change while others are still boarding.
Thanks for all your great posts in the past. I'm out of here!
I love airlines PJ too. Don't discard the PJs you don't like. Send them to me and I'll pay shipping!
And past not pat. GRRR
*flights that is.
Have you done a post about which airlines give out PJ in the pat Lucky? Assume all do on longer F fllights, but what about J?