Question for Readers: When Do You Change Into Airplane Pajamas?
Instead of the usual answering of reader questions, I’m posing a series of potentially (or in today’s case, severely) inane questions to readers instead.
I really appreciate airplane pajamas. My favorite airplane pajamas are those from Cathay Pacific made by PYE, and I regularly wear the bottoms as pajamas even when I’m not on planes. I’ve actually started to take CX pajama bottoms with me on most overnight flights, just because I’d rather wear those with a comfortable t-shirt than most other airline pajamas. Not only is wearing pajamas comfortable, but it helps prevent the airplane smell from building up on your other clothes.
Anyway, my question for readers today is when do you change into pajamas? From reading other people’s trip reports, it sounds like many like to change into pajamas immediately upon receiving them, so before pushback, and almost certainly before the first meal service has commenced. But personally, I almost always wait until after the first meal service is complete before I change (the exception being if I’m skipping the meal service to go to sleep immediately).
I wait because to change because it seems odd to me to eat dinner in my pajamas. I don’t (often) do that when I’m at home, so why do it on a plane? It’s the same reason why I stopped watching movies on the IFE while eating. In general, I try my best to resist the infantilization of passengers in premium cabins, although it seems that that’s partially what people are paying for.
Somewhat relatedly, I also don’t like eating while the seat is in bed position on airplanes…
I wait until after take-off to slip off my shoes, put on slippers and head to the lav to change into PJs. If I am in F, I will use the new pair given to me. If in J, I will generally just slip into the pants from an LH set I bring with…I find these more comfortable than any others since they’re a slick spun cotton and not flannel. I will keep my shirt untucked rather than wear the LH top or sweater though. I find it a bit pretentious to wear an airline’s full PJs when flying in business. (Seldom if ever change when flying in coach.) Never on domestic flights, even Red Eyes though. I will just wear a more comfortable cotton slack…though I will always pack a pair of flight slippers no matter which class I’m in when I know the airline doesn’t supply them. (Haven’t flown CX F since the change to PYE from Shanghai Tang. I do wear the SQ Givenchy around the house and sometimes when jogging or static biking. They’re just like a gym suit.)
I totally agree with you about the slippers.
I keep my shoes and street clothes on until after take off…more as a safety issue than anything else…can’t imagine it would work out too well exiting an aborted takeoff in pjs and slippers.
Safety concerns are a good point!
After meal service depending on time of day. I also leave my street clothes and shoes on for safety concerns until airborne.
Before take off
Right away…