Business class "his & her" Ferragamo amenity kits from Qatar Airways
By Chris Schmicker
There are precious few occasions in which a group of grown men, all total strangers, will shed their street clothes, don a set of foreign pajamas, and bro out together in silence for, let’s say, seven or eight hours straight.
And yet on almost any business- or first-class overnight flight this experience – we’ll call it the Red-Eye Pajama Party – is an unavoidable occurrence. It’s an alternate universe where otherwise steely executives can be spotted lounging Cleopatra-style in stretch-jersey harem pants, pounding flutes of Champagne.
Like any good party however, there are certain guidelines for proper comportment that one cannot ignore. On a recent Qatar Airways flight from New York to Doha I jotted down a few ground rules:
Selecting A Size: There’s a thin line to walk between muumuu and baby tee, but err on the side of too big. Comfort is key here; otherwise you’d wear your skinny jeans to bed. That said, on an American air carrier small really means large so don’t overdo it.
The Big Reveal: I’ll keep this brief. Leave your underwear on. Especially if the pajamas are light-colored.
A Note on Timing: Timing is a delicate issue. Some fliers change as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off; others only sneak away once the cabin lights dim. As a general rule, finish your dinner first. No one wants to watch you eat shrimp cocktail in your jammies
BYO: Some people pack their own fancy pajamas and swan around like the rest of us are a bunch of slobs. Don’t be that guy. It’s ridiculous enough that we’re all hanging out in sleep separates. We should at least color-coordinate.
