I was intrigued by the Washington Post article regarding the chatter over Southwest Airlines' partnering with Sports Illustrated and painting a bikini clad model from the SI swimsuit issue on the side of one of its aircraft. As you can imagine, many passengers have an opinion regarding this display and some are not happy about it. The article also describes how one customer was not allowed on a Southwest flight because she was not appropriately dressed.
Regardless of what you think of the SI/Southwest marketing ploy, let's talk about how you should dress when getting on an airplane. Avoid a bikini unless it's covered by other clothing. In fact, I have found that there is a direct correlation between what you wear and how you are treated by airline personnel. No, you don't need to be in a business suit, but conservative attire will benefit you. It's inevitable that when flying these days there will be some type of a delay or other problem that will require some airline employee's assistance and your attire can help you get the right kind of attention from that employee.
What is your experience with dress and airline personnel?