Besides, I didnt have any say in how the animation went.
I was told to make his coat flow and flap around like it was causing the unit to float.

So ta-da.

Well he's not flying he's fucking floating in the air.

Honestly, I don't think it's conveying that it's making him fly at all, so changing it wouldn't mean much difference.

But the cloth is what is making him fly. :/
If it was just flapping away in the air it would not seem very effective.

I've commented on this before. With the robe and stuff, try a whiplike motion, instead of having it shift back and forth. It would make the cloth seem more fluid.