Are you one of those airline passengers who go for comfort over style when you travel? One Florida airport has, frankly, had enough.
“It’s time to ban pajamas at the Tampa International Airport,” Tampa International Airport (TPA) posted to X on Thursday, Feb. 26. “The madness stops today. The movement starts now.”
The Tampa airport, which tends toward a light-hearted social media presence, said it successfully banned Crocs and gave everyone “the amazing opportunity to experience the world’s first Crocs-free airport.” But now it was time to take on “an even larger crisis.
“Pajamas. At. The. Airport. In the middle of the day,” it wrote.
While not an official ban — the airport has no dress code for travelers — TPA (jokingly?) urged travelers to join the movement and possibly have a difficult conversation with someone in their lives to whom this decision “could be disruptive.”
“We (and Phoebe) believe in you,” it said, referencing the airport’s famous 21-foot-tall pink flamingo sculpture.
The airport told USA TODAY: “Tampa International Airport regularly shares lighthearted, satirical social media content as part of our ongoing effort to engage with our followers. Today’s post about ‘banning’ pajamas was another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates. We encourage our passengers to travel comfortably and appreciate our loyal followers who enjoy the online humor.”
While the airport may not enforce dress codes, some airlines do. United Airlines, American, Delta, Spirit, Southwest and others say their passengers must be “properly clothed” in the cabin.
United Airlines’ “contract of carriage” includes Rule 21, which allows the airline to refuse transport passengers for a variety of reasons, including “passengers who are barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene or offensive.” PJs are not mentioned.
Last year, the Department of Transportation launched a new campaign intended to encourage civility in air travel amid rising numbers of violent attacks on board.
“The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You” campaign is meant to “jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel,” according to the DOT. One of the suggestions, along with helping other passengers and keeping control of children, was to ‘dress with respect.”
“I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave all a littler better,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked in an online video. “Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.”
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

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