Tampa International Airport says passengers must…
The pajama occasion is over.
Tampa International Airport set the web ablaze on Thursday after its official X account declared conflict on what it called a full-blown fashion emergency unfolding at the gate.
“We’ve seen enough. We’ve had enough. It’s time to ban pajamas at Tampa International Airport,” its post read.
First Crocs, now PJs — Tampa International is cracking down on comfortable journey fashion, and the web isn’t impressed. AP
After bragging about beforehand “banning Crocs,” the airport said they have been shifting on to tackle an “even larger crisis: Pajamas. At. The. Airport. In the middle of the day.”
“The madness stops today,” the X post read.” The motion begins now. Help Tampa International Airport turn into the world’s first Crocs-free AND pajama-free airport. Do your half. Say no to pajamas at TPA.”
In a assertion, Tampa International Airport clarified that they weren’t truly outlawing sleepwear in the terminal, saying that the X post was merely “lighthearted, satirical social media content” shared in an “ongoing effort to engage with our followers.”
“Today’s post about ‘banning’ pajamas was another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates,” they told The Post. “We encourage our passengers to travel comfortably and appreciate our loyal followers who enjoy the online humor.”
However, the tongue-in-cheek manifesto shortly took off online — and not everybody was prepared to fold up their flannel without a struggle.
“Who the f—k cares what I wear while your TSA agents go through all my s—t and pat me down?” somebody wrote beneath the post.
“What do you care what I wear on my flight where I’m going to be crammed in with a bunch of miserable people while some d—bag reclines his seat into me?”
Not everybody is prepared to commerce consolation for courtesy, of course — particularly in cramped cabins and amid chronic delays. Bloomberg via Getty Images
Another equally sounded off: “Is this a joke? The TSA makes us wait in line, remove our shoes, belts, empty our pockets, and scan us. Crocs and pajamas are a response to having to go through all that. Easy on, easy off. No belts. No shoe laces. No pockets to empty.”
Others argued that cramped cabins — not cozy sweatpants — are the real downside.
“Maybe if there were more room on the plane, people wouldn’t have to wear such flexible material.”
Still, not everybody was clutching their carry-ons in outrage. Some applauded the airport’s attempt to restore a little jet-set decorum.
“Almost every other nation on Earth (yes even the poor ones) respects itself enough to not wear bed time clothing in public besides the US?? Tampa, you’re doing the Lord’s work,” a fan of the ban penned.
Another chimed in: “Thank you it’s time for adults to behave as adults and grow up. If they can’t or won’t then how can it be expected that today’s children won’t repeat this behavior.”
And then got here the nostalgia for the golden age of glam journey.
“There used to be a time where Americans would dress up when they travel. How Americans dress now speaks volumes as to where our National soul is at.”
But critics weren’t achieved — with some seeing the proposal as one thing more sinister than a model critique.
“Very weird tactic to move us closer to only the rich being able to fly. Can’t have the peasants polluting the world.”
Tampa Airport desires a return to glam journey: say goodbye to Crocs, wave farewell to PJs, and perhaps don your “Golden Age” denims instead. monticellllo – stock.adobe.com
Whether the pajama purge is satire, social experiment or critical model stance, one factor’s sure: in 2026, the real turbulence won’t be in the air — it’s in the terminal.
And Tampa’s tongue-in-cheek tirade isn’t taking place in a vacuum.
As beforehand reported by The Post, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also been urging Americans to dial up the decorum since the busy Thanksgiving journey season last November.
From federal officers to Florida airports, the message is clear: the battle over naked ft and bunny slippers has formally boarded.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
“We’ve seen … maybe a degradation in civility, in the airspace,” Duffy told reporters at the time. “You can’t legislate that, right? You can’t mandate it.”
Still, he made the ask anyway.
“Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come here,” he said, arguing that dressing with a bit more intention may subtly shift conduct.
“Whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt. I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which maybe encourages us to maybe behave all a little better.”
The Department of Transportation even launched a marketing campaign titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You,” interesting to nostalgia for the period when flying felt more like an event than an inconvenience.
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.
