If you thought the most stressful part of your morning at the gate was the $17 ham sandwich or the guy playing TikToks at full volume, think again. According to the internet’s favorite airport, your choice of cotton-poly blend might finally be a federal offense.
Tampa International Airport did not actually ban pajamas, but for a few chaotic hours this week, it certainly sounded like they did.
On February 26, the airport posted a message on X declaring it was time to “take on an even larger crisis”—people wearing pajamas at the airport “in the middle of the day.” The post claimed Tampa had already become the “world’s first Crocs-free airport” and was now aiming to eliminate sleepwear too.
“The madness stops today. The movement starts now,” the account wrote. “Help Tampa International Airport become the world’s first Crocs-free and pajama-free airport.”
It racked up more than 5.7 million views.
Some followers laughed. Others wanted clarification. One user asked whether sweatpants would count. Another wondered how exactly this would be enforced.
By the afternoon, the airport clarified the post was intended as satire. A spokesperson told The Associated Press and others that Tampa International Airport “regularly shares lighthearted, satirical social media content as part of our ongoing effort to engage with our followers” and called the pajama “ban” “another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates.”
Passengers, the airport confirmed, are encouraged to “travel comfortably.
The Crocs reference wasn’t new either. That earlier “ban” was also a joke—one that went viral and helped cement the airport’s online voice.
C.J. Johnson, Tampa’s social media manager, has spoken publicly about that approach. At a University of South Florida event last year, he explained that the humor is deliberate. If the account only posted routine flight updates, he said, no one would pay attention. But if it builds an audience with jokes and inside references—like “Phoebe,” the large flamingo statue in the terminal—people are more likely to listen when there’s serious information to share, such as a weather closure.
The timing of the pajama post also landed in the middle of a broader conversation about airport attire. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has repeatedly encouraged travelers to “dress a little better,” suggesting that appearance can influence behavior. He’s said he can’t mandate it but has openly criticized slippers and sleepwear at terminals.
Tampa’s version was not policy. It was a performance.
So if you’re flying through TPA in loungewear, no one is stopping you at security. The only thing you might encounter is a social media team ready to tease you about it.
Source: People