Tampa International Airport recently generated significant buzz with a social media post declaring it would ban pajamas at the facility. The announcement, which read: “We’ve seen enough. We’ve had enough… Pajamas. At. The. Airport. In the middle of the day,” was swiftly identified as satirical by the airport itself.
In a statement released Thursday, the airport clarified that the post was intended to be humorous and part of its longstanding social media strategy. “Today’s post about ‘banning’ pajamas was another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates,” the statement said. “We encourage our passengers to travel comfortably and appreciate our loyal followers who enjoy the online humor.”
Beau Zimmer, an airport spokesperson, explained that the account has cultivated a tongue-in-cheek persona since its early days on Twitter (now X), featuring light-hearted content such as jokes about rival sports teams and fans. “Our regular social media followers just eat this stuff up,” Zimmer said.
The airport’s recent post followed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s campaign encouraging passengers to dress more formally during travel, part of his initiative called “the Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.” Duffy previously urged travelers to avoid pajamas and slippers, stating: “Dressing with some respect… Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.”
The airport has a history of viral social media campaigns, including an earlier post about banning Crocs that became the world’s first Crocs-free airport in a humorous context. The airport emphasized all content remains lighthearted and does not constitute actual policy changes. “We encourage our travelers to be comfortable,” Zimmer added.