{"id":"f-445134d771-04efdbe9-a8ff-5a98-b900-e2e566802d43","title":"'Let's Go Back The Way It Was': Internet Erupts After Tampa International Airport Bans Pajamas - But Did It Really?","description":"Tampa International Airport recently sparked attention with a humorous post calling for a ban on pajamas, claiming to tackle a \"larger crisis\" after successfully banning Crocs. But did it really, let's find out.","timestamp":1772262660,"category":"travel_and_lifestyle","headline":"'Let's Go Back The Way It Was': Internet Erupts After Tampa International Airport Bans Pajamas - But Did It Really?","modifiedHeadline":"Tampa Airport's Pajama Ban: A Joke?","subCategories":["scid_fc6ef9b7"],"subcategoriesName":["News"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"1c3f10c0-5114-4a62-9240-042ffde60004","bundleTitle":"Trending now","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"663","fcSummary":"Tampa International Airport initially sparked online amusement with a playful social media post jokingly \"banning\" pajamas, following a previous ban on Crocs. The airport spokesperson clarified it was a humorous nod to travel fashion debates and encourages comfortable attire. The lighthearted post, part of a decade-old online persona, drew reactions ranging from support to confusion, despite the airport's retraction. The airport remains recognized for its excellent passenger experience, recently ranking number one in its class.","summary":"Tampa Airport's pajama ban joke sparked uproar online! It was a playful jab amid a civility campaign, easing travel stress. #travelnews","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/news/IN/en/timesnow/f-445134d771-04efdbe9-a8ff-5a98-b900-e2e566802d43","sourceUrl":"https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/tampa-international-airport-bans-pajamas-in-x-post-turned-out-to-be-joke-internet-reacts-cant-keep-calm-article-153705571","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/PwZmyq-EZ3m0.webp","content":"

The Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Hillsborough country, Florida on Thursday in a statement expressed itself against commuters wearing pajamas at the

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airport, saying they have seen enough and it was time to ban them. In a long statement, the Tampa Airport shared a poster on social media saying, \"We've seen enough. We've had enough. It's time to ban pajamas at Tampa International Airport.\" Mentioning that they have successfully banned Crocs and given people the world-class opportunity to experience the world’s first Crocs-free airport, it was now time to take on even larger crises. \"After successfully banning Crocs and giving everyone the amazing opportunity to experience the world's first Crocs-free airport, it's time to take on an even larger crisis. Pajamas. At. The. Airport. In the middle of the day,\" the airport said. Adding further that they know this decision would be disruptive for some people, the international airport asked people to have confidence that they can do this. \"We know this decision could be disruptive to someone in your life. It's time to have a difficult conversation with them. You can do this. We (and Phoebe) believe in you,\" the airport said. \"The madness stops today. The movement starts now. Help Tampa International Airport become the world's first Crocs-free and pajama-free airport. DO YOUR PART. SAY NO TO PAJAMAS AT TPA,\" the airport concluded its appeal.

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Was It Just A Joke?

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\nHowever, by the time when people really started to believe that the Tampa airport has banned sporting pajamas, it turned out that it was a joke.\n
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\nBeau Zimmer, an airport spokesperson, told The Associated Press the post was part of the airport’s longstanding social media persona — a tongue-in-cheek voice it has cultivated since its early days on Twitter, before the platform rebranded as X. The account has attracted a loyal global following, he said.\n
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\n“Our regular social media followers just eat this stuff up,\" Zimmer said. \"But obviously this is all in fun, and we encourage our travelers to be comfortable.”\n
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\nUS Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reacted to the post with a GIF of actor John Krasinski from the TV show “The Office” looking into the camera and saying, “Yes!”\n
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\nDuffy has been encouraging passengers to dress more formally while flying, part of a civility campaign he launched last November — called “the Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.\" The Transportation Department said the campaign was “intended to jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel.”\n
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What Tampa International Airport Said In Another Statement

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\nThe airport released a statement Thursday clarifying its post was intended as a joke.\n
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\n“Today’s post about ‘banning’ pajamas was another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates,\" it said. \"We encourage our passengers to travel comfortably and appreciate our loyal followers who enjoy the online humor.”\n
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\nZimmer said the airport's online personality has been around for at least a decade. In the earlier days of what was then Twitter, a young intern started posting light-hearted jokes, like poking fun at rival sports teams and fans, “and it really took off.” \n
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\nHowever, once again, by the tme the clarification came from the airport that it was a joke, the social media had already flooded with thousands of posts and reactions. \n
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\nOne user on X wrote while welcoming the ban on pajamas, said, \"I love this! Lets go back to the way it was in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!\"\n
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\nA second user posted on X with a query, \"Are sweat pants considered pajamas?\"\n
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\nA third user shared a thought on the ban that later turned out to be a joke saying, \"Airports are not a fashion show, a brunch spot or a LinkedIn networking event. They’re stressful, exhausting transit zones where people are sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, delayed, broke, sick, chasing connections or traveling overnight. Pajamas are about comfort not standards.\"\n
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\nA fourth user also shared an interesting statement saying he doesn't understand that whether people who wear pajamas at the airport have given up on life or are living it to the fullest.\n
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Tampa International Airport Retains Number 1 Spot

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\nRecently, the Tampa International Airport was once again recognized as the best in its class for passenger experience, earning the No.1 ranking in the Airports Council International Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards for the third consecutive year.\n
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\nThe honor places TPA at the top among North American airports serving 15 to 25 million passengers annually.\n
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\nThe ASQ Awards, regarded as the airport industry’s most comprehensive benchmarking program, measure traveler satisfaction through real-time surveys conducted during the passenger journey. In 2025, ACI collected more than 700,000 surveys from travelers at over 400 airports across 110 countries, assessing 29 key performance indicators such as cleanliness, amenities, staff helpfulness, way finding, and security.\n
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\nTampa International Airport achieved an impressive overall satisfaction score of 4.41 out of 5, securing its position with the top score in the Departing Airport category. The ranking underscores TPA’s ongoing commitment to providing a clean, welcoming, and stress-free travel experience.\n
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'Let's Go Back The Way It Was': Internet Erupts After Tampa International Airport Bans Pajamas - But Did It Really?

SUMMARY