Sometimes, companies want to have a little fun, but they’ve gotta be careful not to alarm people TOO much about whatever practical joke they’re playing.
©Tampa International Airport
We’ve seen Orlando International Airport (MCO) have some fun plenty of times before, as well as seen Universal Orlando poke fun at Disney World. Now, the Tampa International Airport just pulled a little prank that had hundreds of thousands of people left VERY confused, but don’t worry — it’s totally fake!
People shared the situation online, which began with the airport making a post on X (formerly Twitter). After talking about being the first Crocs-free airport, the airport went on to say that they’re now tackling another crisis — people wearing pajamas in the middle of the day. Finishing their statement, they said, “The madness stops today. The movement starts now. Help Tampa International Airport become the world’s first Crocs-free AND pajama-free airport.”
— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) February 26, 2026
As you can imagine, people began to freak out, not liking being told what they can and cannot wear on travel days (you want to stay comfortable on that flight!). However, the airport confirmed this was all a joke when speaking to People Magazine, stating, “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.”
©Tampa International Airport
That’s true! The airport’s account has a long history of making funny, satirical, and comedic posts. The airport’s social media manager, C.J. Johnson, talked about these types of posts in a speech at the University of South Florida in September 2025, saying, “If I got on every day at Tampa International Airport and tweeted we have flights today, who would care? No one. If we do funny, silly stuff like this with targeted messages that grow your audience, and then I say, ‘Hey guys, by the way, we are closing the airport due to a hurricane,’ then people lean in and listen.”
Ready to fly?
C.J. Johnson also took to LinkedIn to share more about the behind the scenes of making the choice for such a post. He reminded readers about the “Crocs ban” that the airport posted about last year, and said that he didn’t expect to see a post that took him 15 minutes to create to blow up so intensely. Within just hours of hitting post, thousands were talking about it — the Secretary of Transportation even chimed in, reposting the airport’s hot take! Johnson finished the post reciting the same idea he gives in talks about social media, saying that, “people are looking for (and truly craving) authentic content. They’re tired of AI-generated copy and want something that ‘sounds’ like them — and they want to have a little fun, too. Taking a few calculated risks (like jokingly banning pajamas) and leaning into trending conversations can go a long way in building a healthy (and sometimes noisy) online family.”
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