Spirit Airlines Bans Offensive Tattoos and Revealing Clothing in New Dress Code

Spirit Airlines has updated its policy to implement a stricter passenger dress code. The new stipulations that came into effect on January 22 say a customer can be denied boarding or be removed from a flight due to their clothing, and/or ‘offensive’ tattoos. The latter is an uncommon cause for removal, as no other mainstream airline in the United States has this practice.

Individuals who are ‘insufficiently’ attired, and wearing transparent clothing that reveals the chest, buttocks, and other private parts will not be allowed onboard a Spirit plane.

Additionally, the new contract stipulates that no one can board flights while barefoot. This condition is also common in other carriers.

Passengers removed for violating Spirit Airlines’ dress code

In October 2024, two women were removed from a Spirit flight for wearing crop tops. In early January 2025, they kicked a man from Texas off a plane due to the airline’s assessment that his hoodie was offensive.

A San Antonio man said that Spirit Airlines flight attendants kicked him off his flight because he was wearing a “FVCK HATE WORLD TOUR” hoodie.⁠ https://t.co/2pfah06GKV pic.twitter.com/fqdQGhsOfZ

— San Antonio Express-News (@ExpressNews) January 15, 2025

The 43-year-old man identified as John Garcia Jr was flying from Los Angeles to San Antonio when flight attendants asked him to take the hoodie off because it was against Spirit Airlines’s dress code policy.

Garcia initially declined to comply, asserting that the wording on his clothing was not offensive and questioning whether his sweatshirt contravened the airline’s policy. The situation heightened until a male flight attendant intervened, presenting an ultimatum: He could either remove the hoodie or face being removed from the flight.

The man eventually took it off but was escorted off the plane.

Several airlines adopt stricter dress code policies

Spirit Airlines is among the most recent carriers to implement a more stringent dress code policy for passengers, aligning with measures previously adopted by numerous other airlines in their operational guidelines.

United Airlines’ contract of carriage stipulates that “passengers who are barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene, or offensive may be subject to removal.” Notably, it does not explicitly mention tattoos, or other types of body art as a cause for removal.

American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest also have similar dress code policies.

Dress code regulations are not limited to airlines operating in the United States. Carriers such as British Airways, Ryanair, and easyJet may not have explicit dress codes but maintain the authority to deny boarding to passengers wearing inappropriate or excessively revealing attire.