Major airline updates tattoo policy, dress code

Passengers flying on Spirit Airlines can now be removed from a flight if a tattoo or other “body art” is deemed “dirty, indecent or offensive,” according to the company’s latest contract of carriage.

The newest version of Spirit’s Contract of carriageupdated Wednesday, also includes new language on its definition of “inadequately clad” passengers, which now includes travelers wearing “see-through clothing” or displaying “exposed breasts, buttocks or other private parts.”

The new rules are listed among over half a dozen other “behavior/condition” requirements for passengers to avoid potentially being barred from a plane or removed from a flight.

The previous carriage contract, updated in October 2024, banned offensive or inadequate clothing but did not specify “body art”, an archived version shows.

A representative for Spirit Airlines was not available to comment on the reason for the change, nor on whether any recent incidents prompted the updated language.

Other major US airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United, Have similar clauses in their contracts of carriage regarding clothing deemed “offensive,” “obscene,” or “indecent.” As of Friday, however, none of their contracts included language that included “tattoos” or “body art” among their grounds for removal.

In other recent news, Spirit recently Filed for bankruptcy Due to struggles from the pandemic and looming debt payments. The airline tried to merge with JetBlue, but dropped the merger after the Justice Department blocked the deal.