‘Normalize booing’: How Tampa airport is having holiday travel fun with passengers

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The 4th of July holiday is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and Tampa International Airport has found a humorous way to remind passengers to listen to their flight crews.

It’s a common on-board annoyance: the moment a plane slows to a crawl after landing, and before even reaching the gate, passengers spring up from their seats and go for the overhead bins.

There’s nothing a little peer pressure can’t fix.

“Normalize booing when people stand up the second the plane lands,” a humorous post on the airport’s X account reads.

Not only is it mildly irritating – it’s also against flight crews’ advice.

“While we post funny memes and comments about aviation and the travel experience, any official comments about passenger safety should come from the airlines themselves,” an airport spokesperson said in a statement. “We always encourage passengers to follow the instructions of their highly trained flight crews.”

In response to the X post, some passengers pointed out that they need to stand up as soon as possible after sitting for hours, cramped in too-small airplane seats.