Why barefoot passengers are banned from these airlines

No shirt, no shoes, no in-flight service.

It might not seem like it given the bounty of barefoot flyers over the years, but flying sans socks is prohibited on certain airlines.

That’s right, “baring” one’s tootsies aboard can get you “bounced” from certain US carriers, which flight experts have interpreted as removing one’s stockings once airborne as well.

For instance, American Airlines is one of several airlines on which going sockless is considered a pedi crime. The airline’s contract of carriage mandates that passengers “dress appropriately,” adding that “bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”

United also expects passengers to toe the line (so to speak), categorizing barefoot flyers as “not properly clothed,” which is grounds for “removal” from the plane, per their guidelines.

Delta Airlines and Spirit Airlines also claim they reserve the right to boot flyers who don’t adhere to their sock-on policy.

Many airlines outlined age limits for this policy. Frontier Airlines said they could refuse service to barefoot passengers older than 3 unless they were “barefoot for medical reasons.” 

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue‘s contracts of carriage also allow them this barefoot “bouncing” privilege but for passengers older than five.

While these rules appeared to apply to passengers who are boarding the aircraft, the experts at the flight blog “One Mile At A Time” argued that “this doesn’t just mean that you have to board a flight with shoes, but you actually need to keep them on.” After all, the ban on offensive clothing isn’t just when you board, they reasoned.

That being said, the right to bare feet has been a point of contention with some sockless soaring proponents claiming that it’s up to the flight attendant on duty whether to hold said flyer’s feet to the fire.

Meanwhile, they’ve pointed out that many non-US airlines’ contracts of carriage don’t include any references to flying while barefoot whatsoever.

Although Aussie airline Qantas notably doesn’t even allow flip flops in its club lounge, per One Mile At A Time.

Either way, slaunting one’s flippers is quite commonplace on many flights. Recently, one passenger raised eyebrows after flashing their hairy, six-toed trotter on a plane — which viewers compared to a “mermaid’s tail.”

Unfortunately, taking to the sky without socks isn’t just considered rude, it’s also a potential health hazard, especially given how dirty an airplane cabin is.

“I would never fly barefoot on a plane,” a veteran flight attendant for a major carrier said, per WGN Morning News. “Passengers these days can be quite messy and we see everything from spills to dirty diapers thrown on the floor.”

They added that aircraft floors are rarely cleaned unless there’s been a huge mess.

Along with hygiene issues, removing footwear inflight can be hazardous due to the risk of shoes cluttering an aisle, or people having to move sans shoes during an emergency, flight site The Points Guy reported.

“You should keep your shoes on during takeoff and landing, because that’s the most dangerous part of the flight,” an anonymous flight attendant for Qatar Airways told TPG.

If passengers must fly barefoot, they should refrain from visiting the lavatory, make sure their kickers are clean, and most importantly, keep their feet to themselves, experts claim.