An airline in the United States has recently made headlines for introducing a series of regulations for passengers’ clothing.

Spirit Airlines says it has had to enforce the stricter dress code after incidents involving inappropriate outfits.

The rules include stopping passengers from boarding if they are barefoot or wearing clothing with swear words.

Some carriers have similar policies detailed on their websites. Others don’t have specific guidelines but gate and cabin crew are told to look out for certain unacceptable attire.

US airline enforces stricter passenger dress code

In January, Spirit Airlines updated its ‘Contract of Carriage’ to prohibit certain items of clothing, ways of dressing and types of body art.

The regulations now state that passengers will not be able to board if they are “barefoot” or are “inadequately clothed” – defined as “see-through clothing; not adequately covered; exposed breasts, buttocks, or other private parts”.

They also warn against passengers “whose clothing or article, including body art, is lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature or has an offensive odour unless caused by a qualified disability.”

The airline reportedly brought in the stricter measures after one passenger attempted to board wearing a crop top while another was dressed in a t-shirt with an obscene slogan.

Other carriers in the US also have dress codes. A policy from United Airlines states that passengers can be turned away if they are “barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene or offensive.”

Delta Air Lines warns that passengers can be removed when barefoot or “when the passenger’s conduct, attire, hygiene or odour creates an unreasonable risk of offence or annoyance to other passengers.”

European airlines can refuse passengers wearing inappropriate clothing

Although not explicitly stated on websites, European carriers also enforce dress codes.

Last year, a member of cabin crew for one European airline told UK newspaper The Sun: “We’re well within our rights to prevent people getting on the flight and it’s used frequently for people who aren’t dressed in a way we would deem to be acceptable.”

They reportedly cautioned Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and Easyjet customers in particular, adding: “There are some obvious examples here, including t-shirts with swear words or offensive logos on them, which people are regularly asked to cover up, or remove, before they get on board.”

Working from home has become quite the privilege in the post-pandemic era. While some companies are rolling back work-from-home rules, others have enshrined them in their culture, actively encouraging workers to stay home and avoid the commute.

While most of us might be confined to the dining table or bedroom desk on work-from-home days, there’s now another option. How about working from home in New Zealand for a proposal?

New Zealand’s government is relaxing the rules around visas to allow those on tourist visits to continue their work while visiting the country.

Under the new rules, which came in on Monday 27 January, tourists will be allowed to work remotely for a foreign employer under the country’s new ‘digital nomad’ initiative.

What do the New Zealand visa rule changes mean?

“The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto a faster growth track,” growth minister Nicola Willis says. “Making the country more attractive to ‘digital nomads’ – people who work remotely while travelling – will boost New Zealand’s attractiveness as a destination.”

The government hopes that, by making it easier for people to work from the country, visitors will be encouraged to stay longer, meaning they’ll spend more and boost the economy in the process.

New Zealand’s economy has been struggling in recent years, falling into a technical recession in the third quarter of 2024. HSBC described the country as ‘suffering the biggest hit in the world in 2024’ as interest rates and inflation strained the country’s economy.

“This is a brand-new market of tourists New Zealand can tap into,” says immigration minister Erica Stanford. “We want people to see our country as the ideal place to visit and work while they do it.”

Who can apply for New Zealand’s digital nomad visa?

The move by New Zealand doesn’t involve a digital nomad visa as such – rather, it is a relaxation of rules that apply to current visas for visiting the country.

The government says that, from 27 January, anyone on a visitor visa will be allowed to work for a foreign employer while holidaying for up to 90 days.

The new rules also apply to visas held by people visiting family and those who are on longer-term visas.

However, the rules only apply to those undertaking remote work for overseas companies. Those whose employment requires them to be in New Zealand, such as salespeople and performers, must still obtain visas relevant to their circumstances.

Tourist visas have a six- or three-month validity, but the New Zealand government says people can request an extension of up to nine months to allow them to stay longer.

“Many countries offer digital nomad visas and the list is growing, so we need to keep pace to ensure New Zealand is an attractive destination for people who want to ‘workcation’ abroad,” says tourism minister Louise Upton.

“Compared to other kinds of visitors, international remote workers have the potential to spend more time and money in New Zealand, including during the shoulder season.”

Is this a precursor to a full digital nomad visa for New Zealand?

The ruling in New Zealand is a little different to the implementation of digital nomad visas elsewhere. Countries such as Spain, Greece, Indonesia and Malaysia have launched digital nomad schemes that require proper visa applications and adherence to rules.

For New Zealand, it’s a much easier process. Visitors simply apply for their regular tourist visa as usual, but with the knowledge they are allowed to work while they’re in the country.

There is hope among the nomadic community that a full visa is in the works, although this rule relaxation could remove some of the urgency related to this.

“While this is not an official digital nomad visa, it is a step in the right direction for digital nomads who want to explore New Zealand,” says Nomads Embassy, a visa support service. “In fact, it takes away some of the bureaucratic headache that comes with applying for digital nomad visas.”

The best locations for digital nomads in New Zealand

There are plenty of reasons to pick New Zealand as a place to work from. Aside from its stunning scenery, safe environment and outdoorsy lifestyle, it has excellent WiFi coverage in towns and cities and friendly locals to help you get around.

The big cities such as Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton offer all the amenities a digital nomad could want, as well as fast and widely available connectivity. If your business relies on networking to find clients or to connect with other nomads, the cities are a good choice for a base.

However, not everything happens in the city, and New Zealand’s smaller towns have a lot to offer the intrepid traveller.

Small towns such as Queenstown, Tauranga, Dunedin and Nelson have strong, supportive communities, and Queenstown in particular is a popular destination for digital nomads.

Picking a smaller town comes with advantages, notably a lower cost of living. Rents, groceries and eating out are all far cheaper once you get outside of the city. As the towns are surrounded by New Zealand’s stunning natural wonders, they also mean you’ll only be a stone’s throw from your next outdoor adventure.

A fun town worth a mention is Mount Maunganui, up on the east coast of the North Island. A short drive from Tauranga and Auckland, it sports a thriving digital nomad community and even has a well-equipped coworking space to meet like-minded individuals.

European low-cost behemoth and one of the biggest budget airlines in the world, Ryanair has pulled thousands of seats from its schedules for 2025 across several Spanish airports.

In all, seven airports will have their Ryanair services reduced, some by as little as five per cent. Others will see the exit of the budget airline entirely.

Overall, Ryanair is removing a total of 800,000 seats from the Spanish market, representing 18 per cent of its overall operations in the country. Twelve routes will be lost altogether.

The airline says this is because of the fees imposed by Spanish airport operator Aena, which it deems ‘excessive.’ However, Aena has hit back at the airline, accusing it of ‘blackmail’ and suggesting that Ryanair is using its weight to try and get airport access for free.

“Unfortunately, this is Ryanair’s modus operandi,” says Maurici Lucena, President of Aena. “In many European countries, we have seen it for years: threats, half-truths, lies…; but in the case of Spain, I honestly believe that today they have crossed the Rubicon of respect, good faith and the most basic business and institutional courtesy.”

Which airports are losing Ryanair service?

It is mainly regional airports in Spain that are losing either part or all of their Ryanair services.

Most affected are Jerez and Valladolid, which the budget airline will pull out of entirely.

According to Aena, Valladolid will be left with only one commercial operator once Ryanair exits – Binter Canarias, with its twice-weekly service to Gran Canaria.

Jerez will fare better, with existing services from Binter, Air Nostrum and Vueling connecting it to Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Of the other airports, Vigo will lose the most capacity, with Ryanair cutting 61 per cent of its flights.

At Santiago, Ryanair will remove one aircraft from its base there, leading to a 28 per cent reduction in capacity. Zaragoza, Asturias and Santander will also lose a few Ryanair flights.

“Aena’s excessive airport charges and lack of workable growth incentives continue to undermine Spain’s regional airports,” says Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair. “As a result, Ryanair will cease its entire Jerez and Valladolid operations, remove 1 based aircraft from Santiago ($100m investment) and reduce traffic in Vigo, Santiago, Zaragoza, Asturias, and Santander (loss of 800,000 seats) in Summer 2025.”

What are the fees Ryanair is unhappy with?

Aena says that the average charge being paid by airlines for airport services as of 1 March will remain frozen at €10.35 per passenger, the same as it was in 2024.

“Aena’s refusal to incentivise airlines to use underutilised capacity at its regional airports has forced Ryanair to reallocate aircraft and capacity to more competitive European markets,” Wilson adds.

However, Aena disputes the assertion that they are not incentivising airlines to make use of regional airports. At the end of October 2024, the airport management company approved an initiative to stimulate growth by subsidising its 17 regional airports.

Specifically, for those airports with fewer than three million passengers and which had not returned to their pre-pandemic passenger levels, Aena has offered a 100 per cent discount for additional passengers over and above the 2023 levels.

Aena says that, in reality, this incentive scheme would reduce Ryanair’s per-passenger fee to just €2.

“Aena cordially urges Ryanair to calm down and abandon its long-standing and regrettably well-known mendacious, aggressive and threatening business and communication strategy,” the airport operator says, “which it is very difficult not to interpret as an attempt to blackmail Aena, the region and, ultimately, the Spanish public.”

Are the fees at Spanish airports hampering growth?

Aena says its fees are amongst the lowest in Europe, although Ryanair says this isn’t true.

Inflationary pressures have seen everything become more expensive, including in aviation. From fuel and staff to supplies and services, it all costs more than it used to and airlines have been quick to pass on to passengers.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that airfares increased 16 per cent in 2024 compared with 2019. However, Airports Council International (ACI) has published research that suggests they’re more like 38 per cent higher.

On the other hand, airports have not been able to raise their charges to the same magnitude. ACI says that airport charges in Europe rose just 13.6 per cent in 2024, far below the cost increases airports are experiencing.

“Many airports have yet to fully reflect inflationary pressures in their user charges,” says Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe. “Regulators are often oblivious of these pressures and of how debt accumulated through COVID is hurting their investment capabilities.”

Part of Ryanair’s argument is that Aena was allowed to raise fees by 4.09 per cent in 2024, despite the Spanish government ruling in 2021 that airport fees would be frozen for five years.

In 2023, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) approved the rise, which shakes out to a total of €0.40 more per passenger. Aena again proposed an increase for 2025, which would have added €0.05 to the cost for airlines, but it was refused by CNMC.

Despite Ryanair’s assertions that fees are at the heart of its schedule changes, the argument weakens when its entire Spanish operation is considered.

“​​I am surprised that they are questioning the profitability of these routes,” says Lucena. He goes on to explain that Ryanair’s flights from the regional airports have been full – fuller even than those at major city airports.

Throughout 2024, Ryanair increased its activity at Spanish airports by 8.7 per cent. For 2025, despite the cuts the airline has planned, its Spanish activities will increase again, with around 5 per cent more flights overall.

Ryanair is continuing to grow at the largest and most touristic Spanish airports. These airports do not attract the incentive discount, and airlines are charged the full €10.35 per passenger.

“In reality, what Ryanair has announced is that it will withdraw a very small percentage, in relative terms, of its total operations,” says Lucena. “The 800,000 seats they announced account for exactly 1.21 per cent of all passenger traffic they carried in 2024.”

He adds that Ryanair is masking business-led route cuts to exert pressure on Aena and the government.

Lucena even goes so far as to say that, under Spanish law, Ryanair’s moves could even be considered illegal. “In short, it’s all rather unpleasant and regrettable,” he concludes.

In a statement, Aena reiterated its position, saying, “Despite its grandiloquent rhetoric, Ryanair’s constant public pressure boils down to a simple goal: to use a significant portion of Spanish airports for free, which would jeopardise the long-term financial sustainability of Spain’s airport system.”