Many US airlines now require masks for passengers and staff, but some have indicated they won’t enforce the rule leaving me to ask, what’s the point?
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Almost All US Carriers Require Passengers, Staff to Wear Masks
The following US carriers require everyone on the plane to use a mask of some sort to cover their faces while on the aircraft:
- American Airlines
- Delta Air lines
- United Airlines
- Jet Blue
- Southwest
- Spirit Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
The lone holdout at this point is Allegiant who has decided not to force passengers to wear them inflight, though they encourage it.
Some airlines provide masks for those who have not brought their own. While it’s probably occurred (feel free to share in the comments if you have found a report of this) I have yet to see an account of a passenger denied boarding due to lack of PPE.
Jet Blue has been steadfast, passengers out of compliance will be denied boarding.
For Some Flights, Masks Seem Impractical
I wore a mask when I flew from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Toyo, Japan in mid-March for what was about a seven-hour flight. ANA passed them out, it was a daytime flight and some but not all passengers had masks on. For the United flights home, I did not wear the mask nor was I asked to do so – it wasn’t common practice in the US at that point in time.
However, when contemplating our potential trip to Hong Kong in August, my wife raised the point that we would have to wear our masks for the 16-hour 20-minute flight from Dallas. During the flight (we’ve taken it many times) there are two meal services and a snack independent of other drink services. In addition, we usually sleep at least eight hours at which point the mask could slide off (my eye mask often does.)
What does a flight crew do if a mask slides off while a guest is sleeping? Is it okay to take your mask off for meal times? It has to be, but doesn’t that negate the point? On a short hop for an hour or two, masks are completely practical, but for long-haul flights, how do passengers who earnestly want to wear them manage to keep them on even while sleeping?
Southwest Has Told Employees Not to Enforce
Southwest Airlines has been clear with its employees, do not deny boarding for those who decline wearing a mask. American Airlines and United have been less clear allowing staff to restrict boarding but not unilaterally denying passengers boarding.
“Separate memos obtained by CNN that American Airlines (AAL) sent to its pilots and flight attendants show that customers may be denied boarding for not wearing a mask. But once on the plane, “the face covering policy will become more lenient” and “the flight attendant’s role is informational, not enforcement,” the pilot memo reads.”
United hints that those who have a medical condition that doesn’t allow them to wear a mask may be reseated if they decline to wear inflight. Will that lead to similar doctor notes like emotional support animal exceptions?
Conclusion
Whether you find yourself among the 47% of Americans that believe the worst of the virus is behind us, or the 52% that believe the worst is still ahead, these policies without enforcement don’t make sense. If the airlines want to mandate masks, that’s their choice. If passengers don’t want to wear them, they can fly with other carriers or not at all. Making a policy that is instantly negated by a memo to not enforce it is utterly useless. Pick a side, Allegiant and Jet Blue have.
What do you think? Should US carriers employ a policy of mask-wearing if they refuse to enforce it? Should there be different rules for long-haul routes where wearing a mask is impractical?
It doesn’t have to be Allegiant or JetBlue. An example is the speed limit. If 60 mph, it is generally thought to be ok if people driving at 62 mph are not issued tickets.
100% full time compliance should be expected for flights with actual flying times of an hour or less (scheduled times maybe 1:20). No drinks served, keep masks on.
Enforcement might be tough if the passenger is militant but the British system of yellow and red cards (British, not BA) may be ok. Yellow would be a warning. Red might be 10 year ban on the airline. 5 years is not very long if the flyer is infrequent but 5 years would be long for an elite level passenger.
I like Derek’s enforcement system, similar to British soccer. Yellow card for first offence (like forgetting to put mask back on after eating), a second yellow results in a red card. A straight to red card is given for say taking your mask off then a wild sneeze without a tissue. Upon a red card, players have to leave the field – so the passenger would be escorted to an exit row, the door opened, and they are thrown out. Some may say a bit harsh…. but if you are concerned, just bring along a parachute !, it’s a free country.
I’ll wear a mask during boarding and if the plane is crowded I’ll wear- short fights , under 5 hours or so, I’ll wear a mask , I always wiped down my seats and sometimes my entire row and never once did anyone complain, I think we will see the occasional person not wearing a mask , just how we see ppl still act like they TSA check doesn’t apply to them- but I can’t be concerned about other people , people have to do what’s right for them
If you’re an airline union, you going to be okay with your staff with limited PPE attempting to remove non-compliant passengers off the plane? When you have stories of people being shot or assaulted in other settings for attempting to enforce corporate mask policies.
It’s difficult to enforce, potentially dangerous to enforce, but while the individuals actions may be irresponsible and harmful to other passengers, it doesn’t really impact the planes ability to fly from A to B safely from a flight perspective.
We do things all the time because they reduce our risks but don’t eliminate them. We wear seatbelts. Yet maybe you have ridden in a van or bus that didn’t have seatbelts. Did you decide you could never wear seatbelts again? Probably not. The TSA x-rays bags. We know they don’t find every weapon. But they find a lot. If some weapons get though should we just allow everyone to bring their machete because it isn’t a perfect system? Yes some people won’t wear masks. Sometimes you need to eat or drink or you fall asleep and the mask falls off. So what? This isn’t the movies. One cut in the hazmat suit doesn’t mean you instantly contract a deadly disease. Harm reduction works in all aspect of life. Reduce the spread. Will someone get sick on a plane? Sure. Will fewer people get sick? Also yes. You have to decide your risk tolerance.
I’m still waiting to read how passengers and crew consume food & beverages while wearing a mask.
Osmosis? Virtual headset? IV drip?
I don’t wear a mask in general, for any reason.
So, I go to airport, go through security and go to gate. All without a mask.
When boarding is announced, I walk up, put on mask.
Wear it until I am seated and the plane takes off.
Then I take it off for the duration of the flight (unless I go to the lav).
Put it on when we arrive at gate and I get off plane, remove it the moment I step out of the jet bridge.
So, maybe 15 minutes told I have it on? And I hate it, it’s disgusting. But, whatever.
No one says a word.
I’m flying every week, and this is what I do to get around the idiotic policy and be allowed to travel freely.
Sounds like you are travelling freely at the moment. But if you showed up wearing a mask, sandals and nothing else, would you be allowed on the plane? If a mask is part of the New Dress Code, we may just have to deal with it for awhile.
Hopefully you won’t get the virus and spread it around to too many other people.
The mask is already a not-100%-effective tool, but it’s a tool that we know helps. So, using it less than 100% of the time will still help. Wear it while moving around and boarding. Wear it while you can while in your seat. OF COURSE remove it while drinking or eating, as is being advised in places where restaurants have been able to resume dine-in service. Then put it back on.
The mask is just another liberal virtue-signaling device. If you are high-risk, don’t fly. If you are not high-risk, go enjoy your life. This isn’t that hard, folks!
#MAGA’s are the reason they are not enforcing. Suddenly keeping your virus away from others is a liberal plot.
Hong Kong has virtually every person wearing masks (pretty much voluntarily or because of great social pressure) and they’ve had 4 deaths total. Four. But it’s better to scream and shout, wave guns around, protest and endanger others to have “freedom.”