On April 18, 2022 the federal mask mandate was vacated by a judge in Florida. Almost immediately, airlines lifted their own requirements, with many flights suddenly become “mask optional” mid-flight. One passenger claims American Airlines “forced” him and others to remove their masks, but I strongly doubt that…
Did American Airlines Flight Attendants Force Passengers To Remove Masks? I Strongly Doubt It.
Certainly, we saw cases of jubilation across the airline industry when the mask mandate was vacated. There was a sense of euphoria that after two years, we finally could return to some sense of normal onboard.
Even so, the sudden move caught many by surprise, including many more cautious who may have even flown based upon the expectation that all those around them would be masked. In any case, there were isolated cases (like on Alaska Airlines) of passengers and flight attendants taunting those who chose to continue to wear a mask.
But the point was (and is) that masks are optional: you can wear one or not, but that is your choice. However, on person has claimed that passengers on American Airlines were forced to remove their masks.
On Apr 18th @AmericanAir actually had anti mask employees tell passengers to remove their masks. I didn’t want to be stranded or on an anti mask plane. Here’s the response I got, a coupon for a ticket. Remove your unwanted miles from my account. pic.twitter.com/hnl2cXrPx2
— Bridger Anderson (@BridgerAnderso7) May 1, 2022
American Airlines deposited points in Anderson’s account and Anderson responded that he did not want any points from AA:
Yes, this is a health and safety issue, the coupon for miles is really an insult. Remove them. The response to further profit from me was completely inappropriate.
— Bridger Anderson (@BridgerAnderso7) May 1, 2022
But let’s be rational. Do you really think that an American Airlines flight attendant, after so many militantly enforced masks even on two-year-olds throughout the pandemic, would suddenly forbid them, going against company policy?
Like View From The Wing, I can very much see an instance in which passengers were invited to remove their masks. I can even imagine cheering and applause from the flight attendants, much to the chagrin of those who believe that masking continues to be necessary.
But forcing passengers to remove their mask? I’m just not buying it.
CONCLUSION
A passenger claims flight attendants ordered other passengers to remove their masks on American Airlines. While I don’t wholly foreclose the possibility, I doubt it. There’s a huge difference between celebrating the end of the mask mandate and inviting passengers to remove their masks and forcing them to. And let’s say you refused. You really think the flight divert or you’d be banned for wearing a mask? Come on…
image: American Airlines
My ass. This didn’t happen.
Click bait item for sure!
Totally BS. This is a snowflake that needs a reason to have a meltdown. I have been flying twice a week since beginning of the year on both Delta and United and after the mask stupidity was gone I barely see anyone wearing a mask but the ones wearing one are respected and nobody bothers them.
“I didn’t want to be stranded or on an anti-mask plane…” Seriously? What a jackass, I guess he’s stopped flying now that most of the rest of the world’s airlines have gone all anti-mask… And he (or anyone else on the plane filmed any of that? Whatever.
I believe it. After 5 Supreme Court justices vote to force women with ectopic pregnancies to die, I can believe anything
Yeah, because that’s what happened….you are inept
I am strongly Pro-choice and if the draft ruling is the final ruling I am very very disappointed.
Furthermore, Imho Roe V. Wade is stare decisis after 50+ years and should be the law of the land, full stop.
With that said, the Supreme Court and it’s draft ruling has nothing to do with the lifting of the mask mandate.
Anything is possible, but I really don’t see a Flight Attendant forcing a passenger to remove their mask, it just doesn’t seem reasonable.
In fact the passengers still choosing to wear masks are now wearing higher quality masks that will do a better job protecting them than the piece of cloth most passengers used to simply comply with the mandate.
I was passing through CLE and saw a woman wearing a P100 respirator which would have been not allowed while the mandate was in effect due to P100 having valves.
That woman was wearing a mask/respirator which actually protected her and nobody batted an eyelash over it.
Democrats are not only child predators but also child killers.
Republicans are rapists and meth heads, go back t russia anti-american scum
I adnire Russia, at least they don’t allow pedophiles in their schools. Democrats celebrate that here.
Actually more sex crimes are committed by Republicans….look no further than trump.
Evidence? Your statement is beyond hyperbolic, it’s absolutely unfounded. And just to remind, a leaked trial balloon memo from February is not a delivered decision.
Billy Bob how about reading the Supreme Court yet to be passed ruling. It does not stop abortion. It was not a topic the Supreme Court should have ever ruled on and they are putting it back to the voters and the States to decide. Even Ruth Bader Ginsberg who believed in abortion was against the ruling. Probably almost every state will vote to keep abortion. If most people understood what really happens to a baby and saw it, they would be against it.
You damn fool. McConnell just said today that a total nationwide ban is possible.
Not all abortion is a women getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy. Look up ectopic pregnancy. It is a nonviable pregnancy that implants in the fallopian tube and without an abortion it will kill the mother. The American taliban wants to eliminate exceptions that would allow this.
This is ONE example of a necessary abortion.
F the masks… this is important
Good killing babies should be banned
I’ll take Things that never happened for $500 Alex…
On the AA flights I’ve flown since the mandate being vacated, the FA has made a PA announcement that masks are optional, that individuals’ decisions to wear or not wear masks should be respected, and that if you are wearing a mask, you will need to take it off if supplemental oxygen is required.
People that wear a mask dont need to be made fun of, harrassed or be labeled something nasty. As for the FA. I’m not surprised that it happened. With what goes on in the airplane these days anything is possible.
I strongly believe it as the same thing happened to me and a few passengers on a flight from DCA to ATL. I removed my mask since I did not wanna cause no drama and no delay.
Did they give you a reason? Can you offer us more details? I’m not doubting you, I’m just curious.
I traveled on AA on April 26th on two flights, LAX-JFK-MAD, and the inflight announcements indicated that everyone should respect the individual decisions of passengers and staff about whether or not to wear a mask. All went well.
Absolutely nothing would surprise me nowadays.
There are still a few Flight Attendants wearing a mask. They don’t care if you wear a mask or not. Many Asians have been wearing mask on planes for decades so FA’s are used to seeing them and pay no attention to it.
This guy is as bothersome as the nuts on the opposite end of the spectrum having meltdowns about wearing the masks during the mandated two years. All these drama queens are wearing on the soul.
The pandemic showed everyone that lefties are easily manipulated and will cede to authority very quickly because of the emotional nature of their ideologies.
The pandemic showed the world that Republican air travelers are vile raging alcoholics and can’t tolerate when their “rights” are taken away. You don’t have rights. Nobody does. It’s a nice idea, but that’s all it is.
Also, use Palmolive dishwashing liquid. It softens hands while you do dishes.
You’re soaking in it.
Lefties are defective.
People like you are a net loss on society
The people of pedophiles and infanticide.
There’s no way I believe that any FA, let alone and AA FA, told someone to take their mask off. My guess is that an FA asked if they could move the mask away to speak louder and they flipped.
The AA Twitter team is pretty terrible though. They used to be good, but are just salty now. AS is the only one worse.
A Trump judge tells people that they can take off their masks on the plane and they confuse that with it actually being a good idea? Alex can I have “telling people what they want to hear and they love it” for $500?
I’ll be flying tomorrow night with my N95 and not a surgical mask as on my previous flight since it’s now more unsafe to fly. Thanks
Coward
thank god for President Trump and judges his appointed. First the mask mandate and now the end of infantcide. We need his judges to keep us from the fascism of the left.
I love how all of the travel blogs gave maskless people the benefit of the doubt…repeatedly. Then when AA looks into this incident, confirms it, and rectifies it, the bloggers still aren’t happy.
I’ve stopped wearing my mask on planes and even I am just tired of the endless whining about masks from the entire travel blog universe.
The blatant ignorance of some of these statements… and some of them political. STOP, already.
I’ve been wearing masks on flights for years BEFORE the Covid Pandemic. The recirculated air is of poor quality and I would always end up with a respiratory infection that has now led me to COPD. If anyone tries to make me take off my mask on an airplane I will ignore them and refer them to MY PERSONAL PHYSICIAN