Allegiant Air is a low cost carrier which is scheduled to fly more of their trips compared to last year than most U.S. airlines. They’ve always been your go to if you want to travel non-stop between Mesa, Arizona and Pasco, Washington at 1 p.m. on a Tuesday. And now, apparently, they’re your go-to if you want to blow off inflight mask wearing.
While the airline does publish a mask requirement, they were the last significant U.S. airline to do so and they allow wearing a face shield instead of a face mask, as pointed out by Zach Griff.
On Monday a passenger was removed from an Allegiant flight not for refusing to wear a mask, but for insisting that the airline’s flight attendants wear masks. When the man – and other passengers – object, “the flight attendant then threatens law enforcement will collect him if he refuses to leave.”
This elderly man was thrown off @allegiant airline this morning from Punta Gorda Florida this morning Because he asked the flight attendant why he had to wear a mask and she didn’t have to wear one pic.twitter.com/xZoui5zCrg
— Patrick (@peter61809160) September 7, 2020
Ironically, the airline says “[t]he passenger was removed for repeatedly disrupting the pre-flight safety briefing which includes reiteration of our inflight face-covering policy.” They claim that the flight attendant had only “lowered their mask for speaking into the PA so the briefing could be understood” although that’s not the story being told by passengers on the flight.
It’s also not the first time in recent days that Allegiant flight attendants have been called out for not wearing masks.
.@Allegiant how am I supposed to feel safe flying when my chatty Kathy flight attendant isn’t even wearing her mask properly and keeps taking it off?!? Safety first or last…? pic.twitter.com/N61Y4h6xB7
— Jessie Kunkel (@jesscacaroline) September 4, 2020
That surprises me after my recent trip where I witnessed the flight attendant wear her mask below her nose for much of the flight pic.twitter.com/USWfnnXAdh
— Colleen Napora (@ruirish01) September 6, 2020
Dear @Allegiant, if you're going to tell people to wear masks on your flights, ya better have your flight attendants enforce it. We're in a freaking pandemic. 😑
— HALE¥STAACK (@NerdCaptnHaley) September 4, 2020
Had to fly home this week and gave @Allegiant a try for their said safety priorities. Was that a joke – even the flight attendants didn’t wear a mask while giving the SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS. They also did not enforce mask wearing on the plane which went against their policy. pic.twitter.com/jTXVPom2M7
— Toni the Towtruck (@tonicontour) August 31, 2020
Here’s a report of lax mask enforcement for passengers, too.
Just Landed ! Actually was impressive for @Allegiant . They gave me a free real drink and we not that fussy over mask. It was better than the last sw flight. Nice seat mate with middle seat empty 👍
— Payton Hall (@PaytonHallXXX) September 3, 2020
Back in May the airline reported that their customers are less afraid of Covid-19, saying that “[i]n the Midwest and Mid Atlantic, the Upper West, I got to tell you they don’t share the opinion that the evening news is putting out there.”
(HT: Christian M)
What does ‘blow of inflight mask wearing” mean? And allegiant doesn’t fly on Tuesday. It’s one of the days they don’t fly. Do your research and edit your posts before you hit publish. Why do you accept laziness/ slothfulness?
stfu jason, “1pm on a Tuesday” is an obvious joke not a description of their schedule
Not surprising…. Southwest also has an issue with flight attendants not adhering to their own policy. I raised concerns to passengers not wearing masks but wasn’t brave enough to call out flight attendants due to thier unchecked power/authority similar to police – protected by unions no matter what they do. I’ve had to take 4 flights over the last 2 months to be with my mom. Her lung cancer diagnosis and biopsy were significantly delayed due to health care system issues during the pandemic. 3 out of the 4 southwest flights had attendants not wearing masks properly (nose not covered) with one not wearing a mask at all when giving the exit row briefing. None at all…. Very sad to me as I travel internationally a lot and we seem to be one of the few countries where so many people think it’s a sham or a violation of their rights when it impacts many others so much… Sad sad sad. On my last flight every FA wore masks correctly and I thanked them as I deplaned letting them know I appreciated it and it was only one of the last four that everyone did… My kind words are… Please think of others…
One more reason not to fly Allegiant…
Good for Allegiant Air. People need to stop being Maskhole Karens.
I fly them infrequently. (EWR to SAV or Destin from time to time) Now, I’ll make a point of flying them when I can.
If the flight crew can’t figure out how to wear a mask it doesn’t engender much trust about them explaining safety to us.
@Jason: Allegiant used to not fly Tuesdays, but they have for some time now. Get with the times.
In flight waitresses demonstrating their overall uselessness.
@Christian.. Exactly..
When the southwest employee on my flight didn’t even have a mask on when they went through the safety questions it made me really wonder about thier commitment to safety.
As long as my CVG-PGD flights keep happening for $33 each way, people can do whatever they like, mask-wise. Allegiant isn’t Emirates, but the price is right and they haven’t killed a pax yet.
I will be flying a few times starting end of October, I have Asthma and cannot wear a mask full time of flight, my doctor even wrote a letter to the airlines about having sometimes thru out the flight for me to pull mask down to breath better. I pray there’s not going to be an issue
@Mangar: You must wear a mask because you are a danger to others if you don’t. COVID-19 does not become symptomatic until 1-14 days after infection. In the interim, an infected person can infect a limitless number of other people.
Some salient statistics. Deaths per million population:
UK 600
US 400
Japan 7
The source of the dramatic difference? Universal mask wearing in Japon.
So this is not any kind of ‘Karen’ thing. It’s deadly serious.
These flying waitresses with their “perceived” power need to remember who the customer is. Off the confines of the airplane these are small people. So here is real power Alligiant Air – I will NEVER fly your airline – fellow travelers join me in boycotting these hypocrites. Did your parents never teach you the importance of setting an example?? Passengers must wear a mask – then so should your staff! How dare you defend the clearly inexcusably actions of your flying waitress by saying she’s responsible for safety in the air. If that were the case she would have worn a mask! The days of don’t do as I do, do as I say went out with Leave it to Beaver. Shame, shame , shame Alligiant Ait – that employee should have been fired! My power is never flying your airline. .I had a similar experience with Alaska Airlines recently and guess what they did? The captain and lead flight attendant asked to chat with me after the flight and after hearing what happened apologized profusely, refunded the cost of my ticket, asked me not to judge their airline by this 1 individual and the captain assured me she would talk with the employee personally and promised me this level of treatment would not be tolerated. That’s how you handle this situation- not defend the indefensible and blame your customer. Just a guess here – but I am going to say this is not the first time there has been a problem with this employee Allegiant. She needs to go – not the passenger!
@Robyn —> “These flying waitresses with their ‘perceived” power’…” WTF??? YOU and your attitude are precisely the sort of person that airline employees HATE! FA’s are first and foremost there for YOUR safety, not to f*****g serve you coffee!!! The very first FA’s were in fact nurses. They DO have power — it’s not a “perception.” They have the power to tell you to buckle your seatbelt, to put on your face mask, and to throw you off the plane if you are disruptive and/or post a threat to the safety of other passengers and the aircraft.
Now, as to this specific Allegiant flight, I wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly what happened. FA’s should, in my opinion, be wearing face masks except when making announcements on the PA system (where they need to be clearly understood over the engine noise). And I’m willing to admit it is quite possible that the FA here is indeed “at fault.” But “flying waitresses”? No f’ing way!