Tag Archives for masks.
British anti-lockdown protestors were flying BA from Berlin to London Heathrow and “celebrated their ‘victory’ over airport staff” by sharing photos on social media where they’re flying without masks.
A 75 year old woman with terminal lung disease was heading to Seattle on Alaska Airlines – but was kicked off of her flight at the Fairbanks, Alaska airport over face mask rules.
She wore an N95 mask and a face shield during boarding. But once she settled into her seat she replaced those with a respirator helmet.
New video circulating on social media appears to show an African American Trump supporter kicked off of a Southwest Airlines flight for taking down his mask ‘while eating’. The suggestion is that he’s really being kicked off for being a Trump supporter while following the rules.
What the video really shows is anti-mask protestors on a plane who don’t understand what it means to be a conservative.
Last week I wrote that airline rules don’t seem to apply to the rich and powerful after Mike McCaul, the fifth wealthiest member of Congress who is in a tight reelection race, flew Washington Dulles to Austin without a mask over his face.
He said it fell off when he was asleep. But new video has surfaced that calls that into question, and suggests the Congressman likely should be banned by United Airlines.
I’m going to express an unpopular view, and perhaps draw significant hate in the comments. But I don’t think a nationwide transportation mandate imposed by the CDC is the best way to approach mask compliance. And I’m an advocate of masks and have been since long before the CDC found religion on this issue. Here’s why.
American Airlines passengers have to wear masks throughout their journey – in all areas of the terminal controlled by the airline as well as on board (many airports require masks, too). Cabin crew have to wear masks as well throughout the flight. However pilots are allowed to take off their masks inside the cockpit.
Multiple pilots have reported being taken off of trips, forfeiting pay because they refuse to fly with another crewmember up front who won’t wear a mask.
Two weeks ago Congressman Mike McCaul, who is in a tight reelection race, reportedly refused to wear a mask while seated in first class on his United Express flight, Washington Dulles – Austin. Do you think he’s been banned from United Airlines? And as the President’s treatment underscores, does anyone doubt the fifth wealthiest member of Congress would have access to the best treatments if he got sick – treatments that haven’t been approved for anyone else?
Allegiant Air can take you non-stop between inexpensive airports outside of major cities and places no one wants to go. And they do it for less, as long as you want to travel at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays.
The airline knows their market, and has operated a greater share of their flights throughout the pandemic than other airlines. They’ve reported their customers are less afraid of Covid-19. Unsurprisingly that translates to a unique onboard experience during Covid times.
DOT has responded to a petition demanding it adopt mask wearing rules for airports and airlines. It declined to do so, because airlines and airports generally already require masks. Indeed airline mask mandates are better than federal mask mandates for two critical reasons.
American Airlines recently shared a memo with employees, “Best practices for team members: Face covering compliance and customer aggression.”
Perhaps most shocking is that American Airlines has announced internally that mask wearing is more important than D0, an exact on time departure. None of this helps, of course, when it’s the flight attendant not wearing a mask.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
