Flying with mask

[MEL_Traveller]

There’s really not. But you knock yourself out

That's contrary to WHO advice.

I think I'll stick with them!

 

[N860CR]

That's contrary to WHO advice.

I think I'll stick with them!

Sure. Stick a totally useless surgical mask over your face if it makes you feel better.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I flew from MEL to BNE during the height of Covid last year.

Mask at airport
Mask on plane
Take off mask for 1.5+ hours for food/drinks service
Put mask back on
Land

It's all theatre
I think it should be optional

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sure. Stick a totally useless surgical mask over your face if it makes you feel better.

It’s not the mask alone. It’s part of a package, and perhaps in some cases an attitude.

If a person refuses to wear a mask and won’t social distance, what else aren’t they doing? Getting on a plane or coming in to work when they feel unwell? Not practicing hygiene commensurate with a pandemic?

I flew from MEL to BNE during the height of Covid last year.

Mask at airport
Mask on plane
Take off mask for 1.5+ hours for food/drinks service
Put mask back on
Land

It's all theatre
I think it should be optional

In the USA masks are off only while you put the food or drink in to your mouth. While you are chewing the mask is back on. In the US in lounges and on board people aren’t nursing drinks to skirt mask requirements. Or using food as an excuse. A complete contrast to Australia.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

While you are chewing the mask is back on.

Lol

Yeah right

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Lol

Yeah right

This was exactly what happened on my transcon a few days ago… full F cabin (16 pax), masks were on.

The FAs weren’t having any excuses, the spiel at the beginning of the flight was ‘you know when your mask isn’t covering your nose, you know when it isn’t covering your mouth’.

I guess where it’s not mandated it’s down to personal preference. But not really an excuse to say the masks are of no use if you can have them off to eat/drink for 1.5 hours. Individuals can choose to wear them more effectively.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

What a clown world we live in

Put the mask back on in between bites.

 

[justinbrett]

In the USA masks are off only while you put the food or drink in to your mouth. While you are chewing the mask is back on. In the US in lounges and on board people aren’t nursing drinks to skirt mask requirements. Or using food as an excuse. A complete contrast to Australia.

You are correct that this is the written policy…

However, this is not my experience, and I was there during the Omicron surge in late January. Most people adopted Australian rules (taking off masks for the entire time they were eating or drinking) certainly in F, and the FAs did not object and would even continue to serve you if you didn’t have a mask. I only flew AA and AS so perhaps this is stricter on other airlines. But I took about 8 domestic flights and all were the same.

I found most of the lounges similar to Australian rules, masks off whilst seated.

All in all, I found US compliance with masks almost identical with Australia.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You are correct that this is the written policy…

However, this is not my experience, and I was there during the Omicron surge in late January. Most people adopted Australian rules (taking off masks for the entire time they were eating or drinking) certainly in F, and the FAs did not object and would even continue to serve you if you didn’t have a mask. I only flew AA and AS so perhaps this is stricter on other airlines. But I took about 8 domestic flights and all were the same.

I found most of the lounges similar to Australian rules, masks off whilst seated.

All in all, I found US compliance with masks almost identical with Australia.

They appear to have tightened up!

I’ve just done 5 sectors on AS and AA this last week including a transcon… masks were 100% on, and to be up between bites/sips of food. AS had the announcement on all their flights that excuses such as ‘I didn’t realise’ [my mask had slipped] were not acceptable.

 

[justinbrett]

I’ve just done 5 sectors on AS and AA this last week including a transcon… masks were 100% on, and to be up between bites/sips of food. AS had the announcement on all their flights that excuses such as ‘I didn’t know’ [my mask had slipped] we’re not acceptable.

We have had two completely different experiences then.

As I said, your experience matches the written policy, but it does not match my experience. I would have thought compliance would have degraded since the surge, but could be wrong.

Also I guess the US is different state to state, many of the states I went to didn't have a mask mandate at all (other than the federal aviation mandate). That probably influences things.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We have had two completely different experiences then.

As I said, your experience matches the written policy, but it does not match my experience. I would have thought compliance would have degraded since the surge, but could be wrong.

Also I guess the US is different state to state, many of the states I went to didn't have a mask mandate at all (other than the federal aviation mandate). That probably influences things.

I was actually thinking about that as I was writing the reply. Four of the flights were west coast or departing west coast… heavy voluntary mask wearing there. Also I wonder if the FAA or whoever enforces the rules had done some sort of compliance crackdown?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Two tiny countries!

SWISS is not a tiny airline and neither is Norwegian, but OK.

Having just spent 3 weeks in Switzerland and Norway, let me tell you how normal (and fantastic) life is in those two countries in particular.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

SWISS is not a tiny airline and neither is Norwegian, but OK.

Having just spent 3 weeks in Switzerland and Norway, let me tell you how normal (and fantastic) life is in those two countries in particular.

I confused Norwegian and Swiss as the countries rather than the airlines… but the point still remains… compared to US carriers they are tiny by comparison.

Life might be refreshingly normal when people don’t have to wear masks… but while my travel plans are dependent on not catching covid for entry to the USA - or for the next couple of weeks back to Australia - I’d prefer to minimise exposure.

Drop covid entry testing requirements and half the issue goes away.

 

[drron]

People have been wearing masks in Asia for decades. I’m assuming there must be some benefit.

The people who have been wearing masks in Asia for decades are those who have respiratory symptoms. So they are wearing a mask to prevent spreading infection not to prevent getting infection. We have travelled extensively in Asia and I can't remember a time when a majority wore masks even travelling in Thailand and Japan during the height of the swine flu.

Another argument that I have seen on here is that surgeons wear masks when operating. Once again that is to prevent them passing an infection to the patient not to protect them from disease.

As you seem to be travelling in the US I guess you are aware that the airlines are lobbying for the dropping of the mask mandate.

U.S. airline CEOs call on President Biden to end the federal mask mandate on planes

The CEOs argue that the increase in vaccinations and the lifting of restrictions in other countries should make the Biden administration reconsider the policy for travelers.

www.npr.org

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The people who have been wearing masks in Asia for decades are those who have respiratory symptoms. So they are wearing a mask to prevent spreading infection not to prevent getting infection. We have travelled extensively in Asia and I can't remember a time when a majority wore masks even travelling in Thailand and Japan during the height of the swine flu.

Another argument that I have seen on here is that surgeons wear masks when operating. Once again that is to prevent them passing an infection to the patient not to protect them from disease.

As you seem to be travelling in the US I guess you are aware that the airlines are lobbying for the dropping of the mask mandate.

U.S. airline CEOs call on President Biden to end the federal mask mandate on planes

The CEOs argue that the increase in vaccinations and the lifting of restrictions in other countries should make the Biden administration reconsider the policy for travelers.

www.npr.org

That’s exactly my point! I don’t want someone else’s covid. Which is why I want THEM to wear a mask. And likewise why they want me to wear a mask.

If they refuse to wear a mask, or like to think of creative ways to circumvent wearing a mask, I wonder what else they are failing to do? Like basic pandemic hygiene.

 

[Quickstatus]

People have been wearing masks in Asia for decades

Don't know if it helped Japan
Over 6 million cases and 28K deaths so far

Which is why I want THEM to wear a mask

A N95 type well fitted mask yes but anything else does really make a significant difference.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I wonder what else they are failing to do?

Unless you plan to hop in to the bathroom with them at 40,000ft for a spot of fun without protection (that actually does work), not sure why you would care about the choices of others.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Don't know if it helped Japan
Over 6 million cases and 28K deaths so far

Who knows as there are always a range of factors at play.

But at 225/ deaths per million people they are well down on a deaths per population ranked basis. And Japan is population wise very dense.

Australia 246.

USA 3,015

UK 2417

 

[drron]

That’s exactly my point! I don’t want someone else’s covid. Which is why I want THEM to wear a mask. And likewise why they want me to wear a mask.

If they refuse to wear a mask, or like to think of creative ways to circumvent wearing a mask, I wonder what else they are failing to do? Like basic pandemic hygiene.

There are a few things I would like to see people do on planes or not do as the case may be but I don't see why I should be allowed to force them to agree with my requests
As for your suggestion the daily case number for all Australia is 48000 at the moment or 0.4% of our population. So the chance of an unmnown case being on a plane departing Australia is likely to be less than that. But even so if you left on an A380 with 400 people on it there would possibly be 1-2 positive cases onboard. So you are making 397 people wear a mask that don't have to.

And further in mask wearing countries South Korea is also not perfect - 349 deaths per million population. And they are just above us on vaccination rates.

 

[N860CR]

That’s exactly my point! I don’t want someone else’s covid. Which is why I want THEM to wear a mask. And likewise why they want me to wear a mask.

If they refuse to wear a mask, or like to think of creative ways to circumvent wearing a mask, I wonder what else they are failing to do? Like basic pandemic hygiene.

I think you need to seriously consider if you’re genuinely comfortable leaving the house.