SHAME Virgin -- Memo to the brass - COVID is still out there. [Wear Masks!]

[ozstamps]

Not one staffer at check-in or gates in SYD and ADL this week when I took flights were wearing masks in the midst of this pandemic, (see my photo nearby) and when asked why, was told “the company says it is not compulsory for us”.

We were wearing masks, as of course anyone sensible right now does, in heavily populated public places. We are not mask naz_s either - I tend only to wear them in crowded places. Like in airports or on planes.

No Perspex barriers in place either of course, at any booth. OUTRAGEOUS. A TINY cost in the airline world.

The staffer at SYD telling me this, was in a booth under a huge Sydney airport overhead sign saying “Keep a safe 2 metre distance for others and if you cannot, you should wear a mask”. Pointed to this sign she sees all day, and she smiles sweetly.

Does Ms Hrdlicker and Team think Virgin staff are somehow immune from being carriers and transmitters?

Don’t they realise perception is EVERYTHING right now?

If mass media got hold of this, 1000s of folks would choose not to fly Virgin overnight. ‘’Jetstar are cheaper so why take a health risk and spend more money by doing it etc’’.

Cost to them near ZERO, to demand all front line staff wear masks. Any sane staffer would be doing it regardless of the guidelines, to protect their own health. Handling ID, documents and handling baggage all day.

ZERO attempt for any social distancing for any pax lining up to check in – same lines and same guide ropes as last year. Tiger#2 seem to be living in some cocoon apart from the rest of the country.

Tiger#2 are pretty much down for the count now, and if they are so indifferent to the health of passengers, they will have none soon.

Sat at gate for a half hour past sked departure point at SYD this week on a stifling hot day. No air conditioning on. I was in Row #3 and a woman came up to front and said the heat was unbearable for her, and she wanted to get off, and take a later flight.

Was alongside her and FA, and when FA heard she had checked bags (i.e. another half hour delay ahead to offload them) told her there was a “technical issue” with the external AC unit usually plugged in (i.e. Virgin did not want to pay for it to be employed more likely) and “it would be really cool and pleasant once plane pushed back, which will be any minute now.” Woman reluctantly sat down. Pushback still took another 5 -10 mins.

In-cabin staff on recent flights had marks on and off during flight - even there, no consistency. Most states are on the cusp on having banned, or will ban flights ex Sydney this week, due to new COVID outbreaks, and these lazy staffers do not wear masks when they stand a foot away from 100s of pax a day, handling their ID and baggage etc, and this CLUELESS company does not insist on them, or smarter still spend a small sum and erect Perspex shields at EVERY check-in desk.

This is one reason why well over 300,000 Americans have died from COVID (so far) - little regard for very simple safety issues on flights. And as far as I can see, even THEY are now more COVID aware than Virgin. Heaven forbid.

Tried to enter Sydney Virgin Lounge Wednesday afternoon (2 Platinums on same day Virgin flights) and was denied entry as “sorry, we are full - with social distancing we can only have X guests inside”. ANSWER - open up lower level, but hey when did logic ever occur in there. So COVID they use as a handy card WHEN it suits them. At least under 50% of SYD lounge is open - Adelaide was still barricaded by hoardings. In the busiest flight period of the year.


SHAME Virgin – 1 out of 10 for effort from me. You have had NINE MONTHS to get your act together on this.

 

[stm1sydney]

I think that VA is doing a fine job in the circumstances.

 

[Yipchoi]

No different at Qantas.......are you going to shame them too?

 

[ozstamps]

I think that VA is doing a fine job in the circumstances.

Donald Trump also states he is doing 'a fine job in the circumstances' re his COVID handling for 9 months.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

The families of the 315,000 dead Americans from COVID might not agree.

Ignoring rudimentary distancing and mask wearing accounted for a large number of those.

 

[AIRwin]

Happy Christmas @ozstamps!

 

[stm1sydney]

By bringing 315,000 dead Americans into your argument, you've made it pretty clear that one can safely ignore your diatribe.

 

[ff-jr]

How is this different to any consumer-facing environment right now? I'm all for opening a discussion and expressing reasonable concern, but this post is nothing but Karen levels of alarmist outrage.

 

[ferntree]

I can't see any reason why there should be any debate even about the common sense of social distancing and wearing masks. The science is clear. These measures save lives.

 

[odysseus]

There's a typical, certain one-sidedness to the post - but that said, I think the gist and point of what is posted is valid.

Air crews are obviously one of the highest risk sectors as travellers are the primary vector for this to come in, and given other commercial decisions, wearing a mask is the bare minimum that is reasonable where it is still in transmission.

 

[TheInsider]

No different at Qantas.......are you going to shame them too?

No different?

Qantas front line staff (ground and cabin) across Australia are made to wear masks, it is now compulsory.

 

[hossein_au]

I would have been more reserved with my wording, but I agree with the point being me.

having said that, this has nothing to do with personal “belief”. There is a pandemic, and not only common sense, but also science points to certain, almost zero-cost, almost zero-effort mitigations. Why would anyone argue against it is beyond comprehension; it’s just dumb!

 

[UP4014]

No different at Qantas.......are you going to shame them too?

QF check in staff have worn masks at airports I have used even today.

 

[jase05]

Not mandatory for masks in SA except for a medical facilities. Literally no one wears them anywhere from my experience. My wife also takes a packed train to work daily and lucky to be a couple of people in her carriage wearing one. Can understand crew onboard the aircraft wearing one but not at check in counters.

 

[jakeseven7]

QF check in staff have worn masks at airports I have used even today.

Same.

I wonder if it’s a budget issue for Bain/VA2? Providing PPE?

 

[henrus]

Qantas front line staff (ground and cabin) across Australia are made to wear masks, it is now compulsory.

Sure thats the idea however I've been on a few flights where the crew don't care. Virgin cabin crew are told they must wear masks but again you'll sometimes find some who don't.

I wonder if it’s a budget issue for Bain/VA2? Providing PPE?

Masks are made available to all staff but no one forces them to wear them.

 

[ozstamps]

I can't see any reason why there should be any debate even about the common sense of social distancing and wearing masks. The science is clear. These measures save lives.

.
It is firstly and more importantly, about the HEALTH of their staff and passengers - new penny-pinching Management clearly care about neither, and the PERCEPTION that they care -

I repeat -

SHAME Virgin -- Memo to the brass - COVID is still out there.​

 

[AviatorInsight]

Same.

I wonder if it’s a budget issue for Bain/VA2? Providing PPE?

No. Masks are being provided.

Sure thats the idea however I've been on a few flights where the crew don't care. Virgin cabin crew are told they must wear masks but again you'll sometimes find some who don't.



Masks are made available to all staff but no one forces them to wear them.

Sort of. From the Group Medical Officer at Virgin...”From 4 December, all ground-based team members in customer facing roles throughout our network are recommended (my bolding) to wear face masks whilst undertaking work tasks in public spaces.”

For the cabin crew who weren’t wearing a mask were they eating in the back galley? Or were they serving pax?

The only time it’s mandatory is for ground crew in Victoria, and by cabin crew on board.

Not one staffer at check-in or gates in SYD and ADL this week when I took flights were wearing masks in the midst of this pandemic, (see my photo nearby) and when asked why, was told “the company says it is not compulsory for us”.

See my response above, for aircrew, both cabin crew and flight crew, it is mandatory to be worn inside the terminal and on board.

If there are any concerns please submit a complaint to this link here to have your voice heard.

 

[henrus]

For the cabin crew who weren’t wearing a mask were they eating in the back galley? Or were they serving pax?

In the galleys I've never seen them wear one. Basically all crews seem to take them off when not directly in front of passengers eg sitting in the crew seats prior to landing or just sitting around the galley.

I'm not going to name specific routes/flights but in the last week it's been a 50/50 as to the crew wearing a mask at other times. The snack/drinks service seems to have all wearing a mask but things like greetings at the door and subsequent drink/rubbish collections have less masks. I really don't care either way and I'd prefer if the crew got to decided themselves (some I were talking to weren't that happy about the masks) however I can see that upsetting people who may prefer to be served by someone wearing a mask.

Obviously I've flown both Jetstar and Qantas flights in the past few months and compliance has been 50/50 as well, It seems Qantaslink crews care less and even an Air New Zealand flight last month wasn't great with the mask compliance.

 

[Melburnian1]

Not mandatory for masks in SA except for a medical facilities. Literally no one wears them anywhere from my experience. My wife also takes a packed train to work daily and lucky to be a couple of people in her carriage wearing one. Can understand crew onboard the aircraft wearing one but not at check in counters.

Even that Dr Fauci is on record in the USA as stating it wasn't necessary to wear masks.

 

[ozstamps]

Even that Dr Fauci is on record in the USA as stating it wasn't necessary to wear masks.

What utter arrant and highly dangerous total nonsense. Did you check your spurious "fact" in any way"?

Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH, looks on ... [+]


Nationwide use of face masks could bring the spread of Covid-19 under control if 90% to 95% of the U.S. population wore such face coverings, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

In an interview with the editor of JAMA, Fauci advocated all Americans wear masks as a key way to bring an end to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly as a measure to reign in the spread of the virus until vaccines are widely available against the disease.

“If you don’t want to shut down at least do the fundamental basic things . . . the flagship of which is wearing a mask,” Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, told Dr. Howard Bauchner, editor of JAMA during an interview Wednesday afternoon.