[AMcWhirter]

Starting from Monday May 4 passengers using all LH Group airlines (these are Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines) will have to wear a face mask throughout the entire flight.

Initially the rule will apply until August 31.

I realise that these carriers today operate very few or no flights at all but some services are expected to resume in the coming weeks and months.

[MartynSinclair]

Important to establish whether these will be airline or passenger supplied and whether it is any mask or a certain type of mask/face covering

[canucklad]

My mates in the pharmaceutical industry , busy testing away and I’d hate to think what he’d have to say to the CEO of Lufthansa .

In his educated experienced opinion forcing people to wear masks and in particular gloves en-masse tend to have the exact opposite effect than is the aim.

Firstly because people ignorantly assume its there to protect them , not others
And if you are a carrier of the virus , wearing gloves and specifically masks will probably mean you scatter the germs more randomly when putting on, wearing and then worst of all disposing it — He & his colleagues have been trained on how o use their proper masks

Even the much maligned WHO have questioned the benefits against the risks !

You just have to see the hype surrounding Mike Pence to gain understanding of how little knowledge the masses have around why we should wear a mask !

The above was inspired by his rant at Nicola Sturgeon yesterday

[nevereconomy]

Not sure if anyone here has experience of mask wearing, but for any extended period of time it is rather unpleasant. Cannot imagine anything more than a 2 hour flight and even that will mean a very sweaty face and mask!! I would need to be desperate too get somewhere to put myself through that.

[ASK1945]

nevereconomy asked: “Not sure if anyone here has experience of mask wearing, but for any extended period of time it is rather unpleasant”

Only for 40 years, and yes, the cheaper ones are very unpleasant. There is no way you can wear them for longer than an hour (tops) without taking them off. When you do, you spread the virus lodged on the outside. When you handle the mask then, you breathe the virus in.

[AMcWhirter]

I have now written a piece with a few more details. Ought to be posted online later.

[AMcWhirter]

Our piece now available online.

Lufthansa Group to make face masks mandatory

[canucklad]

“The Group also adds that “the current LH Group regulation to keep the neighbouring seat free in economy and premium economy will no longer apply”.

And there you have it — Cost of mask versus empty seat !!

1 user thanked author for this post.

travelworld2

[ASK1945]

……………. And “A reusable fabric mask is recommended but all other types of covering such as simple disposable masks or scarves are also possible.”

A fat lot of good (not) they will do for anything more than a one hour flight.

[LuganoPirate]

I’d accept any measures to get travel with the airlines going again. The repercussions if this does not happen are enormous. Not only airlines going bust but also the lessors and perhaps the banks that provide the finance both for the aircraft and the airline. So uncomfortable or not, I’ll put up with it!

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canucklad

[astoria]

I would think this ridiculous rule would put a great number of people off using the airline, particularly on long haul.

Not a very clever idea IMO.

[MarcusGB]

Absurd, with little clinical evidence that they would be effective for inwards or outwards infections.
How about the eyes and ears, these are open to gaining access to any infection also without anything else they suggest.
How hypocritical to state this, when not Social Distancing!

I have worn these in my Clinical career, and the masks they talk of should be changed within a short period of minutes or an hr. One use only, disposable.
Even Operating theatre masks have to be changed, and harbour your own heat on the inside and bacteria, as well as anything on the outside.
They get warm, hot, damp, very uncomfortable, coated with bacteria and sources of infection outside if any, and from you inside.
The “Scarf” concept is also complete nonsense.

You would need to be trained how to put them on, take them off properly, and how to wear them properly to be of any use even clinically, plus pre and post hand washing, and disinfecting after.
For being in the airport and after changed the mask every hour to a new one.
Where are these then disposed of, as they then become Clinical Waste?!!!
Perhaps Lufthansa should book passengers on an “infection control” week course before they fly, be more useful.
How

If you watch those from The Far East who culturally have got caught up in this bizarre habit in recent years, they do not cover their noses, or bend the mask around the nose, and constantly keep fiddling with them. And to eat or drink? They touch the outside to remove then the inside to pull back on, after dropping onto their clothes or a surface?

Unrealistic, unhelpful, no Clinical evidence, ineffective, and even if you can get hold of a surgical mask, you need one per hour.
What a filthy source of infection they will be when dropped in the bins or wherever…

No thanks LH. Keep your flights to yourself.

5 users thanked author for this post.

LuganoPirate, Swissdiver, Maaki, Montysaurus, ASK1945

[capetonianm]

I wonder how long it will be before LH group quietly ‘forget’ about this requirement.

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=997123]Unrealistic, unhelpful, no Clinical evidence, ineffective, and even if you can get hold of a surgical mask, you need one per hour.
What a filthy source of infection they will be when dropped in the bins or wherever…[/quote]

@MarcusGB

1. what about the N95 masks

2. i know you work in health care and this is being asked respectfully, what area of medicine / healthcare is your speciality

3. are you able to give an opinion on Mike Pence and his hospital visit, was there any clinical/medical reason that he should have worn a mask

I have been ingrained to wear a mask whenever I leave my home, including when I go running around the area I live (surprisingly, it does hinder my running at all) . This is probably from my time in Asia where especially in HKG, you get strange looks if you dont wear one.

My last longhaul was at the start of February HKG – HEL on Finnair and I would say 95% of pax wore a mask, including the entire cabin crew.

I ask only to try and understand & educate myself more.

Many thanks

[SimonS1]

[postquote quote=997128][/postquote]

Indeed, it sounds like one of those ‘gesture’ style approaches that are not grounded in any medical reality but just pander to those who think something must be done. Quite hard to enforce at 35,000 feet as well.

WHO says:

1. If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with COVID-19.
2. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.

Well if you are coughing or sneezing I would hope there will be some controls anyway.

Sounds like there is a good business opportunity looming in the ‘face mask disposal’ industry…..

[Author]

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