[MartynSinclair]

I am all for covid awareness and protections – but – it seems to me airlines are now using covid as one big excuse to cut back on service levels. Inflight catering and onboard service poorer than ever, on most (not all) airlines.

I saw a Noel Philips review last night about an lo co out of Heathrow with a filthy / uncleaned aircraft due to a supposedly 30 minute turnaround… but MASKS, compulsory..

Travelling on an aeroplane appears to be one of the few STRICTLY enforced mask wearing environments in travel, where non conformers are arrested, bundled off aircraft as well as aircraft’s making unintended landings to have passengers removed.

Once you leave the aircraft though… you are on occasions faced with being crammed into transfer busses like sardines, q’ing in unventilated immigration & customs halls, crammed boarding areas and airport staff walking around as if masks are a thing of the past.

The behaviour of some uniformed airline staff on the T5 B & C shuttle train, insisting the front carriage is for their exclusive and mask less use, shoving passengers out of the way to access, just makes me wonder whether the hassles of mask wearing inflight and through the airport, really is necessary or are just there to try and control passengers and enable the airline to reduce service levels.

I see more passengers staring daggers drawn at unmasked passengers, aeroplane travel appears to be an in cabin explosion waiting to happen…

Are masks still really necessary or just there for effect??

(and before any one asks – I just follow the rules)

13 users thanked author for this post.

evi, Luc Jones, TimFitzgeraldTC, Jacob, Johnnyg, AMcWhirter, Switzerlanding, Eastbourneguy, SGJNI1961, Swissdiver, ASK1945, stevescoots, SimonRowberry

[Eastbourneguy]

Crew have always congregated in the first carriages as they know it’s nearer to the lifts/escalators but this is not for their exclusive use
If it was then Heathrow airport would have designated notices on the carriage
I aways aim for that carriage as it is nearer

1 user thanked author for this post.

Premier01

[LaundryMan]

Another interesting article Martyn

Interesting point about uniformed staff thinking the first carriage is for them but a typical British thing to be first in the lifts when they get off at the T5 terminal maybe ?

[hi_flier]

I fear that mask enforcement may be here to stay for some time to come, irrespective of what latest science, technology or insights may be. There appears to be a pattern of adopting new security measures within the airline industry that stay even when things move on. The 100ml liquids restriction introduced after the 2006 failed terror plot is an example of that. I believe we now have scanning technology which largely makes this restriction unnecessary but yet we maintain this rule.

I wonder whether it’s because the airline industry is risk averse and cautious – often for good reason no doubt when it comes to in-flight safety etc… Sadly I feel when a new rule is introduced, it’s here to stay.

I’d qualify my disappointment to say that I currently follow all current rules without hesitation but long for the day when we can return to seeing people’s smiles onboard.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Stewart, GordyUK, Premier01

[_glbetrkkr_]

Here in the States, our airline mask mandate is supposed to end mid-March. Highly likely it’ll be extended but I digress. If the mandate is lifted, will that mean maskless travel will only pertain to domestic travel? Who is the first country to ditch mask-wearing on an airplane?

[evelyn]

My experience on 3 flights BA club long haul is that masks are not enforced.
This despite me 3 times requesting crew to “remind” individual pax.
There was an announcement at beginning of flight but nothing afterwards.
I have complained to BA formally but after one month still no response

[huey]

I took my first plane ride in 20 months over Christmas, San Francisco to Tampa FL. I’m a touch claustrophobic and don’t like to wear the mask over my nose. This has been acceptable most places since this virus disaster started, and no problem at either airport last month. Outbound was fine, we all wore our masks most of the time. Return was miserable with an FA insisting that the masks be pulled up to our eyeballs. It was beyond annoying, she just wouldn’t back off. I was, unfortunately, sitting in 1B, so right in front of her the whole 6-hour flight.

This flight was literally the negative experience I had dreaded. Except for one biz trip next month, I have now given up airplane travel until the virus hysteria is over. Not interested in debating how I should wear my mask, but interested in stating my opinion and hearing others. I believe that the mask rule is useless and will result in travellers only boarding a plane when it’s an absolute necessity. Does anyone ever think about the world’s economy, not to mention the millions of hospitality jobs that have disappeared? Those jobs are filled with mostly minimum-wage people who aren’t qualified for much else. And of course we have the increasing incidents of pax mauling each other on planes and in airports. “They’re” blaming alcohol. That’s ludicrous; they’ve been serving drinks at airports and on planes forever. I generally spend $30-50K a year travelling, but I’ll not spend another dime until the mask rule is gone from flights. Big leisure trip to the UK is scheduled for end of May and I hope we don’t have to cancel that one as well as all the others. It’s sad.

[Inquisitive]

One word answer to opening question is : Necessary.

This Covid situation is not simple. Each country tried different way to tackle that including do nothing to get herd immunity but we all know what happened.
Countries with lowest fatalities or fatality rate are those that took better precautions.

Until this Covid situation is completely gone, each of us has responsibility to ensure that is is contained. Any confined space is a risk area and aircraft is a confined space where virus can spread quickly.

I believe that mask mandate will help to reduce any transmission. Of course the mandate has to be sensible. For long haul passengers, the needs to eat and drink are to factored and managed.

1 user thanked author for this post.

bigglesgirl72

[BugAdvisor]

My view is that if masks can be removed for eating and drinking, then what’s the point of wearing them at all. Those flying are likley to be at least double jabbed and had a pre-departure test. I would actively choose to fly with a carrier that said mask wearing was optional, but pre-flight testing was mandatory.
On a more contentious note, should mask enforcement be based on people per square metre? I’d be more likely to keep my mask on while sitting in a full economy cabin, than in business.

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PeterCoultas, Maaki, K1ngston, huey

[DerekVH]

[quote quote=1201241]I would actively choose to fly with a carrier that said mask wearing was optional, but pre-flight testing was mandatory.[/quote]

Totally agree, I was told yesterday that friends of a friend flew back from MLE knowing 1 adult and 1 child was positive and there are no processes in place to stop this. At least on the way out you know everyone has been tested and it is unfortunate there is not the same confidence on the way back.

2 users thanked author for this post.

ASK1945, huey

[FormerBA]

Masks are entirely superfluous now and perhaps always were. Just as disembarkation by row number is also pointless when they then pack you into a solitary bus.

Covid is the catchall excuse.

6 users thanked author for this post.

Luc Jones, AndyD, BugAdvisor, ASK1945, huey, MartynSinclair

[FormerBA]

[postquote quote=1201255]

But this is what living with it means.

Either we do now or we dont, but if its the latter then there is a cost!

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1201292]Just as disembarkation by row number is also pointless when they then pack you into a solitary bus.[/quote]

I think the disembarking row by row (on BA) is set to stay long term. The cabin crew announcement stated that disembarking row by row is faster than a free for all. On reflection, it probably is – I remember a previous discussion on disembarking etiquette and how the consensus was to always allow people seated in front of you to get up and gather their bags before you rushed forward to leave.

Can you imagine a strictly enforced boarding, row by row… that would / could never happen.

1 user thanked author for this post.

DerekVH

[SimonRowberry]

Hi Martyn,

Finnair got very close to row-by-row boarding a few months ago and did boarding from the back row first (through the forward door only). They have now reverted to”standard” boarding practices. They do disembark by row, starting from Row 1.

[huey]

Can you imagine a strictly enforced boarding, row by row… that would / could never happen.
This was my first thought, Martyn … if I’ve been on an airplane for 7 hours, there’s no way I’m going to sit quietly on arrival. I can’t imagine who would … gotta get the blood flowing and the brain working, donchaknow. I always get a charge out of people who think things up but have no clue about how the logistics would work. I don’t think there are any flight attendants dumb enough to take on the job of enforcing this idea.

[Author]

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