ctporter

I can affirm that in recent flights (SEA PDX SEA, SEA SFO SEA, SEA RDU CHS - CHS RDU SEA) that has been true for the mainline 737. On an upcoming Q400 flight I noticed that ALL aisle seats are blocked, as well as on an upcoming E175

philemer

Don't think this will ever happen.

ctporter

On all of my recent flights (albeit only 4 in April/May) on the flights in early April almost no one wore masks and none were to be found generally to purchase, by mid April about half AS crew and passengers work masks while boarding and the AS crews when doing the garbage runs up and down the aisles, by my last flights on May 2/3) Most of the passengers and crew wore masks except while eating. I fully expect that my next flight after May 11 will see full compliance with wearing masks by all at least until fully seated. However, with the seating arrangements and low passenger volume, I would be ok with seated (window) passengers removing masks during the flight as long as they were not actively sneezing or coughing. For the FAs though, it would be different just because they are in closer contact with all of us passengers than I am with my fellow passengers. This would be for both of us, but I realize that IF I was a carrier, our masks combined might not protect that FA, thus the limits are of huge value on how we interact and share surface contacts to protect that FA. Since I think we are just trying to minimize spreading of the airborne droplets even a cloth mask will be better than using the crook of my elbow. I have also noted that I can purchase N95 masks at the Hudson News outlets at SEA for $7.95. So I will be wearing my masks each time I venture into areas with close proximity to others, but once seated I might remove the mask to clear my fogged up eyeglasses and of course to drink my waters and eat my snack packs. At this point, for me, it is more about the attempt at protecting others from me than evidenced based transmissions. My mother-in-law recently passed away and we were allowed to visit to say our good byes because - "she is already dying, you cannot hurt her more" - but we were a risk to the other non-hospice residents that we walked by on our way to the hospice area so for that portion of our visit we had to move spritely, and wear double masks once we were cleared to enter the facility. It is a sad state of affairs we live in now days, but having empathy and caring for others has always been a hallmark of AS, and is one of the reasons I support them by flying them.

Klrduks

Did my first flight since 3/14 yesterday. (EUG-SEA-SJC) The flight from EUG-SEA had about 30 people all spaced out pretty well. All seemed to have face masks, including staff, and used them and they were given out at the gate if you did not have one. Several "dangled" theirs for a time but seemed to at least try and keep them on. As others have reported, bottled water was passed out as well as offered snack cookies. GMVP/75/MM were also given chocolate bars.

For SEA-SJC, we lest out of gate B11. Must be an orphan gate that they inherited. :-) The flight was maybe 1/2 full with 7 in FC. Not as many masked were being worn as people boarded but all staff and FC passengers wore them throughout. They did announce several times at the gate that the flight would not have food for purchase or available in coach or FC. However, they did offer the snack pack and came around with the snack basket. They also offered a can of beer. Flight was uneventful but it was weird to see both SEA and SJC so empty.

HkCaGu

If they have to tell everyone how to buckle and unbuckle and tighten and untighten, shouldn't they tell people how to press the wire to tighten the nose?

PDXPremier

That is interesting that they offered bottled water and a snack on EUG-SEA since the website says flights under 350 miles receive no service (not even the bottled water). As for the SEA-SJC flight, I would argue that is as much or more food (albeit cold) than you would have received pre-COVID since the snack basket use to be only available on longer flights so now it looks like you get the deli snack box AND snack basket.

NoLaGent

Agree with you on the 1st leg, but SEA-SJC(SFO/OAK) pre-COVID at meal times was the sandwich/salad (L/D) or protein plate options, including snack basket.

SimonT007

Very few people are wearing the proper kinds of masks that are effective and most of the people I saw on my recent flights are not wearing them correctly anyway. It's all cosmetic to make people think they are more safe and encourage them to fly. For that matter, as soon as you take if off to eat or drink, you may as well leave it off the rest of the flight because you just lost any protection. Personally, I would be more concerned about the person behind me coughing over me than the person next to me.

hbtr

I for one do not think wearing masks is just cosmetic.

what kinds of masks were they that you deemed ineffective? CDC guidelines are pretty broad regarding what masks offer protection for the people around you - which is what they are there for.

how do you figure that putting the mask back on after taking it off briefly to eat somehow offers no protection for your fellow passengers? Do people suddenly stop coughing after they eat?

anteater

The same people who don’t use protection during intercourse because they didn’t use it once.

As long as you’re in public it’s exposure.

ctporter

Most of the masks that are accessible to the general public do not offer protection to the person wearing the mask, they do however prevent the spread of the droplets from the person wearing the masks to others by containing the vast majority of those droplets, especially if they sneeze or cough or other extreme exhales. Protection for ourselves is through the cleansing of the plane surfaces including all surfaces we are likely to touch the use of HEPA filters for the recirculated air, by limiting our exposure from FAs that interact with others by limiting what they touch and pass along to passengers, washing our hands often and completely, not touching our faces or mouths, and doing our own wiping down of surfaces we come into contact with prior to doing to touching them. I cannot stop others from coughing or sneezing, I can't even avoid them because I have no idea of when they do or when they might sneeze or cough. I can hope however, that fellow passengers would wear a mask for the sake of us fellow travelers, and I will take care of my own sanitation of surfaces I touch.

Timeforachange

What type of mask should the general public be wearing? Are they available? Myself I have 3 types of mask that I travel with 2 types of N95 and the surgical mask. My objective is to minimize my risk.

jiburi

Not sure whether AS will follow competition and penalizing passengers not following Mask requirement, but am hopeful they do.

I had to deal with a defiant passenger going through TSA, and causing a commotion, "Oh, look, you'll have to tolerate 20 seconds near me without my mask on" He was clearly making people around him uncomfortable....

Jiburi

pcoll

there always seems to be one.

Flying for Fun

If it were but only one!

James