ajf87

There is no medical condition for which wearing a mask is contraindicated where the flight itself wouldn't be as well. Your country is asking you to do the bare minimum (wear a mask for harm reduction), which is too much of an ask for you. Admit it, brave patriot and fighter of tyranny.

carlosdca

One thing is very clear to me. It is nearly impossible (at least in this country) to get 100% compliance regarding masks.
Things to note:
* An AA employee on a power trip can go as far as making the pilot divert and land in rural PA (to the aggravation of all pax) if someone does not comply with AA rules.
* As a pax, expect that some people won't be wearing masks. Don't expect enforcement. Don't expect that complaining to the FA will change the situation.
* Decide accordingly if you want to fly or not.

757FO

Folks, not looking to be argumentative. If it is policy to wear a mask, then it get's enforced. if you have a medical reason for not wearing one, but policy is you must, then you need to find an alternate mode of transport. Certainly we will end up with people abusing the "no mask due to a medical condition" loophole, just like those have done with service animals.

My job is to keep my passengers safe, and if the airline/FAA deem mask wearing as essential for the safety of my passengers, then I will enforce it. If your on one of my flights, and don't have one, your not flying until you get one. If you decide to be a knuckle-head and remove it during flight for an unreasonable amount of time, I am going to divert, and have the police meet you at the gate. (I will even have a few extra in my bag to give away).Now, with that said, I would not be looking to go on a power-trip, and common sense should prevail. Delays and diversions for issues with crew or passengers is no fun for the pilots. Lots of paperwork involved, and the chance I don't get home on-time, so I will always try and be reasonable before doing anything drastic.

I'm withdrawing from the remainder of this conversation, as I can see it going down a rat-hole.... Safe travels, and stay healthy everyone!

aztimm

Folks--

This is the AA forum on FlyerTalk.

If you'd like to discuss Coronavirus in more general terms (to include wearing masks), there is a forum dedicated to that discussion:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel-773/

There are also several threads in Omni-PR, if you'd like to go that direction:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni-pr-652/

Any post that doesn't have a connection to AA will be deleted. Thank you.


~moderator

brandie

I flew two regional AA flights today. Everyone wore masks on the plane. The FA makes an announcement not to challenge any passengers without masks as they may have a condition. I was surprised at the numbers of people in the Charlotte airport without masks.
I'm guessing around 15 - 20 percent of people at Charlotte did not wear masks.

erik123

I feel it is similar to not eating nuts when the FA request all pax not to do so as there is a kid on board with a severe nut allergy. Simple common courtesy, whether you believe it is warranted or not.

mvoight

The point is the company has PUBLICLY stated it will not be enforcing this policy, and it is not denying people from flying if they have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing one. By law, the airline cannot require you to provided evidence of what that specific condition is. . As the airline has said it will not enforce it, it is NOT your decision to make. t doesn't matter if you agree with it or not. Or, am I confused and pilots have the ability to ignore what the airline has stated? If you tried to enforce something your company has said it will not enforce, then you leave your employer open to a lawsuit if you kick someone off the aircraft for not wearing a mask.
'

757FO

The issue is disruption. If not having a mask causes a disruption, that in-turn leads to the safety of the passengers and crew, then it is MY responsibility to intervene and correct that situation. Obviously, common sense should prevail.

DataPlumber

[img]blob:https://www.flyertalk.com/3da49c37-a33a-4594-bbae-de2d60bf1545[/img]

ReinaDeLaSelva

Hola senor! Have you forgotten?! We - I mean more than 50 percent of humans alive - do NOT all have penises! I have none. BUUT I have big boobs and many other qualities lol! Anyway I wear the mask. I am not 100 percent sure it works to cut transmission but I wear anyway. If you do not want to wear one OK. But if you disrupt my flight by disobeying the direct orders of aircrew then you violate this

49 U.S. Code § 46318. Interference with cabin or flight crew

I am not interested in being part of your performance of "resistance" if my flight is delayed or diverted for this reason. My ego does not require me to cause diversion of a/c to SUX or YYR and overnight there even if I do not agree. It is not all about me or my preference.

Even though I do not agree with all commands or actions of flight crews, I will not interfere in this way. I wait to land and file a complaint if it proves necessary.

I see at this minute the mask protocol is not yet covered in FAA publication...

VOLUME 3 GENERAL TECHNICAL ADMINISTRATION

CHAPTER 33 CABIN SAFETY AND FLIGHT ATTENDANT MANAGEMENT

Section 6 Safety Assurance System: Operations—Cabin Safety

https://fsims.faa.gov/wdocs/8900.1/v03%20tech%20admin/chapter%2033/03_033_006.htm

757FO.. please know you have my support and I am sure many other pax if you need to take actions to ensure flight safety on my flight. The metal tube is not the place to pick the fight.

mvoight

If a passenger is peacefully sitting without a mask and OTHER passengers are causing a scene, the ones causing the scenes are the ones whom you should be telling to behave, not the passenger not wearing the mask. Do what your airline's policy dictates. AA's STATED policy is not to enforce wearing of masks.

mvoight

Exactly, common sense, as the AA policy is to NOT ENFORCE wearing of a mask, your job should be to control the people causing the disruption, not the person not wearing the mask.
If someone refuses to sit next to a black man, do you kick the black man off for causing a disturbance?

757FO

No, I would kick the racist pig off my airplane. But, that is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

Also, what about body odor? Do I remove the offending person who smells, and refuses to clean-up in the lavatory, or do I remove the passengers complaining about it? Do I remove one or two passengers who refuse to wear a mask, or those who are complaining about it? Both scenarios impact those sitting near each other.

cmd320

It's actually an exact comparison.

You're allowing your personal view on each issue dictate which response you take in which situation. That's why there is a policy from the airline which outlines the actions that should or should not be taken in a given situation.

757FO

Perhaps I am. Being an airline pilot used to be simple, we flew the plane, and focused on that. More and more however, we have now become mediators with passengers and cabin crew members alike. I miss the old days, when all I had to be concerned with was weather, and what time the hotel van picked us up during a layover. Now I get dragged into who wears a mask, who gets an upgrade, who gets bin space, and don't get me started if it's ok to recline your seat, or the perpetual arguments of if you lost an upgrade or a seat to a non-rev. All of us have become far too entitled and spoiled, and that includes crew, not just passengers. It was different 25 years ago, when I left the Air Force and embarked on my airline career. The airlines were different, as were the employees and passengers.