Smiley90

No they don't. Doctors and nurses wear them all day, every day. If they've been flying for decades without issue then wearing a mask won't be an issue for them, because flying is inherently more dangerous to your O2/CO2 levels than wearing a mask.

rickg523

Unless the claim is the passenger is emotionally incapable of wearing a mask, I agree. The fact that a mask inhibits an individual's ability to breathe adequately would certainly indicate that flying itself would make her breathing difficult.
To the emotional disability argument, in case of emergency, what's that thing that drops down in front of you? Oh yeah, a mask. If you really can't take a mask under calm conditions, shouldn't the carrier be concerned for your, and others, safety in case of an in flight emergency.
Of course, until we have such an actual case of a person, adjudged by medical professionals, physically disabled to the extent they are unable to wear a mask but fit enough to fly without oxygen, I think legal action by denied flyers would have to be fought on the basis of 'emotional disability' or, if we discard the legal fictions, by the 'I just don't wanna' argument.

Smiley90

That's true, I wasn't considering that sort of disability. Agreed on the second part - if they can't emotionally handle wearing a mask, that poses a huge threat to them in case of loss of cabin pressure since then they'd HAVE to wear a mask, so the airline can't guarantee their safety.

flyerCO

Yes they wear them. Yes some are effected.

Those drop down masks are also providing O2!. False comparison/comparing apples to oranges.

Again the ACAA is written different from the ADA/other disability laws.

ETA - they tell you if those O2 masks drop that you need to remove your mask. Why would need to say that if masks dont effect breathing?

Stickboy46

There is not set rules to this basically. It's an extremely gray area. The airlines are rolling the dice that any potential backlash/lawsuits is offset by the positive goodwill of doing this. Honestly, it's the right choice as this would likely be left up to court room interpretation and IMO would be easily thrown out based on the knowledge that is present today on the virus and it's risk to others.

aztimm

Hi everyone--

Just in case you didn't see my post yesterday, here it is again.

Any post here should be AA related. There are other places on FlyerTalk (and elsewhere) if you want to debate the merits of wearing a mask.

Thank you.


~moderator

Antarius

I know, I was being sarcastic.

But yes, AA is a private entity and can deem this to be. people who take issue can find other airlines or other means to get there.

rickg523

Wait. The claim is either the mask inhibits the claimant's ability to breathe. That's simply tested by a pulse oximeter.
Or it's claimed that the mask itself creates so much anxiety that it rises to the level of a disability.
I think arguing the claimant's mask-phobia only involves a certain kind of mask under certain conditions is going to be found insufficient to force airline accommodation. Like the emotional support peacock.

flyerCO

Correct. However even private entities must comply with law. The ACAA was written in a manner to reflect that being denied flight severely restricts transportation needs of people.

It does effect the ability to breath, by restricting exchange of O2/CO2. I'm not sure where phobia came into conversation. However a person theoretically could claim wearing one causes PTSD for a kidnapping/sexual assault victim/etc.

The ACAA was broadly written. It heavily (perhaps too) favors the right of the passenger. However it is currently the law we have and thus the law that airlines must follow.

Herb687

There are far more physicians on FT than I realized.

SOBE ER DOC

As an ACTUAL physician I will do on record as saying that AA is 100% right to do this regardless of how late they are in doing it. if you are so medically or emotionally frail that you cannot wear a mask for a relatively short period of time then you have no business an airplane. During my last shift in the ER I had no less than 10 people who are presumptively positive for COVID. This is not a joke.

exwannabe

I believe the ACAA states that the airline may deny a passenger on grounds of safety. And the mask clearly is a safety issue (despite all the whackos that can not see the obvious).

Antarius

Except it doesn't. There are zero studies that show this. A standard surgical mask cannot impair blood oxygen levels. Its impossible as a function of material porosity.

And as an asthmatic, I can anecdotally back this up too.

So there aren't any medical grounds that someone has grounds to appeal. Additionally, I presume AA has lawyers who would have reviewed this first and not just callously made a policy.
​​​

Dave Noble

Given that gas exchange takes place in the alvioli in the lungs, do you have any credible evidence to support such a claim

Is there any credible list of chronic diseases which where wearing a mask would not be possible for someone healthy enough to travel?

What seems to be the case is people who think that they shouldn't have to comply with rules

DataPlumber

ignorance and stupidity. It’s a chronic condition and the carrier never realizes they’re afflicted.