corporate-wage-slave

Or maybe Joint Business / connecting flight issues for passenger originating from the USA.

The reality is (regardless of my own views here) that within the next few days a significant propprtion of travellers won't be wearing masks within Europe, and I doubt the crew can do much about it.

Tobias-UK

Indeed, not BA's finest day! That said, Virgin travels to far fewer destinations so theirs would have been a much simpler exercise.

Never Stansted

It would be a brave crew member who tried to enforce mask-wearing on LHR-MAN.

Porky Speedpig

Reporting live from the top of the steps in Manchester where they are having to do exactly that! “Manchester is considered a high risk station”.

KARFA

Yet MAN has already downgraded their policy a few weeks ago from you have to wear one in the airport to you are recommended - so BA would be incorrect in claiming you must put one on during disembarkation and within the airport.

UrbanLegend

Well looking forward to clear policy here. All my travel in the last 12 months and next are short personal trips to the UK to see older relatives at higher covid risk. If they are no longer required this will be a hard risk to weigh up. Lots of FTVs for me.

Ladyfliestheredwhiteandblues

Regardless of anyone’s personal stance on this, it is without doubt another BA own goal. When will they ever get a grip?

flyertalker00133

If it helps you, if you’re wearing a protective mask like an N95, the difference in risk if other passengers are or aren’t wearing a mask is negligible, even assuming compliance and effectiveness of their masks are high (which I doubt)z

thegamebird

It's perfectly possible for those that feel more comfortable wearing a mask to utilise a fitted N95 or FFP2 one that protects the wearer. Those of us that choose not to cover our faces can do so knowing those that are nervous or concerned have protected themselves.

crazy8534

A clean N95 changed at appropriate intervals is very likely the only way to protect yourself from Omicron BA.2 if you feel so inclined.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that other types of mask (e.g the black cloth type that are never washed….) increase your risk of catching this latest strain, which has evolved very effectively to evade almost all protections.

I was all for masks when they were useful, I just don’t think they are any more unless you are going the full N95. I think BA/LHR etc have made the right decision.

the810

I understand it can take some time for them to clarify certain borderline destinations such as France (which does not appear to have a plane-spefic mandate in place, but requires masks on public transportation domestically). But BA could at least save their face by going through with dropping the mandate at least for destinations which are 100% safe to be mask-free, e.g. to Scandinavia where local airlines have already been operating without masks for over a month.

In any case, I guess I'm lucky that my schedule was too busy this weekend and the London trip I booked following the announcement is still 9 days away. Hopefully they'll fix whatever the issue is by then, otherwise I'll have to deal with FTV, which I really don't fancy.

Bohinjska Bistrica

Can only imagine there are issues with specific destinations or perhaps the union is kicking off about it. Either way, it's pretty amateurish not to have your ducks in a row before you announce this, as the message goes out and then you end up with a u-turn. A quick search of the news outlets also does not show that the change in policy has been publicised, which isn't going to endear the poor crew to passengers turning up having heard BA no longer requires masks.

paulaf

I'm sticking to what they published on Twitter and still not rescinded.

Tobias-UK

I understand a number of US airlines have been lobbying to have the mask mandate lifted in the US so perhaps it might be worth waiting a while before making any drastic decisions on travel.

Tobias-UK

Remember it is a legal requirement to observe all crewmember instructions. FYI the mask requirement is still (and has remained) on ba.com which is the official place for all BA policies and requirements.

It looks like we are all going to have show a little patience to give BA a little more time to finalise its policy.