MiraculousM

I did actually come to ask if they provided these.

Also, my other question is are BA doing a kit like VS were doing (with two masks and hand santiser packets)?

13901

OT, but while we're on the topic of seatbelts. You might spend your whole flying career without needing them, but there are instances where you do. A few years ago an Emirates flight was rocked by turbulence so intense that the aftermath showed how passengers literally bounced off the seats and into the overhead panels. I've seen photos of cracked panels with very visible blood stains. My wife had a diversion once, when working at Gatwick, because one particularly stupid woman was refusing to attach her infant to the extension seatbelt while turbulences were ongoing. The poor boy literally flew into the overhead panel and sustained life-changing injuries.

They're there for a reason.

AirbusA350

I also worked and still work in the NHS, in a clinical role (not that it matters but figured I must say for context), I believe you have misunderstood, or potentially I might not have made myself clear when insinuating the UK has been good with masks. A country that’s been compliant with masks and excellent is Spain, in terms of compliance, UK has been poor.

What I was trying to say is that the general UK’s attitude towards masks has better than what Twitter suggests and better than what say the US perceives it, ie. in both these spheres, mask-wearing is attached with a nonsensical political attachment rather than a health consideration. Now if you re-read what I said, I was stating that the UK in general (outside of Twitter echo chamber, which I am aware can skew to one side of the other, it’s never balanced, reasoned debate there!), has not viewed masks as a political issue and in general you will rather equal proportions of mask refusers and mask enthusiasts on all sides of the spectrum.

Irrespective of this, I still believe we’ve reached a stage where it needs to move to choice. We’ve got a lot of tools to protect us (ongoing boosters, new emerging treatments of which more will keep coming through as time goes by), you know as well as I do that the NHS is and was overwhelmed even before COVID at the slightest uptick, yes we have to protect our health systems to ensure they can safely deliver services, but also, we do need to move on or at least adapt in some way.

IAN-UK

Those unhappy with the gentle BA approach might spare a thought for those of us who occasionally wander offline.

The other day Lufhansa crew in the "welcome on board" position were handing out the flimsy blue masks to passengers entering the aircraft mask-free, and to those wearing masks other than the flimsy blue ones. I understand refusal to wear a mask requires a medic-signed certificate or you are off-loaded.

One member of the cabin crew was so fired up with mask enthusiasm he patrolled the aisle after take-off, berating those with poor mask-wearing technique.

Bohinjska Bistrica

If it catches on, the credit is all yours.

Never Stansted

I do find the seatbelt analogy a bit insulting. I have never met anyone who considers wearing a seatbelt to be even a minor imposition. Once you fit it comfortably, you don't know it's there.

A face mask is a very different thing. I entirely appreciate that there are plenty of people who have no issue or discomfort at all from wearing one. I accept that in good faith. But I really wish that they would similarly accept in good faith that many of us do consider it a big deal; that we find wearing them deeply uncomfortable; and that placing an obstacle between someone's mouth and nose and the air is a significant imposition (even if you ultimately think it is the right thing to do). Ultimately something that lots of people care about is a big deal, even if you don't care about it yourself.

That is ultimately why I think BA's policy on this is important, given that it takes (or at least will quite soon take) something from being a mandate to being a matter of personal choice.

Discus

I suggest you try some domestic coastal routes in the autumn and winter-storms in Norway. You can feel both both shaken and stirred when the plane lands after 30 mins in bumpy holding and lands at the third attempt in severe turbulence.

jimlad48

I really like this post as it eloquently captures my views too - I did my bit, but I am afraid now 2yrs in I do find as a glasses wearer that masks are a significant imposition on my quality of life and that being triple jabbed is more important than a piece of cloth.

I utterly respect anyones right to choose to wear one, but I would ask that equally people respect my right to choose not to wear one.

mpkz

People cried a lot about seatbelts when they were introduced in cars. Uncomfortable (especially for women), no evidence of effectiveness and so on. And yet people eventually got used to them so that we are in the situation you describe now where "I have never met anyone who considers wearing a seatbelt to be even a minor imposition." I considered it hard to breathe in a mask when I first wore them for a flight. Now, they're not a problem unless we're talking about 18 hours plus of transfers.

Ladyfliestheredwhiteandblues

I'm not faking my exemption. I have had a valid one since day 1. I occasionally wear a mask as the path of least resistance for a very short time but it does impact me severely. To the extent that I restricted my activities somewhat since July 2020. I am no longer prepared to do that.

Never Stansted

And many of us have dutifully worn masks for the last two years, and still find them an imposition, and still find them hard to breathe in. If seatbelts were made non-mandatory tomorrow I am entirely certain the vast majority of people would continue to wear them. As for masks, Jet 2 and TUI have started the experiment for us, and it's already clear that at least 90% of people have immediately dumped them.

the810

BA website has been updated and it now confirms that masks are no longer needed if neither origin nor destination country requires them. There is no list though so it's hard to know how they interpret rules for specific countries.

JD1905

I'm sure it said the same thing yesterday?

the810

Nope. Even this morning it still said masks are required on all routes.

JD1905

I'm pretty certain I did read something on the BA Website either yesterday or Tuesday that was pretty similar wording.