kennycrudup

Yeah. WN1188 SNA-PHX today was ~70, and back there where I was only middles were open except for families traveling together.

screeton

When planes are mostly empty, admittedly the mask rule is less of an issue. As SWA flight loads begin to increase, passengers who ARE wearing masks as recommended will start asking FA's about passengers who are not wearing masks, requesting that the non-compliant passenger be reseated elsewhere. Now even Uber is picking up on the mask gig, so passengers will have to wear masks to and from the airport, too. Might as well get used to it - the paper surgical masks are really not that bad. The cloth masks, on the other hand, can be a bit suffocating.

Jerseyguy

They keep saying they can't profitably run the flights with the middle seats blocked off. If they don't enforce the mask requirement the loads wont be high enough for them to make a profit. If the confidence isnt there no one is going to fly.

pgh234

If one is not confident enough to leave the house and accept a certain amount of risk...then they shouldn't be on on airplane...masks or not. Masks don't do anything and likely increase your likelihood of getting sick. If anyone on this forum ever took calculus, you would understand that the area under the curve, flattened or not, is the same.

WebTraveler

Good to know it's optional. And this report says Southwest is not enforcing it either.
https://katu.com/news/local/nearly-h...tland-man-says

So I am not flying Southwest until they figure this crap out. Had a flight I had to take next week and I just refunded it and booked on Alaska. Screw Southwest,

WebTraveler

Good to know it's optional. And this report says Southwest is not enforcing it either.
https://katu.com/news/local/nearly-h...tland-man-says

So I am not flying Southwest until they figure this crap out. Had a flight I had to take next week and I just refunded it and booked on Alaska. Screw Southwest,

ave1024

Seems like Southwest is treating their mask policy the same way they handle their preboards. Anybody with "a medical condition" is exempt from wearing masks apparently. Get on the plane and half the passengers have no masks on! Amazing how people love to cite their imaginary medical conditions when they feel the rules shouldn't apply to them.

Such a joke. Have some balls and enforce the policy that you put out. I hope their shareholders suffer due to lack of consumer confidence. The PP said it perfectly, there is no way they will be able to sell out a full plane without consumer confidence.

kennycrudup

... but they have. Just came off three such flights (albeit blocked off but still some ~70 pax each and most available seats filled) just this weekend alone.

ave1024

that’s sold out in this environment. Not 143 seats sold out. Not selling out 2-3 flights per day vs one with a connection the way it is now.

people are flying more now thinking Southwest will be “safe” with mask REQUIREMENTS per their “policy” and social distancing advertising. Wait till more bad press hits them regarding the lack of masks. This is possibly only the beginning.

Jerseyguy

Well regardless of whether you are correct if customer perception is that masks help reduce the risk then they won't be traveling to see family on planes where people don't wear them. Since people get their coronavirus information from news outlets that quote sources like the Mayo Clinic CDC, and the World Health Organization which recommend a mask, they are likely to have that same perception again whether its correct or not.

While I guess an airline could reduce flights perhaps to increase load factors, doing so would increase layoffs of pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, rental car agents, hotel clerks, parking lot attendants (and I could go on), but by all means refuse to wear the mask.

Jerseyguy

These flights are unprofitable for Southwest unless they can sell more seats they will not be. For many this is the first Southwest flight they have taken since the pandemic started and they were under the impression that when Southwest said "Face coverings or masks will be required for Customers" they actually meant it they likely wont be back next time.

dlaue

The least expensive fare from SFO to LAX in the 1970s (pre deregulation) was ~ $112 one way in today's dollars. And PSA flew the route every half hour starting at 5:30am, ending at 11:30pm.

So, I expect $109 to be the new $49 fare soon, but with only 6 - 8 flights a day.

kennycrudup

Many people, in each of the 4 airports I've been in over the weekend, were putting on their masks only prior to boarding, knowing they had to, so I'm thinking the whole "only flying because they think people are going to be masked" rings hollow.

I seriously wish some of y'all would actually FLY and talk to your fellow pax. You'll find out too the most are over house-arrest, the economic fallout (which is really the only reason I care) and all these measures.

storewanderer

Mask policy should go like this: enter the boarding area, get handed a single use mask by Southwest. Clean, disposable, one time use mask for EACH flight.

You must have it on in the plane, period. No more eating or drinking in the plane, either. Taking the mask off to eat/drink compromises the mask and spreads your germs all over the place.

None of these cloth masks, homemade masks, should be allowed to be worn on board either. Those are not clean nor sanitary. I am very nervous in general with how masks are being used, people touch them steadily, take them off to cough/sneeze, or talk to others. Then touch other things with their hands which were now just all over their mouth germs since they were messing with the mask. Properly used, the masks would help us contain virus spread in the US. Improperly used masks which is what I am seeing all over the place (go into a Wal Mart and observe for 5 minutes) are a sideways move with no benefit at best, and a potential huge spreader of virus at worst.

At this point I am ready for this whole mask program to go away. Also getting really tired of the little "war" between some of the "mask wearers" and the "non mask wearers" that I see playing out. It is time to just end this game.

There will never be 100% of people wearing masks. There will always be "exceptions" even if it is the rule. This particular rule is not working out at all with all the improper mask use and enforcement issues so it is time to just end it. If you want to wear a mask, wear one. If it makes you feel better, then that is good. Personally I would absolutely wear a mask in the plane, no question about it. But don't expect anyone else to.

Finkface

You're kidding, right? This (not drinking) goes against all medical advice out there to stay hydrated for so many reasons, including DVT and general health/immune system. Not to mention just plain thirst. And tell that diabetic that he cannot eat when he needs to. That will end well. Is this where our paranoia has taken us? Is this what we have become? No water for you!