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UA COVID19 precautions: **REQUIRING** mask usage per CDC/DoT

Old Jun 17, 2020, 4:09 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Debating the value of masks is not appropriate for the UA forum -- we will discuss the UA requirements, enforcement and/or compliance. The value of masks is not UA specific issue (and not airline industry-specific either) and is best discussed elsewhere in a more universal format

WineCountryUA
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.22 April UA to provide "Social distancing" by blocking middles from advance seat assignments -- note middles can be assigned for those traveling together or at the gate if needed ... example notice and COVID-19: What we're doing to keep customers and employees safe


20 May 2020 United Launches United CleanPlus: A New Standard of Cleanliness and Safety in Partnership with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic ... (post)
"allowing customers to take alternative flights when we expect a flight to operate over 70% capacity." is included in the above announvement
Also NSRA not allowed if above 70%

15 June 2020 United Airlines Strengthens Onboard Mask Policy to Further Protect Passengers and Employees Against COVID-19 Spread ... (post)

July 2020 -- appears UA has dropped blocking pre-assignment of middles, still notifying if 70% booked

20 July -- "Traveling is different now, but we're still committed to your safety What to expect when you travel next", e-mail

22 July -- United Extends Mask Requirements to Airports

17 August 2021 -- TSA to extend transportation mask mandate into January (18, 2022)







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UA COVID19 precautions: **REQUIRING** mask usage per CDC/DoT

Old Apr 17, 2021, 1:11 pm
  #826  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Originally Posted by tcp1
Yeah, they were even announcing the “between bites and sips” ridiculousness over the PA in the IAD clubs last week. As an aside, I find it totally insane. They weren’t enforcing or even mentioning that on early COVID flights, but to pretend it does anything more than make eating or drinking a frustrating dance is ridiculous. I thought most FAs were reasonable about it, but you really had one who expected everyone to do the “bites and sips” routine lest they witness his “authority”? I do my best, but if everyone truly did that meal service would take 90 minutes.

This is getting to be a bit much. I wonder if I’ll soon be able to staple my vaccine card to my forehead and get exempted?
Yet more COVID theater from UA (and any others making customers do this). I almost think the more unpleasant they make the "meal" experience on board, the less we will complain about the quality/quantity/ nutritional value of what is being served.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 17, 2021 at 8:31 pm
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 1:35 pm
  #827  
 
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Originally Posted by tcp1

Yeah, they were even announcing the “between bites and sips” ridiculousness over the PA in the IAD clubs last week. As an aside, I find it totally insane. They weren’t enforcing or even mentioning that on early COVID flights, but to pretend it does anything more than make eating or drinking a frustrating dance is ridiculous. I thought most FAs were reasonable about it, but you really had one who expected everyone to do the “bites and sips” routine lest they witness his “authority”? I do my best, but if everyone truly did that meal service would take 90 minutes.

This is getting to be a bit much. I wonder if I’ll soon be able to staple my vaccine card to my forehead and get exempted?
Originally Posted by bluedemon211
Yet more COVID theater from UA (and any others making customers do this). I almost think the more unpleasant they make the "meal" experience on board, the less we will complain about the quality/quantity/ nutritional value of what is being served.
Yeah, my wife was really upset that they just kept droning on about this "bites and sips, replace your mask" nonsense. As the Mayo Clinic has stated, "every time you touch your mask or reposition it, you increase the risk of transmission". She felt that they are now treating passengers like children, insulting our intelligence.
But the cocky attitude of the purser, capriciously stating, "I don't want to ruin anyone's day", while saying that he would quickly toss anyone for non-compliance, really irked my wife since non-compliance, in this case, involves the time interval between taking a bite or a sip and replacing your mask, which is wide-open for arbitrary enforcement abuse.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 2:14 pm
  #828  
 
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
Yeah, my wife was really upset that they just kept droning on about this "bites and sips, replace your mask" nonsense. As the Mayo Clinic has stated, "every time you touch your mask or reposition it, you increase the risk of transmission". She felt that they are now treating passengers like children, insulting our intelligence.
But the cocky attitude of the purser, capriciously stating, "I don't want to ruin anyone's day", while saying that he would quickly toss anyone for non-compliance, really irked my wife since non-compliance, in this case, involves the time interval between taking a bite or a sip and replacing your mask, which is wide-open for arbitrary enforcement abuse.
Thats exactly my problem with it. I know FAs are nervous about all the vast unwashed coming back on board and getting them sick, but this one is ripe for abuse and power trips.. Imagine getting in an argument with a flight attendant on your timing to when you put your mask back on, and what constitutes a single bite or sip and the prohibited maskless pause in between.

I truly believe the spirit of it is to stop people from just taking the mask off during meals and leaving it off (which is what happens in every restaurant now and what happened on early COVID flights) but it sounds like even here now we have an example of a purser enforcing it absolutely literally. If I got penalized for not putting my mask back on between bites to the satisfaction of the purser I would raise holy hell, but I imagine Covid safety would be the trump card and Id lose. Another reason why this whole Covid situation has gotten absolutely out of hand.

Originally Posted by zombietooth
Oh, what I wouldn't give for the old coach BOB cheesburger with the "Sir Kensington's" condiments and the fresh tomato, pickle/onion and lettuce in F these days.
Man, that would be flying in style!
Agreed, lol. As they say, you dont know what youve got til its gone.. even if it is Sir Kensingtons Ketchup.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 2:39 pm
  #829  
 
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Originally Posted by tcp1
Thats exactly my problem with it. I know FAs are nervous about all the vast unwashed coming back on board and getting them sick, but this one is ripe for abuse and power trips.. Imagine getting in an argument with a flight attendant on your timing to when you put your mask back on, and what constitutes a single bite or sip and the prohibited maskless pause in between.
The FA's are mostly vaccinated. They aren't worried about getting sick (yes, some are) or having power trips (yes, some do).

They are worried about keeping their jobs.

All it takes is someone to film a person not putting back on their mask and posting it social media implying UA isn't following the CDC rules - isn't safe, etc. That is the stuff that gets them fired - not the thanking for 1K stuff.

The FA's I know aren't terribly thrilled with the heavy handiness of the messaging - but feel backed into it by the bad apples.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 3:14 pm
  #830  
 
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
Yeah, my wife was really upset that they just kept droning on about this "bites and sips, replace your mask" nonsense. As the Mayo Clinic has stated, "every time you touch your mask or reposition it, you increase the risk of transmission". She felt that they are now treating passengers like children, insulting our intelligence.
But the cocky attitude of the purser, capriciously stating, "I don't want to ruin anyone's day", while saying that he would quickly toss anyone for non-compliance, really irked my wife since non-compliance, in this case, involves the time interval between taking a bite or a sip and replacing your mask, which is wide-open for arbitrary enforcement abuse.
That's the aspect that really bothers me. EVERY expert acknowledges the more you touch and adjust your mask, the higher the risk of transmission. I don't want to see a confrontation on the plane, but I feel it is coming with this approach. Again, the incentive to completely pass on all food is really high. Maybe I'll just bring a sippy straw and drink my bloody mary without ever taking off my mask
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 4:03 pm
  #831  
 
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Originally Posted by bluedemon211
That's the aspect that really bothers me. EVERY expert acknowledges the more you touch and adjust your mask, the higher the risk of transmission. I don't want to see a confrontation on the plane, but I feel it is coming with this approach. Again, the incentive to completely pass on all food is really high. Maybe I'll just bring a sippy straw and drink my bloody mary without ever taking off my mask
For a good part of last year, when I was flying at least twice a week, I adopted a policy of never removing my mask to eat or drink because of the unknown nature of this virus. Once it became clear that it really wasn't being spread by contact with surfaces e.g. soda cans, snack boxes, etc. I changed my policy and did snack and drink a little on my flights. If this new protocol receives heavy enforcement and we start hearing about flyers getting 86'd for taking too long between bites, I will go back to never removing my mask and no longer drinking or eating during a flight.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 5:14 pm
  #832  
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Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer

They are worried about keeping their jobs.....
When one's job is at risk, the smart money is on putting in an extra effort to stand out for being proactive and wonderful with customers, not the opposite.

To the poster's comment above, I would not have said "Is 1K meal preference not a thing anymore?", I would have been a little more direct with "As a 1K member I am entitled to my meal choice and will be selecting the *****, thank you". Maybe makes me a bit of a jerk, but I am the one paying the bills and United is the one who promised me the benefit, so why be shy about it?
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 7:06 pm
  #833  
 
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Originally Posted by bluedemon211
That's the aspect that really bothers me. EVERY expert acknowledges the more you touch and adjust your mask, the higher the risk of transmission. I don't want to see a confrontation on the plane, but I feel it is coming with this approach. Again, the incentive to completely pass on all food is really high. Maybe I'll just bring a sippy straw and drink my bloody mary without ever taking off my mask
Last night in the ORD B6 Club, an agent was making walk throughs of the whole Club frequently instructing people to put their mask back up between sips/bites.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 7:14 pm
  #834  
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
On my last flight, the purser went on a 5 minute rant on how to take a bite of food, replace your mask, remove your mask, take another bite or a drink and replace your mask...rinse and repeat. No exaggeration, this went on for 5 minutes about the requirements for COVID-safe eating and drinking, and that it was supposedly, "law". Anyone who failed to comply, according to this Joe Pantoliano-like wannabe comedian, would be permanently banned from flying on the best airline in the skies.
I was in the SFO UC Thursday night and they kept playing a recorded message about Covid and masks over the intercom system. It was super loud and super annoying. Especially since they weren't doing a darn thing to actually enforce mask compliance.

If UA didn't have a hub at SFO, I suspect I would never fly them.
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Old Apr 17, 2021, 7:35 pm
  #835  
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Originally Posted by bluedemon211
....Maybe I'll just bring a sippy straw and drink my bloody mary without ever taking off my mask
I'm stealing your idea.

Originally Posted by zombietooth
.....On my last flight, the purser went on a 5 minute rant on how to take a bite of food, replace your mask, remove your mask, take another bite or a drink and replace your mask...rinse and repeat. No exaggeration, this went on for 5 minutes about the requirements for COVID-safe eating and drinking, and that it was supposedly, "law". Anyone who failed to comply, according to this Joe Pantoliano-like wannabe comedian, would be permanently banned from flying on the best airline in the skies.....
Originally Posted by JAXPax
Last night in the ORD B6 Club, an agent was making walk throughs of the whole Club frequently instructing people to put their mask back up between sips/bites.
Ah, the "Sip-and"Bite Police" are on the prowl.
.
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Old Apr 18, 2021, 9:22 am
  #836  
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
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Originally Posted by tcp1
Yeah, they were even announcing the “between bites and sips” ridiculousness over the PA in the IAD clubs last week. As an aside, I find it totally insane. They weren’t enforcing or even mentioning that on early COVID flights, but to pretend it does anything more than make eating or drinking a frustrating dance is ridiculous. I thought most FAs were reasonable about it, but you really had one who expected everyone to do the “bites and sips” routine lest they witness his “authority”? I do my best, but if everyone truly did that meal service would take 90 minutes.

This is getting to be a bit much. I wonder if I’ll soon be able to staple my vaccine card to my forehead and get exempted?
I thought everyone knew that the early Covid policy of removing your mask briefly to eat was a United policy. Since the end of Jan/early Feb, the United policy is no longer in effect. There's a Federal Government policy that superseded the United policy. That is on the U.S. government, not United. And United enforces it because they don't want to get fined or shut down by the government for not enforcing it.
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 28, 2021 at 6:41 pm Reason: Non-UA & OMNI content removed
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Old Apr 25, 2021, 1:59 pm
  #837  
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Originally Posted by Whyme
I thought everyone knew that the early Covid policy of removing your mask briefly to eat was a United policy. Since the end of Jan/early Feb, the United policy is no longer in effect. There's a Federal Government policy that superseded the United policy. That is on the U.S. government, not United. And United enforces it because they don't want to get fined or shut down by the government for not enforcing it.
In my experience, I find American to be much more reasonable than United. In fact, on my last American flight I did not witness any enforcement activities. I was immunized about three months ago, in the last two months, I've only worn a mask at airports and while flying.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 28, 2021 at 6:43 pm Reason: Non-UA content removed
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Old Apr 28, 2021, 5:20 am
  #838  
 
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Originally Posted by X27
In my experience, I find American to be much more reasonable than United. In fact, on my last American flight I did not witness any enforcement activities.
Just another reason to not fly AA.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 28, 2021 at 6:38 pm Reason: quote updated to refect Moderator edit
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Old Apr 28, 2021, 7:01 am
  #839  
 
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Originally Posted by dinoscool3
Just another reason to not fly AA.
When I see AA my first thought is _____ Anonymous.
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Old Apr 28, 2021, 8:46 am
  #840  
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Originally Posted by dinoscool3
Just another reason to not fly AA.
Exactly. Thanks for letting us know.
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