'The New Flying Etiquette': JetBlue Mandates Face Masks For All Passengers

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...rs?ft=nprml&f=

Beginning May 4, all travelers who step foot on a plane operated by JetBlue will
need to wear a crucial accessory: a face mask. The airline announced Monday that
in one week, it will be mandatory for all passengers to cover their mouths and
noses upon boarding their flights to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
JetBlue crew members have already received the same mandate.

"This is the new flying etiquette," JetBlue's president and chief operating
officer, Joanna Geraghty, said in a statement paired with the announcement.
"Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few
minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others."

In announcing the rule, JetBlue became the first major U.S. airline to require
passengers to wear a face covering of some sort throughout their journey — from
check-in through the moment they step off the plane at their destination.

But it's also far from alone in an industry that has been steadily moving toward
a more widespread use of masks: American Airlines and Delta Air Lines recently
announced plans to require their flight crews to wear face coverings beginning
this week, while United and Frontier issued similar orders earlier this month.
American and Delta have also said they will be encouraging passengers to wear
masks by handing them out before flights.

Beyond U.S. borders, meanwhile, Canadian authorities have already mandated that
all air travelers moving through Canadian airports will be required to cover
their noses and mouths.

The general shift in the airline industry follows an important change earlier
this month in the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Health officials amended their initial suggestion against wearing
masks, saying that in fact, even informal cloth or fabric face coverings — even
when worn by presumably healthy people — can serve a role in slowing the spread
of the coronavirus.

The Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing tens of thousands of
crew members at 20 airlines, including United and Frontier, has been vocal in
pushing for greater use of face masks — not just by flight crews but passengers,
as well. The union's international president, Sara Nelson, outlined why in a
letter sent last week to federal Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Health
and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

"At airlines employing AFA member flight attendants, at least 250 have tested
positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and flight attendants have
died as a result of the virus too," Nelson said.

She added that flight attendants, whom she described as "aviation's first
responders," have been grappling with feelings of guilt, fear and uncertainty
about their position in the pandemic. And she called for regulators to push for
an even further step, noting the difficulties of observing social distancing
recommendations in a cabin's cramped spaces.

The answer, Nelson said, is "a halt to all leisure travel until the pandemic is
brought under control according to health authorities."

As NPR reported Monday, airline passenger demand has plummeted more than 95%
from early March, and the International Air Transport Association has found that
airlines globally are projected to lose $314 billion this year alone.



*

Miloch wrote in
:

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronav...0/04/28/846966
739/the-new-flying-etiquette-jetblue-mandates-face-masks-for-all-passen
gers?ft=nprml&f=

Beginning May 4, all travelers who step foot on a plane operated by
JetBlue will need to wear a crucial accessory: a face mask. The
airline announced Monday that in one week, it will be mandatory for
all passengers to cover their mouths and noses upon boarding their
flights to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. JetBlue crew
members have already received the same mandate.

"This is the new flying etiquette," JetBlue's president and chief
operating officer, Joanna Geraghty, said in a statement paired with
the announcement. "Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned
through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we
have to be considerate of others."

In announcing the rule, JetBlue became the first major U.S. airline to
require passengers to wear a face covering of some sort throughout
their journey — from check-in through the moment they step off the
plane at their destination.

But it's also far from alone in an industry that has been steadily
moving toward a more widespread use of masks: American Airlines and
Delta Air Lines recently announced plans to require their flight crews
to wear face coverings beginning this week, while United and Frontier
issued similar orders earlier this month. American and Delta have also
said they will be encouraging passengers to wear masks by handing them
out before flights.

Beyond U.S. borders, meanwhile, Canadian authorities have already
mandated that all air travelers moving through Canadian airports will
be required to cover their noses and mouths.

The general shift in the airline industry follows an important change
earlier this month in the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Health officials amended their initial
suggestion against wearing masks, saying that in fact, even informal
cloth or fabric face coverings — even when worn by presumably healthy
people — can serve a role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

The Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing tens of
thousands of crew members at 20 airlines, including United and
Frontier, has been vocal in pushing for greater use of face masks —
not just by flight crews but passengers, as well. The union's
international president, Sara Nelson, outlined why in a letter sent
last week to federal Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Health
and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

"At airlines employing AFA member flight attendants, at least 250 have
tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and flight
attendants have died as a result of the virus too," Nelson said.

She added that flight attendants, whom she described as "aviation's
first responders," have been grappling with feelings of guilt, fear
and uncertainty about their position in the pandemic. And she called
for regulators to push for an even further step, noting the
difficulties of observing social distancing recommendations in a
cabin's cramped spaces.

The answer, Nelson said, is "a halt to all leisure travel until the
pandemic is brought under control according to health authorities."

As NPR reported Monday, airline passenger demand has plummeted more
than 95% from early March, and the International Air Transport
Association has found that airlines globally are projected to lose
$314 billion this year alone.


Some of us remember smoking and non-smoking sections
on airplanes. What a joke that was..........