Airlines cracking down on mask rules

Articles today in our paper.  Delta has already "taken action" on some 100 people who violated the mask rules.  Delta has begun requiring passengers who claim a health condition to complete a medical consultation by phone at the airport with their medical support contractor, STAT MD, out of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  Delta is "encouraging" those who say they can't wear a mask to consider not traveling at this time.

Southwest and American said they will begin a ban on passengers who claim a medical exception to mask wearing.  They said too many people are using it, putting flight crews in difficult spots, and making other passengers uncomfortable and complaining that the crews aren't enforcing the rules when others flout the rules.   Both said passengers will be allowed to remove masks to eat or drink but must put the mask back on ASAP.  Only children under 2 years will be exempt from the mask requirement.

Medical experts have weighed in, saying there are very few health conditions that would be affected by wearing a mask.  Even asthma, they said, is not affected by wearing a mask in most cases. 

Good.  Glad to hear they are cracking down.

They should wait to throw mask non-wearers off the plane until they're at 37,000 feet.

I'm glad they say they are enforcing - but I'm also highly skeptical they really are.      Airlines want to show they are safe and being good stewards of the CDC recommendations.    But I guarantee you they aren't motivated to remove current and future customers let alone "banning" them.    They just cant afford that.

Anecdotely you hear stories of people getting in trouble on planes for not wearing a mask.   But I think there is alot of "looking the other way" too.     I'm guessing this policy has alot more bark then bite.

Hope for more TRs, including details of how things went on their flights.

O2bnVegas - you asked, so - on my 2 recent flights on Southwest, ALL persons wore a mask throughout the flights, including the crew and pilots. I heard of no petty complaining by anyone. Both flights were on time. The one thing I noticed, even though the boarding was done in 6 foot spaced groups of 10, the disembarking was crowded in the aisle as people could/would not be patient and wait for the passengers in front of them to disembark. I waited until all passengers had left before I left the aircraft - I sit in the rear of the aircraft because there always seems to be a better choice of seats (prior to the virus, sitting in the rear sometimes allowed me to have a row to myself - or have a middle seat open next to me). One other thing- the cabin was noticably quieter with the lack of small children and alcohol infused adults on board.

Really good to know, David.  Who'd have thought about the mad rush that occurs when folks are disembarking?    Good tip.  When the time comes that I fly I'll have that in mind.  

Candy

One thought occurs to me--it would obviously be much more efficient, as well as less dangerous to everyone, to let the people who will be seated in the back of the plane board first, rather than the opposite as is done now. Has any airline changed their boarding methods in this fashion?

David Miller had such informative posts.  I hope he is back soon.