What should I do if I have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 and have an upcoming flight? Southwest Airlines is considering applications for exemptions from the mask requirement from passengers with a disability who cannot wear a mask but states that "several conditions apply that must be completed/adhered to prior to travel and receiving a mask exemption." For flights to and from the United States: All rights reserved. AIRLINES OFFER FREE CHANGESon many plane tickets. There is information in the previous heading. Breeze Airways: Masks are no longer required for guests or employees on Breeze flights. Without more government regulation and oversight and greater accountability, we may see more fiascos like this one, which most likely stranded hundreds of thousands of Southwest passengers perhaps more than a million over Christmas week. "We look forward to seeing your smiles on board & encourage kindness & respect for those who continue to mask," it said. As COVID continued to recede and countries ended mask requirements over the previous months, some executives called on the Biden Administration to end the federal mandate in the US. United, American, Southwest, Delta,Alaska and other airlines said late Mondaythey were dropping their face mask requirementeffective immediately, givena federal judge's ruling in Floridaand the White House response to it. It also offers several travel-related tips on the subject including a very unique one that involves an airport shuttle. News 6 is Getting Results. In a statement, the airline said it "will respect anyone's decision to choose whether to wear Flying soon? Read more about COVID-19 policies and rules, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "We look forward to seeing your smiles on board & encourage kindness & respect for those who continue to mask," the airline tweeted, thanking guests for masking up. On Monday, a federal judge issued a decision stating the federal mask mandate for public transportation, including on airlines and at airports, is no longer in effect. Though welcomed by the industry and unions, the federal mask mandate has not put an end to in-flightresistance by some passengers; frequent high-profile incidents have delayed or divertedflights, and passengers were escorted off planes. Cases have been rising, but hospitalizations have remained relatively low. Specifically, face coverings can be removed on flights to or from Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago. If positive, do not fly and instead isolate for five days. some executives called on the Biden Administration to end the federal mandate in the US, a Florida federal judge struck down the Administration's mandate, According to data provided from Cirium to CBS MoneyWatch, removed the mask mandate for flights in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway in October, The Netherlandshas scrapped the mask mandate. .air-check-in-edit-contact-information-banner--link { Update on Federal Mask Mandate. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Online forums are full of employee accounts of such misery. Multiple airlines on Monday said they would no longer enforce COVID mask mandates for employees and travelers after a federal judge's move to void the Biden administration's mask mandate for . Even as Southwests chief executive at the time, Gary Kelly, objected to the pilots claims, saying Southwest had wonderful technology, he conceded that the companys tools could use improvement. Southwest Airlines Flight Crews Urge White House to Drop Face Mask Mandate Passengers can face fines of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense for not wearing masks and $1,000 to $3,000 for a second . Lyn Montgomery, the president of Southwests flight attendants union, told me that currently, when hiccups or weather events happen, the employees have to go through a burdensome, arduous process to get things sorted, because Southwest hadnt sufficiently modernized its crew-scheduling systems. External site which may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. [TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider (its free!)]. Download Share Save. Im just happy that our employees and customers have a choice now.. The CDC advises that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask ideally an N95 or equivalent for 10 days following your exposure. Which brings us back to Southwest. .swa-footer--copyright-text a:hover{ U-TURN IN THE AIR: Woman refuses to wear mask on flight to London, so pilot heads back to Florida, 'SIT DOWN, KAREN': Delta passenger removed from flight after mask dispute. Well continue to monitor public health guidance, and federal requirements, while always keeping safety as our uncompromising priority. Airlines have not come out with a public stance on whether the mandate should be extended. And not just for a single company, as the problem is widespread across many industries. Southwest Airlines:Effectively immediately, passengers and employees may choose whether they would like to wear a mask. Your airline may have dropped its COVID-19 mask requirement after a federal judge voided the national mask mandate. ", Frontier said that it was dropping the policy following the TSA's announcement, but reminded passengers that"individual airports and municipalities may still require masks so customers and team members should continue to abide by mask rules within any facility that may require it. Test at least five days after exposure and if result is positive, go into isolation for five days. "For our guests traveling internationally, please remember to check country-specific airport requirements before traveling.". Airlines,unions and consumer advocates had called for such a move since the early months of thecoronavirus pandemicbut found no support fromPresident Donald Trump's administration. That improvement seems not to have occurred. Terms & Conditions. height: 6px; clip: rect(0,0,0,0); This is why we cant just keep leaving the operation of more and more of our infrastructure and our lives to antiquated software and self-interested executives. And why cant the crews simply notify the company of their whereabouts via an app or a website and get their hotel assignments that way? As you might expect, quicker is cheaper. /* Air CheckIn Banner Button Fix */ A guide to the airlines on which face masks are optional rather than an obligation, including Southwest, United, American, Delta, British Airways and others. April 18, 2022 After a federal judge struck down a nationwide mask requirement for airplanes, trains, buses and other public transportation on Monday, the country's largest airlines said they. Southwest Airlines Celebrates 15 Years of Service in Denver, Southwests First Mother/Daughter Pilot Duo Takes Flight. JetBlue Airways: Effective immediately, masks are not required in airport terminals or on the plane, and employees will no longer make announcements about enforcing the mask mandate. .air-booking-select-compare-fares-secondary .compare-fares-secondary--header-cell { Like recent guidance regarding masks in other settings, the CDC says any revision will be based on the levels of COVID-19 at the community level, as well as on the risk of new variants, national data and the latest science. "We will continue to monitor developments and lets continue tofocus on maintaining a safe operation and showing hospitality to each other and to our customers," the memo said. padding-top: 5px; by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 04/19/22 9:27 AM ET. Southwest Communications is sharing news with the world. With this mandate in place, there has been a rise in onboard incidents that have harmed flight attendants, delayed or . Likewise, in October of 2021, when Southwest experienced another cancellation crisis, the president of the pilots union pointed out that the antiquated crew-scheduling technology was leading to cascading disruptions. Yes, all of our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, which remove 99.97%* of airborne particlessimilar to technology found in hospitals. So far we dont see a rise in hospitalizations, Jordan said. However, children under five are not eligible for the vaccine, and they can be less effective on people who are immunocompromised. Kelly, an accountant who became the C.E.O. } But the reason we made it through Y2K intact is that we didnt ignore the problem. [data-class="swa-g-screen-reader-only"] { If you had the option of not adhering to strict earthquake or fire codes i.e., if there was little or no regulation or oversight it would almost inevitably be cheaper and quicker to skip such niceties. } Specifically, people on flights between England, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Isle of Man, Denmark, Sweden, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Hungary, Iceland, and Poland can ditch face coverings onboard. The data has told us over a long period of time here that customers are increasingly comfortable flying, Jordan said, adding that removing mask requirements should bring even more people back to traveling. During the week of April 6, an average of 1,446 patients were admitted to U.S. hospitals each day with COVID-19 symptoms, according to CDC data, slightly up from the 1,427 patients admitted the week prior. COVID-19 travel restrictions, quarantine and testing information. "There is risk we may see some of that in North America and it's all dependent on case rates," Rob Morris, head of airline analytics company Ascend by Cirium, said. "The mask requirement remains in place and we will continue to assess the duration of the requirement in consultation with CDC," Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Robert Langston said in a statement Friday. Reuters. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic reshaped the global economy, along with the day-to-day lives of almost everyone on earth. Hawaiian Airlines: Effective immediately, face masks are optional for guests and employees on Hawaiian Airlines. Themask mandate, announced in January 2021, had beenset to expireMonday. Guests must also continue to wear masks on flights both to and from Canada.". Following the decision, American Airlines . "Obviously, that's going to be driven by the medical experts and not by the airlines, and we'll follow their guidance,"he said on the airline's quarterly earnings conference call. Sun Country Airlines: Passengers and employees may choose to wear masks on Sun Country flights, but they are no longer required. Airlines including American, Southwest push White House to lift face mask mandates The letter signed by Fort Worth-based American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and Dallas-based Southwest. Keep reading for a list of major U.S. airlines and their masking policies. "With declining hospitalization rates, increased immunity, widely available vaccines and cutting-edge treatments on the horizon, America is reaching an inflection point where endemic-focused policies can replace pandemic-driven restrictions," said the letter, which was signed by Airlines for America, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Travel Association. These are the kind of efforts that may not be widely visible but make all the difference. Updated: 8:23 PM EDT April 18, 2022. For international travel, mask requirements remain dependent on the arrival/departure country's regulations. Well continue to monitor public health guidance, and federal requirements, while always keeping safety as our uncompromising priority. The company said that as of February 12 when the mandate was lifted in Scandinavia, it has "noticed increased passenger demand and optimism in regards to booking ahead for both leisure and business travel. /* Air Booking Select - Fare benefit sub-label workaround */ position: absolute; Southwest Airlines Southwest announced Monday it would be mask-optional going forward and welcomed those who decide to keep wearing masks. But if there was an earthquake or fire, the debt would be paid by the endangered inhabitants of the building. Alaska Airlines: Masks are optional in U.S. airports and onboard aircraft, effective immediately. The group -- which includes the heads of American Airlines . The mandate has largely been left to airlines to enforce, particularly frontline airline staff like gate staff and flight attendants. Share. On April 4 . right: 185px !important; Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly drew criticism at a Senate hearing in December 2021 for saying masks don't do much on planes. He added that high-profile altercations that took place on airplanes because of the masking requirements would mostly disappear following the end of the companys mask requirement. No, federal law no longer requires that masks be worn in the airport or on the plane, but certain cities or states may still be requiring them at their airports. For starters, Southwest Airlines COVID rules state that if you're flying domestically within the U.S., you don't need proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding. Robert Smith/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images. "Passengers and employees still have the option to wear masks in airports and on aircraft if they so choose.". But that didnt happen, and some people may believe that the implication is that technical debt is not a big deal. "Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend guests defer to local port guidance when traveling, including wearing a mask if directed to do so. "We encourage individuals to make the best decision to support their personal wellbeing and to check local airport mask policies when traveling," a statement read. If, after five days, your symptoms are improving and you remain fever free for at least 24 hours, you can end isolation and wear a mask for the next five days while in public places. 8:23 PM EDT April 18, 2022 gate staff and flight attendants advises that wear... Equivalent for 10 days following your exposure Airlines and their masking policies flights, but have... 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