Airline Mask Mandate Voided

[TMLAalum]

A Florida Federal Judge has declared the CDC requirement for masks to be worn on all forms of public transportation null and void.

 

[rkacruiser]

Don't get too excited about this news.  There might be an appeal to a higher court by the government and that could change the news.  

[Zach1213]

I practically live on planes, and got H1N1 in 2009 because of a person I sat next to on a plane (at least, I'm about 98% sure), so I'll keep my mask on for a while still! Part of me wishes I had worn them on planes before Covid, because the amount I fly exposes me to a lot of things. Clean air or not, if I am within 10 feet of several people for 16 hours, I'll probably pick something up if one of them has it. 

[FlyerTalker]

I am not an attorney, but.....

 

What this may do is remove the FEDERAL mandate for masks on transportation and ground facilities.

 

OTOH, while it prohibits the federal government from mandating a mask, it does not prevent a local government from requiring them in their particular airport, train station, et al.  Further, it does not prevent any carrier from having their own mandate, separate and apart from any federal requirement.

 

If you remember, before there was a uniform federal mandate, various airlines had their own separate and distinct policies on masks.  Now, it is unlikely that the major carriers will institute their own requirement, since the CEOs of the majors have all called for an end to the federal mandate.  But this does not, in and of itself, end the mask rules on USA carriers.

[sept10dsm]

Many airlines told passengers they can remove masks and the mandate lifted.  Sounds like the removal may stand.  The major airlines removed the mandate so far

[Alakegirl]

United, Delta, American, Frontier, Alaska have all dropped the requirement for crew and passengers

[SUESEABE]

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/04/18/united-delta-southwest-alaska-drop-mask-mandate-planes-flights/7362763001/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjl8PLejp_3AhWfoHIEHcDFD78QFnoECAYQAg&usg=AOvVaw3rEaB8Ofh_AGtlu0L_VfQ2

[fatcat04]

Looks like domestically at least all US airlines have gleefully dropped the mandate. 

[TMLAalum]

If I were flying to board a cruise, I would wear a mask during the flight as an added precaution against contracting covid and being quarantined on the ship. There have been reports on the forums here of cruisers who come down with the virus while sailing, despite having boarded with a recent negative covid test in hand, which has me wondering if it was contracted on the plane.

 

 

[Zach1213]

On 4/19/2022 at 6:57 AM, TMLAalum said:

If I were flying to board a cruise, I would wear a mask during the flight as an added precaution against contracting covid and being quarantined on the ship. There have been reports on the forums here of cruisers who come down with the virus while sailing, despite having boarded with a recent negative covid test in hand, which has me wondering if it was contracted on the plane.

 

 

Or at the airport (which is probably more likely than on the plane itself), or at the restaurant and/or bar they likely went to the night before their cruise, or just the fact that a certain percentage of tests are false negatives or false positives. 

[rkacruiser]

With the mask requirements for flying having been eliminated, is it logical to expect that the airlines will return to the proper in-flight service that we expected and received pre-Covid?  

[TMLAalum]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

With the mask requirements for flying having been eliminated, is it logical to expect that the airlines will return to the proper in-flight service that we expected and received pre-Covid?  

For us in steerage we had very limited in-flight service pre-Covid, but we could order an adult beverage for a fee! Our flights in 2021 were dry, though we did get offered soft drinks and the ubiquitous pretzels or stroopwaffels.

Looking forward to using our United Club passes in ORD and the new Capital One lounge at DFW this September! And a wine or two inflight!

[6rugrats]

Department of Justice has just appealed this ruling.

[rkacruiser]

30 minutes ago, 6rugrats said:

Department of Justice has just appealed this ruling.

 

I just learned this this evening when watching NBC Nightly News.  The "thinking/considering" processes in this Administration seem to work more slowly than others.  Good reasons for them doing so in order to try to protect the CDC's authority to do so in the future.  

 

Whether there is a "R" in ones preferences or a "D", our Federal and State Governments have bungled our response to this invasion of Covid-19 ever since it began.  And, it continues.