US Mask Mandate Extended to April 18th

CantbeGrounded · Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:52 pm

It is official, the requirement that includes masking in airports and on aircraft has been extended until April 18th.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronav ... n/3592908/

Mask Mandate + Spring break revelers...I anticipate some chaos.

atcsundevil · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:04 pm

Please do not turn this thread into a mask or political debate. Those debates, as usual, belong in Non Av. Flamebait comments will be removed, and users may be warned or banned. This is a civil aviation discussion, so just keep it to that.

✈️ atcsundevil

airbazar · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:10 pm

The amount of people I've seen in airports and on airplanes not wearing a mask or wearing it on their chins makes continuing this mandate a little silly, IMO. Factor in the fact that there is no mandate anymore in most cities, even in crowded environments and schools and it really makes me question the motive for extending it :confused:

ikramerica · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:10 pm

As long as people continue to travel while sick, having a sneeze muffler is okay with me. And since airlines make you forfeit tickets if you cancel (except WN), it leads to people traveling while sick.

STT757 · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:12 pm

They should have dropped it for domestic flights now, and hold on for International flights for a little longer.

southwest1675 · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:14 pm

Well that sucks.

joeblow10 · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:28 pm

The fact they only extended it a month this time seems to indicate it’s about to go away. The last several times have been at least 3-5 months out. I’m assuming they are doing this to give the airlines and airports 30 days to prepare for it to officially end (for now).

kavok · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:40 pm

I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

Silver1SWA · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:46 pm

ikramerica wrote:
As long as people continue to travel while sick, having a sneeze muffler is okay with me. And since airlines make you forfeit tickets if you cancel (except WN), it leads to people traveling while sick.

Travel sick and pull it down every time they cough or sneeze. :banghead:

JohanTally · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:47 pm

kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

There are a lot of school districts that have spring break the week that follows Easter and would be traveling up until April 24th so I'm not sure if this is for spring break or just moving the goal posts.

ClassicLover · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:47 pm

That's a shame, I'm flying to the US over Easter and was hoping it would be gone. Oh well!

MartijnNL · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:50 pm

joeblow10 wrote:
I’m assuming they are doing this to give the airlines and airports 30 days to prepare for it to officially end (for now).

Why would you need to prepare for ending the mandatory use of masks? You could stop using them with immediate effect.

Lootess · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:52 pm

STT757 wrote:
They should have dropped it for domestic flights now, and hold on for International flights for a little longer.

...and for those connecting from an international flight? Rules for that too?

It's just a simple solution until more of the world relaxes.

YYCguy · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:53 pm

kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

Agreed. I will likely still wear mine even after the mandate is lifted. When flying with the general public whose personal hygeine is questionable at the best of times, it just makes sense to me to keep it on.

UALFAson · Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:55 pm

ikramerica wrote:
As long as people continue to travel while sick, having a sneeze muffler is okay with me. And since airlines make you forfeit tickets if you cancel (except WN), it leads to people traveling while sick.

I agree with your first sentence, but not sure I understand your second. Pretty much all of the major U.S. airlines will give passengers a credit for reservations that they cancel before flight, which is the same WN does. WN only offers refunds if you buy a refundable ticket, which is the same policy as everyone else now.

planecane · Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:01 pm

kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

I don't think spring break had anything to do with it and certainly the under 5s not being eligible for vaccines had nothing to do with it. Only around 1/4 of the eligible 5-11 bracket has been vaccinated in the US. I expect that percentage to be even lower if/when under 5 is approved. Very few people seem to have any desire to vaccinate young children. Therefore, it doesn't matter if they extend the mask mandate one month or one decade, there will still be a lot of unvaccinated children under 12 when it ends.

I believe the reason for the extension is that they know once they let it expire, bringing it back if "necessary" at some point down the road will be an absolute nightmare and make the number of incidents over the past year look like nothing. I don't think they will consider letting it expire until a few variants of concern pop up that don't lead to significant outbreaks.

Babyshark · Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:11 pm

Silver1SWA wrote:
ikramerica wrote:
As long as people continue to travel while sick, having a sneeze muffler is okay with me. And since airlines make you forfeit tickets if you cancel (except WN), it leads to people traveling while sick.

Travel sick and pull it down every time they cough or sneeze.

It goes out the outflow valve. Better than them sneezing into a mask and then just sitting there with it all gross and wet and then touching stuff.

kavok · Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:27 pm

planecane wrote:
kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

I don't think spring break had anything to do with it and certainly the under 5s not being eligible for vaccines had nothing to do with it. Only around 1/4 of the eligible 5-11 bracket has been vaccinated in the US. I expect that percentage to be even lower if/when under 5 is approved. Very few people seem to have any desire to vaccinate young children. Therefore, it doesn't matter if they extend the mask mandate one month or one decade, there will still be a lot of unvaccinated children under 12 when it ends.

I believe the reason for the extension is that they know once they let it expire, bringing it back if "necessary" at some point down the road will be an absolute nightmare and make the number of incidents over the past year look like nothing. I don't think they will consider letting it expire until a few variants of concern pop up that don't lead to significant outbreaks.

You are missing my point. In February 2022, for example, X% of the passengers on a US airplane were vaccinated. I don’t know what percentage “X” actually was, but it is safe to assume that over the next few weeks, the percentage of vaccinated travelers will be much lower than X… because kids will comprise a higher than normal share of the passenger base.

And my point is, if for the next few weeks the percentage of flyers who are vaccinated is significantly lower (which it will be), than I can definitely see some public health advocates saying lengthen the mask mandate to cover that one additional month period … right or wrong.

airbazar · Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:47 pm

STT757 wrote:
They should have dropped it for domestic flights now, and hold on for International flights for a little longer.

If anything it should be the opposite because people flying back on an intl flight still have to show proof of a negative test 1 day before boarding.

ikramerica wrote:
As long as people continue to travel while sick, having a sneeze muffler is okay with me. And since airlines make you forfeit tickets if you cancel (except WN), it leads to people traveling while sick.

It's not like people never traveled sick before 2019.

rj777 · Fri Mar 11, 2022 12:09 am

They've had more than enough time to plan the framework.

It's like on Spaceballs:
You're always preparing, just go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_8v2V2XojA

planecane · Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:38 am

kavok wrote:
planecane wrote:
kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

I don't think spring break had anything to do with it and certainly the under 5s not being eligible for vaccines had nothing to do with it. Only around 1/4 of the eligible 5-11 bracket has been vaccinated in the US. I expect that percentage to be even lower if/when under 5 is approved. Very few people seem to have any desire to vaccinate young children. Therefore, it doesn't matter if they extend the mask mandate one month or one decade, there will still be a lot of unvaccinated children under 12 when it ends.

I believe the reason for the extension is that they know once they let it expire, bringing it back if "necessary" at some point down the road will be an absolute nightmare and make the number of incidents over the past year look like nothing. I don't think they will consider letting it expire until a few variants of concern pop up that don't lead to significant outbreaks.

You are missing my point. In February 2022, for example, X% of the passengers on a US airplane were vaccinated. I don’t know what percentage “X” actually was, but it is safe to assume that over the next few weeks, the percentage of vaccinated travelers will be much lower than X… because kids will comprise a higher than normal share of the passenger base.

And my point is, if for the next few weeks the percentage of flyers who are vaccinated is significantly lower (which it will be), than I can definitely see some public health advocates saying lengthen the mask mandate to cover that one additional month period … right or wrong.

I fly in the spring break period every year (except 2020). I have never noticed a significant difference in the number of young children in the terminal or on the plane vs. any other time of the year.

Based on observing crowds at Disney World, it doesn't seem that parents care about when school vacations are. They take their kids on vacation all year.

jcwr56 · Fri Mar 11, 2022 9:59 am

I also read some flight attendant union were fighting back, so this could be related to that as part of a compromise?

adamh8297 · Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:11 pm

Any news on the testing before international flight to USA requirement? I know travel associations are trying to get that removed.

SwissCanuck · Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:57 pm

Switzerland here, almost all measures have been lifted for about a month now. But we maintain the requirement for masks on public transport as people are squished together. To me, the same makes sense for civil aviation - domestic or international it doesn't matter. Lines, people movers, the usual stupid boarding queues and race down the jetway.

C182driver · Fri Mar 11, 2022 2:46 pm

MartijnNL wrote:
joeblow10 wrote:
I’m assuming they are doing this to give the airlines and airports 30 days to prepare for it to officially end (for now).

Why would you need to prepare for ending the mandatory use of masks? You could stop using them with immediate effect.

Agreed. The only preparation that you need to do is pull down the signs and tell folks to wear them if they want, don't wear them if you don't want.

DenverTed · Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:02 pm

If the TSA had ended it March 18, I figured most airlines would have kept it for a while anyway. We'll see if any airlines keep it past April 18. United, Alaska? It ends on school buses in WA state tomorrow, so I guess the TSA doesn't govern those.

SoCalPilot · Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:26 pm

DenverTed wrote:
If the TSA had ended it March 18, I figured most airlines would have kept it for a while anyway. We'll see if any airlines keep it past April 18. United, Alaska? It ends on school buses in WA state tomorrow, so I guess the TSA doesn't govern those.

I don't see any airline keeping the mask mandate voluntarily, it wouldn't make any sense. United isn't going to be requiring masks when their competitor a few gates down isn't.

rnav2dlrey · Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:37 pm

makes sense to me. let’s get spring break and easter in our rearview and avoid spikes from that travel. after that, the traditionally indoor holidays (when we’ve seen significant spikes in cases) are done until fall.

i’d then support the requirement to return preemptively for thanksgiving and christmas week travel.

lightsaber · Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:58 pm

planecane wrote:
kavok wrote:
I imagine Spring Break flying might be part of the reason for the extension, and why one month was chosen. Lots of kiddos will be traveling the next few weeks, and the under 5s still aren’t vaccine eligible.

Not saying that the decision is right or wrong… but merely that having a larger than normal group of unvaccinated individuals flying the next few weeks likely influenced the extension.

I don't think spring break had anything to do with it and certainly the under 5s not being eligible for vaccines had nothing to do with it. Only around 1/4 of the eligible 5-11 bracket has been vaccinated in the US. I expect that percentage to be even lower if/when under 5 is approved. Very few people seem to have any desire to vaccinate young children. Therefore, it doesn't matter if they extend the mask mandate one month or one decade, there will still be a lot of unvaccinated children under 12 when it ends.

I believe the reason for the extension is that they know once they let it expire, bringing it back if "necessary" at some point down the road will be an absolute nightmare and make the number of incidents over the past year look like nothing. I don't think they will consider letting it expire until a few variants of concern pop up that don't lead to significant outbreaks.

I expect you are correct that bringing it back will be next to impossible.

Will this help spring break? Maybe.

With only 27.7% of age 5-11 vaccinated... I do not think the younger vaccine will be popular. Oh, I know parents who cannot wait, but this is not impacting travel decisions.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3812292-c ... tively-low

Cases are low. Will we have another wave in 5 to 7 months? I think so. But mask wearing seems to be done.
Link on low current cases showing prior waves:
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases

With how poorly masks are worn, for many why bother. (Masks are no longer required at work, but many wear them with uncovered noses. What?!? Why bother)

I am a fan of the effectiveness of masks when everyone wears them well (otherwise our doctors and nurses would have done worse). However, at this time everyone assumes their own risk.

Lightsaber

planecane · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:06 pm

rnav2dlrey wrote:
makes sense to me. let’s get spring break and easter in our rearview and avoid spikes from that travel. after that, the traditionally indoor holidays (when we’ve seen significant spikes in cases) are done until fall.

i’d then support the requirement to return preemptively for thanksgiving and christmas week travel.

Once it is gone, it isn't coming back barring a nightmare variant that is highly transmissible, evades vaccines and causes severe illness in a significantly higher percentage than Omicron.

What you are suggesting would probably lead to dozens of violent incidents every day on board aircraft.

planecane · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:09 pm

SoCalPilot wrote:
DenverTed wrote:
If the TSA had ended it March 18, I figured most airlines would have kept it for a while anyway. We'll see if any airlines keep it past April 18. United, Alaska? It ends on school buses in WA state tomorrow, so I guess the TSA doesn't govern those.

I don't see any airline keeping the mask mandate voluntarily, it wouldn't make any sense. United isn't going to be requiring masks when their competitor a few gates down isn't.

If one did, I think it would be United based on how aggressive they have been with COVID actions. For all of the 2020 part of the pandemic, all of the airlines required masking even though there wasn't any federal requirement.

Granted, it was the same time they were performing other COVID theatre like blocking middle seats because being 17"-18" further away from a stranger was going to somehow make people "safer."

jetblastdubai · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:19 pm

In related news, UA is allowing employees that were fired for being unvaccinated to return to work at the end of the month.

"Those who requested religious or medical accommodations were largely put on unpaid leave or allowed to apply for roles that don’t involve interacting with customers.

About 2,200 employees have exemptions to the mandate, United said in a memo to employees. They will be allowed to return to their regular positions at the end of March."

https://sports.yahoo.com/united-airline ... 00695.html

WaywardMemphian · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:26 pm

The one month extension is for the hard-core pro mask folk to come to terms with it and to spread the word around that it is likely ending soon so it will not come as a shock to them.

travaz · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:26 pm

In the last 3 weeks I have traveled through MIA (2X) PHX (4X) AUS (1X) LAS(2X) and in all four airports the mask compliance was maybe 25% complying and the 75% not wearing it at all or wearing it halfway. I saw no one say anything to anybody about putting on thier mask. All flights were on AA and only one flight did we have a mask enforcer. (AUS PHX) The rest of the crews were ehh maybe mention it but not really enforce it. I firmly believe that if you are concerned by all means wear a mask. I spent a week in LAS where it was absolutely packed with no mask required. I think what gets to people is the inconsistency of the different mandates. Why do I have to wear a mask in an Airport and plane when I can crowd around a Craps table with people shoulder to shoulder shouting and cheering. That is the reason people are questioning the continuation of mask mandates on planes.

ripcordd · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:55 pm

So lets have a mask mandate that wont prevent the reason for having them. CDC has said cloth masks dont work so why have it? No maybe they should require N95 mask that does work and does make sense so its this non-sense from the people in charge that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads and not believing anything from them.

atcsundevil · Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:59 pm

jetblastdubai wrote:
In related news, UA is allowing employees that were fired for being unvaccinated to return to work at the end of the month.

"Those who requested religious or medical accommodations were largely put on unpaid leave or allowed to apply for roles that don’t involve interacting with customers.

About 2,200 employees have exemptions to the mandate, United said in a memo to employees. They will be allowed to return to their regular positions at the end of March."

https://sports.yahoo.com/united-airline ... 00695.html

This isn't correct. Employees who are placed on leave with valid exemptions are being permitted to return to work. They were never fired. Employees who failed to receive exemptions and did not comply with the requirement were fired, and remain fired.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/unvacci ... n-to-work/

jetblastdubai · Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:15 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
This isn't correct. Employees who are placed on leave with valid exemptions are being permitted to return to work. They were never fired. Employees who failed to receive exemptions and did not comply with the requirement were fired, and remain fired.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/unvacci ... n-to-work/

Ooops, sorry about the wording. I read several articles that used the word "fired" but didn't connect that with the employees that were granted some sort of exemption and the employees that simply didn't get the vaccine.

tjwgrr · Fri Mar 11, 2022 7:21 pm

JohanTally wrote:
There are a lot of school districts that have spring break the week that follows Easter and would be traveling up until April 24th so I'm not sure if this is for spring break or just moving the goal posts.

I thought Easter week, the week before Easter, was one of the big Spring Break weeks- so traveling up to April 17 this year. The other big Spring Break week is the first full week in April, whatever those dates happen to be from year to year. So April 18 would make sense.

Cactusjuba · Fri Mar 11, 2022 7:24 pm

[photoid][/photoid]A person wearing a high grade mask (KN/N95), in an indoor setting, where everyone else around them is unmasked.. still has better protection than if they and everyone else in the room all wore surgical or (especially) cloth masks. High grade masks are no longer prohibitive to obtain. Let the burden of health risk and protection shift to the individual.

Another facet not announced was that international testing requirements for returning to the US remain unchanged.

mga707 · Fri Mar 11, 2022 7:33 pm

tjwgrr wrote:
JohanTally wrote:
There are a lot of school districts that have spring break the week that follows Easter and would be traveling up until April 24th so I'm not sure if this is for spring break or just moving the goal posts.

I thought Easter week, the week before Easter, was one of the big Spring Break weeks- so traveling up to April 17 this year. The other big Spring Break week is the first full week in April, whatever those dates happen to be from year to year.

All spring breaks in my area, both HS and college, are always in March. The University Of Arizona's is this week, as is my local school district's. Depends on the school year. School years in AZ are all finished by Memorial Day weekend in late May. Downside is that school starts here anywhere from late July to mid-August, depending on the district.

atcsundevil · Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:13 pm

The topic is being locked due to excessive off topic posts.

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