These airlines are making masks optional after mandate struck down

[IronLionZion]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/18/business/airlines-masks/index.html

(CNN Business)After a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods, airlines are starting to act.

Several US airlines announced Monday that masks are now optional on their aircraft — Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) says it is making masks optional, and warned travelers they "may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated."

"Given the unexpected nature of this announcement, please be aware that customers, airline employees and federal agency employees -- such as TSA -- may be receiving this information at different times," the airline said.

Plenty of weak excuses at the link. Masks are still required for most international flights. Many city transit systems dropped their mask mandates including DC's metro.

If anyone has a list of airlines still requiring masks, please post it to DU.

[spanone]

1. Does the Biden administration agree with the judge that eliminated the mask mandate?

They don't appear to be fighting it.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

4. TSA announced they weren't enforcing it fairly quickly

I would take that as a sign that the administration isn't going to fight it. If they were, then I doubt they would have ok'd TSA saying anything, they would have just held off on saying anything until it was announced that there would be an appeal or made an announcement saying they are reviewing the ruling and or something along those lines.

[PoliticAverse]

8. Yeah they get to drop the mandate without having to take responsibility for doing so...

instead being able to blame it on the judge.

Normally a ruling by a single judge against the administration would be immediately appealed.

[hueymahl]

9. This

[AZSkiffyGeek]

5. The proposed extension was only through May 3, I think

So maybe they don't see the point in fighting it for 2 weeks?

[MOMFUDSKI]

15. They may have extended that date

based on the rising B2 numbers. Some rethugs at my pool today were all happy and thought it was a great idea. The 2 people that I knew personally that are now dead from Covid were trumper, anti-vax morons. How many more dead republican voters are there? Plenty me thinks. Their shrinking numbers should put a bit of a dent in the total votes this fall.

[IronLionZion]

7. Biden admin extended it, a Trumpy judge struck down the extension

that's what ended it. Looks like the Biden admin is not going to fight for it any more. Airlines have asked to end it because of violence over enforcement.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. If I decide to fly anywhere.

I will wear a mask, keep hand sanitizer handy, be mindful of distances.

[Freddie]

12. Me too

I’ll be flying to Florida at least twice later this year to greet my new grandson, due mid-July. Frontier is the only airline that goes there from here. I’ll be masking no matter what.

[Croney]

3. We have two Delta trips booked, and we will be wearing masks.

[PoliticAverse]

6. No the Airlines are dropping the mandate after the TSA dropped it.

The TSA dropped the mandate after the Judge's decision instead of the administration appealing the decision.

[hueymahl]

10. You can fly private

That is about it.

[Shrek]

11. Looking forward to being mask-free on my trip to Scotland next month

I'm really hoping in the next 5 weeks they drop the requirement to test before boarding the return flight.

[BannonsLiver]

13. Yeah headed to the UK myself

The return test is completely pointless.

[USALiberal]

17. Mask bothers you?

[Torchlight]

21. lol ok nt

[Ace Rothstein]

22. It sucks on an 8 hour flight, yes.

Also not easy sleeping with a mask on.

[Shrek]

23. I prefer to consume a snack or beverage which is equally effective n/t

[beaglelover]

25. It will be awesome not to have to wear a mask on such a long flight!

Have a great trip!

[brooklynite]

14. ALL US carries have dropped mask requirements

[beaglelover]

16. Good. Hopefully this will cut down on the number of unruly passengers who need to be duct taped to

their seats.

I'll probably wear a mask on a plane during cold and flu season. Other than that, no way.

[Maru Kitteh]

24. Well it's currently the start of B.A.2 season so .. . . .

Not really a cold. Not the flu.

[Raftergirl]

18. I have no problem wearing a mask and will

wear one when I fly to Florida on the 2nd. My return is the 10th and I already knew the mask requirement would be gone before that.

I don’t care what anyone else does anymore. I know what I need to do to stay relatively safe from CV.

[SmallFry]

19. The airlines have wanted this.

Pretty confident we will find out that the Biden Administration doesn’t mind.

I live in a high population area and Covid is no longer recognized in public. It’s something dirty you only talk about in the confines of your home or as you recover from Covid in the hospital.

How to move forward with Covid is really simple at this point for a Democratic politician. Talk about all of the great work we have done and link the failures of the previous administration to inflation. Anytime there is a link to them and inflation it has to be his hard.

[Kaleva]

20. There are about 100 of new cases a week in the 15 county area where I live

Very few people mask now.