American Airlines Makes Face Masks Mandatory

Delta includes wipes and small hand sanitizers on all flights as part of the in-flight service. Instead of drink and snack service, they're offering small bags with a bottle of water, a snack, napkin, wipe, and small hand sanitizers to each passenger.

What happens if someone goes to the airport and refused to wear the mask? Denied boarding? I would like to review the airlines policies and procedures on this! We all know that someone is going to show up with no mask or refuse to wear one just to make news.

Can we remember how just a short while ago, American was refusing to allow their flight attendants to wear masks? Am I remembering that post correctly? Lol what irony if so!

@deltaflyer - American will be starting small snack packs like Delta. Though, I think that’s kinda pointless. Bring your own snacks. The ticket is probably $50 - do we really have to expect them to give us a snack with everything going on?

I think American had to wait until they could find a supplier for face masks before they made it a requirement. That way they could give them to passengers that need one.

Seems a bit pointless to start this 2 months into a global pandemic

The original AA email said “In May, we will begin to distribute sanitizing wipes or gel and face masks to passengers, as supplies allow. “ The “as supplies allow” part doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I told them I’d rather wait for a vaccine, thank you very much.

I'm still curious about what airlines are going to do if passengers take their mask off after take-off and refuse to put it back on? Have them arrested after the flight for refusing crew orders? Ban them from the carrier for life? This should be outlined since it will definitely happen.

Loose fitting face masks are only for naive idiots. Only valuable if person wearing mask is sick. IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME. If you are sitting next to sick person your homemade bandanna is not going to do you any good. What we need is people to quarantine 3 days prior to flight, and take temp at airport, thtow masks in trash

if face cover is mandatory I can't imagine any decent service in business and first class, in such situation we can't talk about holidays/weekend breaks/pleasure etc; only essential trips should take place, unfortunately it looks at least till 2021 if we are lucky

@Rob - American (and all other airlines) exempt meal service (and I would expect beverage service) since you reasonable can't do that while wearing a mask. IMHO that defeats the purpose but many discuss their food/beverage service along with mask requirements. I have a question - if I'm flying first class and there is drink service I will be ordering so do I take the mask off everytime I want to take a sip or somehow snake a straw up there (BTW I will wear a VERY loose cloth mask if I have to fly while this is in effect).

I'm hoping this lunacy is over by end of summer and the germaphobes can wear their masks while the rest of us return to something more normal There is no way this becomes a long term requirement - it would kill much discretionary travel and, with business travel going to be down for many reasons, the airlines just couldn't afford that.

@lucky On a tangent, it's occurring to me that AA's removal of seat-back IFE could actually be viewed as a good thing, now. I know I'd rather use my iPad, knowing that I'm the only person who's handled it, than put my hands on a touch screen that's been exposed to other people. Even with between-flight cleaning, or using my own sanitizing spray, my tablet feels like a safer bet. It's still not a nice policy for families who can't afford personal screens for every member (or for individuals who can't afford one for themselves), but for those of us lucky enough to have them, I'm guessing they will now be the preferred mode for watching movies and TV, playing games, etc., onboard.

The airlines and the government have no legitimate right or power to force anyone to wear a mask of any kind. The American Sheeple have proven one thing for sure. The National Anthem needs to change the words "Land of the Free" and "Home of the Brave" to "Land of the Ignorant Sheep" and "Home of the Foolish Cowards." If the mind manipulating Boob Tube had not told all of these ignorant sheep to be afraid, this virus would have come and gone with very few people even noticing that anything unusual had happened. This proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Boob Tube controls the feeble little minds of most Americans. Use your heads for something other than a hat rack and/or a mask support device. Idiots!!!!!!!

Thank goodness I’m flying before May 11. I won’t fly as long as I’m required to wear a mask.