The mandate had been set to expire on. At present, Japan Airlines doesn't require passengers to wear a face mask, but it strongly recommends passengers do so and warns that going barefaced . She graduated from UCF and returned to Central Florida after working in Colorado. The Transportation Security Administration is . "For our guests traveling internationally, please remember to check country-specific airport requirements before traveling.". Offer ends 3/13/2023. } In accordance with the Transportation . AVOID TRAVEL: CDC warns US travelers to avoid nearly 60% of international destinations. display: inline-block; 2022, on flights where masks are no longer legally required at both ends of the route, we will not mandate customers and crew to wear masks on board the flight," read a company . 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. The agency left the door open to an earlier termination of the policy, should the science support that. } The U.S. has fairly robust vaccination rates, although a portion of the population has not. Airlines and local transit authorities will now create and enforce their own mask policies. "On flights where using a mask is an authority requirement, you are required to wear a mask throughout the flight. Then when the pandemic hit, like other airlines, Southwest received billions from the government in grants and low-interest loans. This sexist 1950s article offers a pro tip on how to snag a husband at the airport. ", Delta updated its mask policy on April 18 saying "masks are optional for all airport employees, crew members, and customers inside US airports and onboard all aircraft domestically, as well as on most international flights.". left: 482px !important; font-style: normal; width: 1px; Southwest Airlines Southwest announced Monday it would be mask-optional going forward and welcomed those who decide to keep wearing masks. Cathay Pacific has told passengers who are nervous or uncomfortable around seatmates who choose not to wear a face mask on one of the airline's flights to postpone their travel plans after Hong Kong lifted its years-long mask mandate. overflow: hidden; Within just minutes, US airlines launched "masks optional" messages. "We understand there are a number of opinions on this topic, and we ask that you respect and support the individual decisions made by others that is how we will show hospitality and make customers and cohearts (Southwest employees) feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated," Steve Goldberg, Southwest's senior vice president of operations and hospitality, said in a memo to employees late Monday. One of the biggest things they are saying is, We are sick of this confrontation we are having on flights, Orlando said. over 4,0000 mask-related reports were made to the Federal Aviation Administration. Charter airline TUI says masks can be dropped for those traveling to or from England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, but flights to and from Scotland and some overseas countries, like the US, still require face coverings. "If you'd feel more comfortable still wearing yours go right ahead," the carrier said. 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. left: 467px !important; Sun Country tweeted on Monday that passengers and staff can wear masks if they choose. 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: LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. } Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. Companies can also be substantively fined for major failures like this one. Software shortcomings contributed to previous, smaller-scale meltdowns, and Southwest unions had repeatedly warned about the software. "Customers of course remain free to wear them if they choose," the airline said in a memo to employees. .compare-fares-secondary--row:nth-of-type(5) .compare-fares-secondary--header-cell .compare-fares-secondary--label-addendum::after { 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. March 15, 2022 6:34pm. on many plane tickets. width: 273px; Southwest continues to develop tangible steps toward an environmental sustainability goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, including offering an opportunity for Customers to contribute toward helping Southwest offset its carbon emissions. "Pleasenote face masks may still be required based on local ordinances, or when traveling to/from certain international locations based on country requirements," the airline said in a statement. 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. height: 6px; Email. width: 273px; div.footer div.flex-placement b a:hover { This problem relying on older or deficient software that needs updating is known as incurring technical debt, meaning there is a gap between what the software needs to be and what it is. This failing appears to be a key factor in why Southwest Airlines couldnt return to business as usual the way other airlines did after last weeks major winter storm. On its website, KLM noted that some destinations have different mask requirements and the airline will send passengers an email "in the week before departure" with mask policy details for their destination. padding-top: 5px; A placard declaring, Another victim of SWAs outdated technology, with a graphic showing a stuck software progress bar. Reuters. Were applying stringent cleaning practices such as using electrostatic and anti-microbial spray treatments in the cabin, utilizing High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters onboard, and providing masks and cleaning wipes for anyone who requests them. Cases have been rising, but hospitalizations have remained relatively low. Jacob Sullum. By empowering its more than 55,0002People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among as many as 130 million Customers carried a year. A Feb. 25 letter to Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, asked that the Biden administration repeal the travel mask mandate and roll back other precautionary travel measures. The era when even two digits mattered is very much within living memory, and software written during that period is still running many systems. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. ", JetBlue tweeted on Monday that masks are no longer required on board, but said "while no longer required, customers and crewmembers may continue wearing masks in our terminals and onboard our aircraft. As you might expect, quicker is cheaper. CDC says Americans can now go unmasked in many parts of the country. Do I need to wear a mask on the plane and or in the airport? With COVID cases on the decline, some European airlines have also dropped the mandate on certain routes. It also offers several travel-related tips on the subject including a very unique one that involves an airport shuttle. In a statement, the airline said it "will respect anyone's decision to choose whether to wear Southwest basically follows the CDC guidelines to a tee. More than 70% of Americans can take off their masks indoors under new CDC guidelines on COVID-19 risk. Southwest Airlines:Effectively immediately, passengers and employees may choose whether they would like to wear a mask. Photo Illustration by Leslie dela Vega/The New York Times; photograph by Weerayut Ranmai/EyeEm, via Getty Images. January2021: President Joe Biden announces federal mask mandate for travel with an initial expiration date of May 11. html[lang="es"] div.footer div.flex-placement > div:nth-child(8) { It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. 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. } Its also critical that we maintain passenger confidence in the safety of air travel.". 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The CDC advises that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask - ideally an N95 or equivalent for 10 days following your exposure. This failing appears to be a key factor in why Southwest Airlines couldn't return to business as usual the way other airlines did after last week's major winter storm. Follow us on social media, follow us on our blog, and signup to receive important email news alerts. For airlines, they might mean holding them responsible for the problems their miserly approach causes to the flying public. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Sign up for notifications from Insider! So Im really happy for them.. text-decoration:underline; FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. } Its a bit like constructing a building. April 2021: Federal mask mandateextended through Sept. 13. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Here are some tips. Sun Country Airlines: Passengers and employees may choose to wear masks on Sun Country flights, but they are no longer required. That may sound like a lot, but it was just a few dollars per affected customer and a mere 15 percent of the companys revenue in 2018, the year after the hack. Media Relations Team: 214-792-4847, option 1. However, children under five are not eligible for the vaccine, and they can be less effective on people who are immunocompromised. Soon after, the TSA said it would no longer enforce mask-wearing on planes or other public transportation but noted the"CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.". During such waits, they could time out a phrase relating to a Federal Aviation Administration safety requirement that mandates a certain amount of rest between flights. However, masks may still be required on routes to certain destinations. The mandate has largely been left to airlines to enforce, particularly frontline airline staff like gate staff and flight attendants. And unless we take steps to hold companies and executives accountable for preventable and foreseeable failures, it will be us, the public, who keep paying. Jan 10, 2023 - Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today launches its seasonal fare sale through Jan. 12, 2023, offering fares as low as $49 one-way for travel taking place Jan. 31, 2023, through May 17, 2023. December 29, 2022. "Please be kind and respectful of individual choices, and remember that wearing a mask while flying on Breeze is still an option if you choose to do so," the airline posted on its website. 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. Privacy Policy Trademarks Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. ", The Netherlandshas scrapped the mask mandate for public transportation on March 23, except for in airports and on aircraft. But that didnt happen, and some people may believe that the implication is that technical debt is not a big deal. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. Robert Smith/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images. However, masks are still required on service to Canada, the US, Germany (except Frankfurt), and Paris. And these. Updated. Southwest had an old system, and Montgomery said it broke down during even mild hiccups, forcing the employees to call in. html[lang="es"] .header-flyout--promo-section .link--text div:nth-of-type(1) { font-size: ; } We are looking at a huge summer of travel and they dont want to deal with employees struggling and quitting after they struggled to build up staff all pandemic long., A month ago, a Louisiana man was taken off a Southwest flight at Orlando International Airport after he reportedly became irate over being forced to wear a mask, according to an arrest affidavit. Such breakdowns resulting from technical debt are often triggered by external events, like weather, and can be worsened by other dynamics, such as the fact that Southwest has more point-to-point flights than most airlines, which use a hub-and-spoke model, in which passengers are ferried to major hubs like Atlanta and Dallas from their origin and then put on different planes to their final destinations. Our aircraft are designed with an air circulation system that mixes in fresh air from outside the plane with air inside the plane. The group cites the dramatic drop in cases and an increase in verbal and physical attacks related to enforcing the mandate. "We understand some guests may want to continue wearing face coverings on flights, and that's perfectly fine under our optional policy," the airline said in a statement, USA Today reported. TSA's travel mask mandate has been extended a month, to April 18, 2022. Southwest Airlines scrubbed thousands of flights again Wednesday as the company faced frustration from passengers and scrutiny from federal officials over its handling of its schedule in the. Themask mandate, announced in January 2021, had beenset to expireMonday. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. And these. The aircraft landed safely. } The CDC advises that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask ideally an N95 or equivalent for 10 days following your exposure. As a result, our crew schedulers tackled the issue manually, which is a tedious, long process that takes time and trained resources to accomplish.. Masks connected to tubing or battery-operated filters Currently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has mandated that masks be worn on all public transportation, including in. Download Share Save. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. "But it will be relatively short-term because airlines will adjust their capacity to manage demand and protect their network integrity.". This includes; American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United. Computers become increasingly capable and powerful by the year, and new hardware is often the most visible cue for technological progress. When I talk about technical debt, many people point to the Y2K scare, which seems to offer a perfect example. "We encourage individuals to make the best. *Measuring 0.3 micrometers or greater in diameter passing through the filter. "Please be kind and respectful of individual choices, and remember that wearing a mask while flying on Breeze is still an option if you choose to do so," the company noted. "If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us via dm!". "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. Do you use HEPA filters onboard your plane? However, a BA spokesperson said only a small number of canceled flights were COVID-related. 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