What Are Airlines Doing to Keep Us Safe?

As we discussed in our last post, it’s not all that dangerous to fly during Covid, but there are still dangers. Because of these dangers, many airlines are doing what they can to keep their passengers safe. However, not all airlines are utilizing the same precautions.

It’s important to remember that these precautions are to keep you and other passengers healthy and safe. However, not everyone is happy having to take precautions as seen with the recent altercation on a Southwest airline where a professional UFC fighter was angered, then chased a steward into a bathroom, and then stormed into the cockpit all over his son having to wear a mask.

What can you do to stay safe?

It’s pretty simple on your part. Wear your mask and follow the rules as outlined by the airline of your choice. As uncomfortable as wearing a mask for a few hours on a flight might be, it’s not that hard. There are plenty of workers who wear masks throughout an eight hour shift. Many nurses work twelve hours and wear masks. Wearing the mask on the flight is a small thing you can do to slow the spread.

What are the airlines doing?

There’s no firm federal regulations, so it is up to the airlines what they want to do.

As mentioned before, all airlines have different rules and regulations they are implementing. For instance, Delta is the only airline company that is not booking middle seats. This is meant to make social distancing much easier. This is also great for you as a passenger because it means you’re not going to have to share your armrest with anyone.

Cleaning before and after each flight. As of January, there are seven major airlines that are actively cleaning before and after flight: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and United. This may not be absolutely necessary, but it is wonderful for giving passengers peace of mind. These deep cleans insure that Covid will not be lingering on any surfaces.

Having masks available. If you’ve forgotten your mask, eight of the major airlines have masks available for you: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Hawaian, JetBlue, Southwest, and United. This is handy for those passengers who “forget” their masks. As a customer, you know for sure there are masks to be provided.

Requiring masks: Well in accordance with the national mask mandate, all the major airlines have requirements for wearing a mask. The specifics will vary depending on the airline, but they all do require all adults and most children to wear a mask. Companies like Spirit and Sun Country have the least requirements but still require wearing a mask while on board.