Delta puts 460 passengers on Delta no-fly list who refused to wear masks

All airlines should. I watched 3 passengers on a Turkish Air flight be asked to put their mask on, and did, then 5 min later take it off. After 3 more attempts by the flight attendants the flight attendants just gave up.

Hooray for Delta!

I believe United, American, Alaska and spirit do. Of course the banning is only until masks are no longer required.

Love it! Delta is my go to airline.

Good . I hope all airlines follow suit. Wish all businesses would enforce their mask rules.

I flew United a few week back, their precautions for getting on and off, and the flight and entire process were amazingly well done.

We need to work together to build an atmosphere where the maximum number of people feel safe enough to build something approaching normal. Doesn't matter what you think about masks. You don't have to wear it for yourself if you think they are worthless, but you do need to wear it for to allow society to open up and put people back to work. It costs you nothing but a tiny bit of discomfort. And airlines and other businesses need to look for ways to increase confidence as well.

When I started this topic, I was hoping to get the kind of posts it has so far received--thank you!
One's mask protects other people from you, more than it protects you from other people.
And other people wearing a mask is what protects you from them.
So when others refuse to wear a mask, it's obvious what it says about their lack of consideration or empathy for everyone around them, including, potentially, the infection and death of others around them who are older or otherwise high risk.

Kent, thanks for sharing. I echo others who understand this is a public health crisis. Delta has been our go to Airlines for years. Thanks Delta for taking the lead.

Good to hear this Kent, thank you for posting.

American was doing this in June and still is. When they announced this policy, the passengers cheered!

I hate wearing that mask, but I agree with Delta. Passengers on commercial air should know in advance what is expected of them.

Kent, Love this and love Delta. I am so sick of people refusing to wear mask's. It's a no brainer!

Add me to the list of happy campers over this!

Thank you for sharing:)

People need to understand that flying on Delta is a privilege and not a constitutionally protected right. I would never want to give up access to an airline over something as simple as wearing a face mask. Plus, you can remove it while eating and drinking, no company needs bad customers.

I think after the pandemic, I will continue to use a face mask. I have gotten sick twice on flights before. It's one of those "Duh! Why didn't I think of that sooner?" moments.

I’d like to see the carriers press charges too. I’m no lawyer, but it honks me off. These nut cases endanger everyone on the airplane. And their selfish antics cause delays and disruptions to airports, carriers and passengers.

So what happens to the passenger? Do they get stranded at a connecting airport or at their direct flight destination? Surely they don't get a refund, do they?

As I understand it on Delta...

If the FA reports a "problem passenger" the plane is met by appropriate personnel who announce to the traveler that all future flights are cancelled and will be refunded to the appropriate payment method. If you have checked luggage you are informed it is being pulled and may be retrieved at baggage claim. You are also told you may not fly again until the mask rule is lifted and sent on your way.

So in other words if you were flying, Boston to Cancun, with a stop in Atlanta you might just get dumped off the plane in Atlanta!

I think many airlines I this, most of them probably have their own no-fly list and I would guess that refusing to wear a mask is an easy way to end up on the list.

I would also not assume that the ban is only for as long as masks are required. You don't end up on the list for not wearing a mask, you end up on the list for not following the airline's rules and disobeying the crew.

Well yes and no.

From what I have hear from friends who work at Delta.

Yes, most passengers on the no-fly list will be allowed to fly again once the masks are not required.

But..

There are a few jerks who while proving their point that they were VIPs who didn't have to wear masks crossed the line and are now banned forever. There is basically no appeal.

This charming passenger for example probably wont' be welcome back

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/passenger-punches-flight-attendant-after-22880015

"An unruly passenger punched a flight attendant in the face as she was kicked off a packed flight failing to wear her face mask correctly, witnesses claim."

This is one of the positive aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For many years, I have complained about getting URIs while flying. Sitting next to some complete moron who would be coughing, sneezing, every 2 min for the entire flight to Denver or whatever, and then, sure as shooting, I would come down with a very similar disease 3 days after arrival. The use of face masks, IF ENFORCED, will considerably slow this down. Certainly I can make sure that MY MASK is on.

Thank you, COVID-19, for fixing this.

Post 2000

Perhaps after this pandemic, it will be a common thing to wear masks in public. We used to be puzzled by seeing Asian people wearing masks on the street, and now we know why.

There is no article I've read to date that confirms that the airline mask mandate will be permanent. I would not make any assumptions at this point. Also, Delta has not been the only airline doing this so they don't deserve a hero status - every major airline wants people to "feel" safe so they're going to put in place whatever they need to get people flying again.

There is no article I've read to date that confirms that the airline mask mandate will be permanent. I would not make any assumptions at this point.

Yes, agree to that. However, it may be possible, if enough people make enough noise, to get the airlines to force those who are sneezing, coughing, etc to mask up. If you are ill, you should NOT BE FLYING. This pandemic became a global disaster due to air travel. Airlines need to step up and become pro-active.

1) If you are ill, you should not fly
2) If others get ill after the flight, it should be possible to find out who was the ill person

Airlines are the vector of contagion. Let them become more pro-active. And if you fly ill AND KNOW YOU WERE ILL, you should be a lawsuit target.

I agree with James E. about United. Well organized getting on and off the plane, scan your own boarding pass, and on longer flights, snacks and water arrive in a plastic bag. Sodas, coffee and tea are still handed out the regular way. I received a couple emails before the flight detailing the new guidelines. Will be flying Southwest the end of November when it still has the middle seat open and again in early December when all seats are open. It will be interesting to see if anyone even notices.

My company has a naughty list also (I don't have access to it) but not sure how many are on it ... and we are reminded of the mask requirement often (example from a recent internal communication: Just as customers who don’t comply cannot travel with us and may face being put on the no-fly list, non-revenue travelers, including you, your spouse/partner/registered companion, dependents and guest pass travelers, face similar consequences. If you or your eligible travelers do not properly wear a face covering while non-revving, including traveling for work, your travel privileges will be suspended for 30 days) ... and it gets much worse for a second offense ... the few times I have flown I wear one and have another as backup ...

Not raving Ufkak, just saying it was organized. If you want my negatives about United, I have a couple of those too.

On a related note, some of the "problem drinkers" on the forum will be sad to note that United is not serving alcohol outside of first class these days. IIRC this was a bitter complaint recently about Turkish Airlines and proof of how low they had fallen.

I must admit that I enjoy a glass of wine on an international flight. But that's not a deal-breaker if I can't have it.

I'm not sure why people are raving about United. I've now flown five
segments with them in the last month they are the same as always. They
were average to good before, average to good now. And I've flown
several segments on SW and have the same reaction, but at least they
are still keeping middle seats open.

On my United and SW flights they were well organized and did as good a job as is possible to maintain distances when getting on and getting off. Impressed me. 100% mask participation.

On a related note, some of the "problem drinkers" on the forum will be
sad to note that United is not serving alcohol outside of first class
these days. IIRC this was a bitter complaint recently about Turkish
Airlines and proof of how low they had fallen.

I didn't see any bitter complaints about Turkish Air not serving alcohol on flights? I guess I need to pay more attention to the posts. I did see a bitter complaint about the chaos of getting on and off and the failure to enforce the mask rules. Still, with little choice I will be flying them in December.

When the history of this pandemic is written, we will learn that in
many ways, alcoholism was one of the chief drivers of its spread.

I might believe poverty (which often results in alcoholism), and I might believe "partying" which is not alcoholism; but it can be pretty stupid. The history I am interested is how many people we really saved over the long haul when you consider the negative affects of all the actions that have been taken. AND, which segments of society benefitted and which payed the price for those benefits.

Ufkak, I am glad you are catching up with my logic. Well done.

"If you are ill, you should NOT BE FLYING. This pandemic became a global disaster due to air travel. Airlines need to step up and become pro-active."

Many years ago my husband and then school-age daughter were supposed to fly across the country. The day before departure my daughter spiked a 104 degree fever and we took her to the doc. Diagnosed with pneumonia and got doctor's note and antibiotics. Called the airline and explained the problem. Airline (United, Delta or American, can't remember which) said "no problem" you can fly in a couple of days, no change fees or new charge. Husband and daughter go to airport several days later. Surprise! You owe us some ridiculous amount of money and we don't care that you were contagious with a respiratory infection. Husband paid but on their return I wrote the airline's legal department and cc'd the FAA. Why, I asked, would you want to be responsible for the possible infection of a 100+ people? Got a refund.

Moral: unless we as the consumer hold the airlines responsible for their policies and procedures nothing will change.

Husband and daughter go to airport several days later. Surprise! You owe us some ridiculous amount of money and we don't care that you were contagious with a respiratory infection. Husband paid but on their return I wrote the airline's legal department and cc'd the FAA. Why, I asked, would you want to be responsible for the possible infection of a 100+ people? Got a refund.

Moral: unless we as the consumer hold the airlines responsible for their policies and procedures nothing will change.

And HERE we see the heart of the matter. The simple fact is that CHANGE FEES are nothing but RENT-HARVESTING - they perform NO function except give the airlines money. The REAL COST of changing is 0 - it costs them NOTHING but a very simple and easy transaction that any idiot could perform and set up.

No one is calling for money to be returned. And no one calls for like-for-like exchanges - if you must change at the last minute, you pay the actual difference in costs. But the FEE to simply change should be eliminated by Congress. Southwest does not charge change fees. None of the airlines NOW are charging change fees. And Congress should put it into law. Also they should outlaw fees to carry on luggage.

Last September, while traveling to the Denver Airport, we were involved in a traffic accident. We missed our flight, partly because we had to go to the ER. I called the airlines, and they were going to charge $200/ticket (myself and spouse) to change to the next day, where there were open seats. We finally got it reduced to $50/ticket or something. Outrageous.

It seems this (the above post) points to an example which suggests the possibility that this country's economy is run primarily for the benefit of large corporations rather than average people.
Unlike the Western Europe community?

Good for Delta. There's no fixing stupid.

Masks don't keep you from getting sick. They keep you from making someone else sick. It seems way too many people don't understand this.

Big Mike is correct in his post immediately above, and it appears, as he says, that many people don't seem to understand this potentially critical distinction between what your mask protects and what protects you.

I wonder if those people also refuse to buckle their seatbelts?

Google "pee mask meme" for an amusing analogy to wearing a mask.

Lo, you made my day.

The same people who said not to, then do, but its not for you started saying last week its for you too.

Personally, what ever the help, its something. But we don't seem to be having the often cited pushback here.

Perhaps after this pandemic, it will be a common thing to wear masks in public

That is a truly depressing thought

Joe32F, thats one we agree on. I'm good with it for now .... but I hope the majority get back to some sort of normal. I missing hugging.

I was detailed to CDC during H1N1. A group of some 50 health professionals spent a couple days specifically discussing personal protective equipment.

The conclusions they came to (for those who are interested):
Only an N95, properly fitted, properly worn and changed regularly offers any protection (we ended up saying "some protection" and never defined "some"). We ended up with a schedule of changing masks every four hours, largely due to limited supply.
Anything else - not an N95, not properly worn, not changed regularly - gives you no protection. Fauci said the same in January. Masks, to stop the spread of COVID, are a false sense of security.
Paper masks are good for people who are actively coughing or sneezing. The mask doesn't filter a virus but it will catch mucous that likely contains whatever is causing the coughing/sneezing.
Masks don't protect your eyes at all. A virus can enter through your eyes.

Today we know a lot more about COVID than we did in the Spring. One thing we know is that most people don't need to fear COVID. You need to assess your own risk to decide if you are in a high risk group. If you are, you are high risk for all flu strains.

If you wouldn't board a plane without a mask, you probably should think twice about boarding a plane with a mask.

Brad, there's newer information out there about mask effectiveness.

The real mask argument for me isn't how well it works, but how well it puts our neighbors at ease. For that reason I think its the socially responsible thing to do. It's just not that big a sacrifice.