American Airlines has touted how clean their flights are and how safety and cleanliness is their first concern. For a flight from Miami to Mexico City that seems not to have been the case. Reports are the flight was packed and 80% of the people were not wearing masks.
I have flown during the pandemic. The airline I flew also bragged about how they were cleaning the planes. My flight was the first flight of the morning which means my plane was parked overnight at the airport. My seatbelt had a sticky pink substance on it. I think the airlines are not doing anything special to keep us safe. I think all they are doing is asking for a government handout but not working to ensure safety of their passengers.
A plane is a very tight area as you know and there is not enough space on a packed flight to social distance. Why was this flight packed? Because they combined two flights. They made an economic choice over a safety choice. Worse yet most of the people did not have masks. We know how easily Covid 19 spreads. I understand there are not enough masks for the airlines to buy them for all the passengers. However, many people are making masks at home or wearing bandanas. Even that helps against the spread of the virus. Airlines should make it a rule if you do not have a mask of some sort you do not fly. They should send an email to all passengers before they arrive at the airport. How can they do that you ask? Well they kick people off of flights if they think their clothing is inappropriate. The passenger gets no warning. Covid 19 is much more dangerous than a bare belly or a curse word. Who would argue about wearing a mask on a flight? It protects everyone.
Also, when restaurants open for sit down service it has already been proposed that in order to have social distancing many will lose half of their seating capacity. That will be very hard on them but these are special circumstances. Why should the planes be able to fly at almost full or full capacity? How safe is it for us to be shoulder to shoulder with strangers? People are eating, the air is recirculated, you are almost always touching someone. At the best of times flying is gross. Now it is dangerous.
If the airline industry will not do what is in our best interest then it is time for the government to step in. You want our money then you keep our people safe.
