Jet2 says ‘no more face masks’ – will other UK airlines follow?

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• dst87 says:

  2 Mar2 March 10:28

  I’d like to think that as we come out of the pandemic, people who have a bit of a cold or feel under the weather will wear masks to avoid infecting others. Just a bit of selflessness for the greater good.

  Based on some of the comments here, I’m starting to think that’s not very likely.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    2 Mar2 March 10:29

    I’d like to think they’d stay home for a few days like they should have pre pandemic.

    • Dayle says:

      2 Mar2 March 11:09

      Stay home with a cold?! I haven’t stayed home when I’ve been ill at all over the last 2 years… Absolutely nothing wrong with living life as we used to now

      • TGLoyalty says:

        2 Mar2 March 11:11

        Yes even with a cold. If you’re in the worst part of cough and cold don’t spread it around.

        It’s not “normal” to spread around cold, flus, norovirus etc

        • Dayle says:

          2 Mar2 March 11:14

          The natural spread of colds are a healthy part of immune systems, it worked perfectly fine for all of time until now…

          Still haven’t taken a covid test and never will

        • dst87 says:

          2 Mar2 March 11:50

          @Dayle – why wouldn’t you take a covid test? They’ve been freely and widely available for a long time now. You refuse to take a test even in advance of attending a social event or visiting relatives? That just seems cruel and irresponsible. Perhaps you’ve never had covid, or perhaps you’ve been asymptomatic and have needlessly spread it to someone who hasn’t been so lucky.

          This behaviour is completely nonsensical to me. I’d call it selfish but I don’t even understand how you benefit from your actions.

        • jj says:

          2 Mar2 March 12:56

          @DST87, I know several people in insecure employment – supply teachers, for example – who actively avoid taking COVID tests because the cannot afford to take time off work.

          It’s easy for those of us who can work from home or take sick leave without financial penalty to criticise others who are less fortunate.

        • Londonsteve says:

          2 Mar2 March 18:41

          @ Dayle, you take today’s prize for the winner of most self-centred egotistical post on HfP.

    • dst87 says:

      2 Mar2 March 11:46

      I agree – staying home as much as possible when you’ve got a cold is the best idea. Given that’s not practical in many cases (especially some office workers unable to take the time off work, or the need to get groceries etc.) I’d like to think that wearing a mask in those situations would be a good next-best option.

      • S says:

        2 Mar2 March 11:53

        I would much rather regularly be exposed to viruses and therefore have my natural immunity constantly replenished so it never wanes too much. I would posit that germophobic behaviours (if they actually do reduce exposure to viruses) would lead to more serious bouts of illness when you do eventually catch something.

        • dst87 says:

          2 Mar2 March 12:00

          That’s fine, but if you’re already sick then by not isolating or wearing a mask you’re forcing that choice on everyone you come into contact with. For some contracting the flu may be a mild inconvenience, for others it may be much more serious.

        • Rui N. says:

          2 Mar2 March 13:15

          Go for you for deciding what types of diseases other people should be exposed to. So thoughful of you.

        • Rui N. says:

          2 Mar2 March 13:20

          *Good for you…

        • TGLoyalty says:

          2 Mar2 March 14:59

          It’s not germaphobic to say this that are actively ill should stay home!

          You’ll still catch and pass on a virus in the time up to and after you’re heavily symptomatic but it’ll be fewer people.

          Is it so hard to stay home for the worst 2/3 days of a viral infection when 50% of the population worked from home for 2 years.

          At the end of the day this sort of attitude is why workplaces have been able to take advantage of those who are Ill.

  • Niall says:

    2 Mar2 March 14:47

    @jj it’s worrying that you know several people like this. Absolutely it is difficult for those people, and this is why I was sad to hear about covid finance support being removed. But there has been support so far. While it might not completely have made up for lost earnings, I’d have hoped there were many fewer who weren’t financially able to take this more limited hit. While I have sympathy for people in this situation, I would also not like to sound like I support someone choosing to expose others to covid especially if they can take the financial hit. It is still a difficult personal moral issue to weigh up those two things.

  • Jay says:

    2 Mar2 March 18:40

    Exceptionally well put

  • Londonsteve says:

    2 Mar2 March 18:44

    I would very like to continue wearing a mask if I’m not feeling well and need to go out amongst people, the fear is that I will be hounded, verbally abused, possibly even physically attacked for political reasons by people who see such actions as ‘letting the side down’ and think I’m making an anti-Boris political statement by continuing to wear one. The introduction of politics rather than only empirical scientific evidence into the mask wearing debate was an absolute disaster.

    • Brian says:

      2 Mar2 March 23:43

      But isn’t the point that there was no conclusive scientific evidence for the mask-wearing debate? Some studies suggest it helps, some that it doesn’t – this was true before Covid, too. Hence why the WHO didn’t recommend masks to begin with – until it became politically favourable to do so.

      • Red Flyer says:

        3 Mar3 March 07:45

        Better safe than sorry is my mantra so I continue to wear one in crowded public spaces but don’t generally when outdoors. I’m 6 foot 3 and 15 stone though so don’t generally get questioned by others!

      • Londonsteve says:

        3 Mar3 March 15:18

        None of us need any scientific knowledge to appreciate that if we are unwell, coughing and sneezing, a face covering is a barrier to the spread of our germs to others. It’s absolutely elementary. Even if we are not suffering cold-like symptoms, a face covering is a barrier and reduces the ability of virus laden droplets and air particles to get out of our mouth and into our surroundings. It’s not a hermetic seal and there are different grades of mask, from a scarf wrapped around our face up to a military-grade respirator. I was talking about taking the deeply unselfish step of voluntarily wearing a mask to protect others if I am feeling unwell, but I am fearful of the consequences of doing so by a righteous and emboldened political wing. The principle of leaving people alone to do as they see fit should serve as common ground but some people are being exceedingly aggressive towards mask wearers and I can do without being attacked, verbally or physically.

        • Brian says:

          3 Mar3 March 20:02

          Oh sure, if you’re coughing and sneezing, any form of face covering helps – I generally hold a handkerchief to my mouth and nose when I do that. Mask-wearing when you’re not ill, however, is another matter entirely – the possible benefits are almost certainly outweighed by the possible disadvantages (like breathing in pathogens trapped in the mask and multiplying in the warm, moist environment there).
          And I know many more people who have been abused for NOT wearing a mask than wearing one, so I wouldn’t be too timid if I were you.

• yorkieflyer says:

  2 Mar2 March 10:29

  Trying to seek a market advantage pandeeing to the chavs who book their packages to Benidorm in my view

  • Anna says:

    2 Mar2 March 12:28

    A non-chav would know that the term is “pandering”!

    • yorkieflyer says:

      2 Mar2 March 16:02

      panda ear ring as autocorrect might offer, slip of the finger one demurs

      • Aston100 says:

        2 Mar2 March 20:27

        Good one.

      • Brian says:

        2 Mar2 March 23:45

        Presumably, though, only a chav would write ‘panda ear ring’ often enough for it to be an autocorrect choice…

  • mkcol says:

    2 Mar2 March 23:10

    Your view is narrow-minded & archaic.
    You clearly have no idea of Jet2’s customer base.

    • yorkieflyer says:

      2 Mar2 March 23:38

      I’ve flown with Jet 2 a fair few times over the years and their business model has changed from a regular lo co to a mainly cheap package tour company with the consequences I’ve outlined

      • Rachel Robinson says:

        3 Mar3 March 03:14

        What are you? A school bully who thinks it’s cool to look down on other people? Especially those who are less wealthy/educated than you? Well done.

• John says:

  2 Mar2 March 10:51

  I still don’t understand why so many people feel so strongly about this.

  For me, I don’t care. If someone wants me to wear one I will, if nobody else cares I won’t. The main annoying thing is having to remember to bring them when I go out, but I find wearing masks less annoying than BA not having my preferred main course.

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    2 Mar2 March 11:55

    Do you wear glasses though? Contact lenses aren’t practical on long haul flights cos of dryness; glasses steam up with masks. And I am sure I’m not alone in getting heart rate alerts on my watch from hauling bags in airports with a mask on. This is why I feel strongly. I’m delighted by the demise of masks.

    • Andrew. says:

      2 Mar2 March 12:53

      If that’s the case, have you spoken to you GP or Cardiologist about your heart failure?

    • John says:

      2 Mar2 March 13:07

      Yes, I wear glasses, and if they steam up that means the seal between your nose and face is inadequate, so you might as well not be wearing one.

      As per Andrew, a mask should not affect your physical capacity, but they can cause a *feeling* of breathlessness at peak exertion. If hauling a bag through an airport is the maximum you can exert yourself, you would probably not do very well if you did get infected with SARS-CoV 2.

    • The Savage Squirrel says:

      2 Mar2 March 13:46

      Blair Waldorf Salad, Andrew is right.
      A mask makes no difference to has exchange or blood oxygen saturation (and endless research repeatedly proves this). If you are getting heart rate alerts from only very mild exertion then this is an issue you need to investigate – it may be a medical issue or it may be a faulty watch, but it is nothing to do with a mask causing your heart rate to spike. Masks don’t do this.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:

        2 Mar2 March 13:46

        *has = gas

      • Rui N. says:

        2 Mar2 March 13:55

        Surgeons (and their patients…) would be screwed if masks affected them this way.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          2 Mar2 March 15:01

          I don’t think they’re under heavy loads of physical exhaustion when operating 😂

    • aseftel says:

      2 Mar2 March 18:27

      J&J Acuvue Trueye contact lenses were a game changer for me. Can easily do a 24h stint without drying out, topping out at around 36h in my experience. No problems on a 12 hour 777 flight for example.

  • jjoohhnn says:

    2 Mar2 March 12:14

    Just keep one in your coat pocket and then it’s always there!

    • John says:

      2 Mar2 March 12:54

      They need to be washed (my wife made 2 for each of us when we had nothing better to do during the first lockdown)

      • jjoohhnn says:

        2 Mar2 March 14:50

        Good place to keep the clean one then! I mostly wear mine for around 5minutes a day split in half for nursery pick up and drop off. Don’t need to wash them that often. Obviously if you wear for hours+ then it’s a different story.

    • yorkieflyer says:

      2 Mar2 March 16:04

      A surgeon in t’pocket? Now that would be handy.

      • yorkieflyer says:

        2 Mar2 March 16:06

        I always wash my surgeon daily

• Jack Hodgson says:

  2 Mar2 March 13:24

  Airlines as well as airports are unlikely to change the requirements to wear masks anytime soon largely due to wanting to be clear and not having conflicting messaging . Jet 2 is mainly attracted to the short haul market and they still strongly recommend mask wearing not a big deal

• StanTheMan says:

  2 Mar2 March 13:31

  I cant believe all these fans of masks on here who havent had any Vaccine jabs. If i felt the need to ask 200 strangers to wear a mask for 4 hours on a plane, Im sure I would have booked myself 2 lovely doses of something, with a booster for good measure.

• Russ says:

  2 Mar2 March 13:54

  I’m not taking mine off till I see no one in Waitrose wears one.

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    2 Mar2 March 15:42

    I will ask my butler to keep his eye out and report back for the benefit all non-Jet2 HfPers.

    • yorkieflyer says:

      2 Mar2 March 16:08

      My valet tells me that mask wearing on Ryanair is getting a tad spotty

• JPR says:

  2 Mar2 March 15:08

  Can anyone recommend an informative and expert Virology website with a comments section where I can get information and tips on frequent flying, airline points and the like? That would be great.

  • Rui N. says:

    2 Mar2 March 16:23

    That would be hard, people this week are experts in geopolitics and moved on from virology.

    • yorkieflyer says:

      2 Mar2 March 16:35

      Indeed, I’m a tad weary with the mask argument and the opinions bereft of evidence, perhaps we could have a nofly zone Y/N argument?

      • S says:

        2 Mar2 March 16:52

        If only Barclays’ IT had not fallen over we would have had the promised series of articles on the new cards to discuss instead! Can we therefore blame Barclays for this discussion? 😀

        • Rob says:

          2 Mar2 March 17:56

          Basically, yes. All that content is on hold and we are scrabbling around for short notice filler 🙂

• HH says:

  2 Mar2 March 17:54

  I’ve taken maybe 20 BA flights in the pandemic and every time I see half the passengers use eating and drinking as an excuse to keep masks off for most of the flight (and it’s worst at the front of the plane…)

  So while I’d like to see the rules remain, in reality I doubt this changes the Covid risk level of flying.

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