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British Airways reinstates face masks – and won’t say why

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Plot twist. According to reports, British Airways has had a last-minute change of heart and not removed the requirement to wear face masks.

The plan was to remove the requirement to wear masks, except for destinations where it is required by law, from today.

Heathrow Airport and Virgin Atlantic were also removing mask mandates from today.

British Airways backtracks on removal of face masks

It isn’t clear what is happening. Flyertalk posts from crew claim there are ‘compliance issues’ with removing the requirement for masks but the airline is not disclosing what these are.

All references to the removal of masks have disappeared from the BA website. The covid guidance pages still say that a mask is compulsory on all flights:

“Although UK rules are easing, here at British Airways like other airlines and airports, wearing face masks is still our policy. We’ll need you to wear a face mask in the airport and on board unless you are exempt. We have this policy to protect our most vulnerable customers and abide by the laws of countries around the world.

As a guide, a face mask could last up to four hours, so please make sure you bring enough for the duration of your trip. You will be asked to remove your mask for any passport checks, but you’ll be advised when to do so by our colleagues.

When you’re on board, you’re allowed to remove your face mask for a reasonable time to enable you to eat or drink. When you’re not consuming food or drink, your face mask must be placed back on and must cover your nose and mouth at all times.“

British Airways reinstating face masks

What is going on?

It’s not clear.

BA is claiming on Twitter that nothing has changed despite what passengers are being told, despite what BA staff are saying in our own comments section below and despite the website changes:

The move to retain face coverings on public transport in Scotland for a further period – these were meant to have been scrapped next week – has obviously caused issues for passengers on flights to Scotland.

It is possible that it is linked to passengers connecting in London. Do passengers flying to some countries have to wear a mask for their entire trip? Perhaps the whole aircraft must be masked if one person is connecting? There are reports of passengers being told that a decision on masks can only be taken after boarding. If this is true, however, why has SAS not been impacted after dropping masks?

Whatever the issue is, it has not impacted Jet2, Tui or Virgin Atlantic which have already removed the requirement to wear face masks.

More if we get it. For now, you better keep that mask to hand, even though you won’t need it at Heathrow or Gatwick in the airport.

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Comments (237)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Rich says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:27

    Could be that the Unions have stepped in and said if our staff still need to wear masks then the passengers around them do too.

    We all know how powerful the Unions are at ex state owned businesses like BA are, even now after decades of public ownership.

    • Damian says:
      17 Mar17 March 09:12

      If that’s the case, that would fine. The imperial phase has long gone: the staff are not subservient. There’s no “one tile for us, a different rule for them”.

  • Nathan says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:35

    They should start concentrating on answering the telephone instead of wasting time with this nonsense.
    All covid restrictions should have ended worldwide a long time ago.

    • Spurs drive me mad says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:00

      I’m fed up of businesses using Covid as an excuse, they’ve had over 2 years to adapt. I agree with you Nathan if you want to stay afraid that’s your choice leave the rest of us to get on with living.

  • Robert says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:42

    Just boarded a BA flight at Heathrow (to Manchester) and they are most definitely telling people to wear masks, and providing them for people without. Everyone seated is wearing one

  • Cranzle says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:45

    Rob – is there an error in title of this post. Surely you mean “British Airways REINSTATES face masks – and won’t say so”

  • Doc says:
    17 Mar17 March 08:55

    Was passing through Heathrow yesterday and this was causing confusion with a few and there were a few disagreement between a couple of passengers who were not happy to wear masks and the crew told them they had to. Another BA chaos.

  • dougzz99 says:
    17 Mar17 March 09:33

    There’s a definite irony in the claims made for HEPA filters and mask wearing on aircraft, versus mask wearing on public transport.

  • Sarah says:
    17 Mar17 March 09:37

    I flew Heathrow to Belfast last night and staff were definitely telling people that the policy had changed to no msl

  • Novice says:
    17 Mar17 March 09:39

    Face masks should still be worn everywhere where there’s strangers and crowds. The virus is still going strong and people are still dying. The only difference now is that nobody is reporting it anymore and people have become desensitised. I don’t see the problem with face masks. Or if they want people to not wear masks then they should make sure everyone is vaccinated or tested. And not accept doctors notes saying someone has recovered from Covid.

    I think the best thing they can do is, tell everyone to wear masks when boarding and disembarking because that’s when everyone gets into each others space. And, once seated it’s upto a passenger whether they want to wear one or not.

    I wouldn’t take it off in a budget airline because there is hardly any room between people but I would probably take it off in business or first in a proper airline due to the social distancing.

    • JerrySignfield says:
      17 Mar17 March 09:41

      Another one…

    • Ross Parker says:
      17 Mar17 March 09:51

      Honestly, this is an utterly misinformed comment. Just to take one point – you think that a vaccination certificate or negative test is preferable to recent COVID recovery. Why? A recent COVID recovery offers protection at least as good as that offered by a full vaccination schedule, and if somebody can evidence such a recovery, what’s the problem?

    • J says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:04

      Why would you want vaccinated or tested when the triple jabbed are currently 3 times more likely to be infected than the unvaccinated? Surely unvaccinated or tested makes more sense!

    • Spurs drive me mad says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:07

      Your last paragraph is hilarious.
      The rest 🙄

      • Novice says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:18

        No it’s logic. In business and first, a person has more space so less chance of someone affecting you.

        In economy, especially on airlines like Jet2 etc there’s no proper space.

        And, I don’t care what you think of my opinion I’m giving my pov as an OCD passenger.

        • jjoohhnn says:
          17 Mar17 March 10:24

          Apart from the forced air system just pumping what everyone breathes all round the cabin!

        • Rui N. says:
          17 Mar17 March 10:32

          You know that in economy the space is pretty much the same for all companies, right?

          • Novice says:
            17 Mar17 March 10:55

            I did say etc and I am a northerner so usually it’s Jet2 if you want direct flights to Europe.

            Yes, I know economy is same everywhere. If you could read and interpret properly you would realise that I said I would only take masks off in business or first.

            Anyway, it was just my opinion but like the world nowadays it seems ppl can’t take differences of opinions anymore.

          • Rui N. says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:01

            “I said I would only take masks off in business or first.” you did say that, but you also specifically mentioned budget airlines and Jet2 like their seating is any way different of seating of all airlines in economy.

    • Sentient Seaweed says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:09

      I expect you also wear a Faraday Cage when outdoors, just in case you get struck by lightning.

      Or maybe you’re worried about ending up like poor Aeschylus – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeschylus – and wear a crash helmet everywhere?

      • Novice says:
        17 Mar17 March 11:21

        I see people can’t give their own opinions without disparaging others.

        I do what I want to do in my life. I don’t need your pathetic assumptions.

        And, @Rui I said that because I only use direct airlines since covid if flying economy and where I am from, that usually means Jet2. I haven’t had the chance to go longhaul or on any other airline at the moment because my travels have just been to islands or cities of Europe.

        And, when I fly over 4 hrs I always fly business or first by rule even pre- covid.

      • illuminatus says:
        17 Mar17 March 11:28

        I expect you also wear a Faraday Cage when outdoors, just in case you get struck by lightning. – You won the thread if not the Internet today, thank you.

    • Brian says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:13

      Stay at home, young Novice. It’s the only solution.

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