Tagged: masks

U.S. Extends Mask Mandate for Travel, But Only By Two Weeks

Update, April 18: The TSA announced that as of April 18, it will no longer enforce the mask mandate during its last few remaining days. Some airlines and travel facilities have…

U.S. Mask Mandate Extended Again on Airplanes, Transit

The Transportation Security Agency is extending the mask mandate that was set to expire on March 18. This is the third time it has been extended. The change was confirmed by multiple…

Ireland Officially Ends Most Covid-19 Public Restrictions

Are we finally near the end of the rainbow? This is good news we've been waiting nearly two years to hear. The Republic of Ireland has decided to end nearly all public Covid-19…

2022's Safest U.S. Airline—and Where It Ranks Worldwide

Covid-19 has been the biggest safety concern in air travel (and every other kind of travel) for two years now. So it's no wonder the expert safety monitors at AirlineRatings.com have…

U.S. Extends Mask Mandate on Planes and Shortens Testing Window for Border Arrivals

Passengers will need to continue masking up on U.S. planes, trains, and buses through at least March 18, 2022, the White House announced today. The country's mask mandate for public…

What Type of Mask Should You Wear When You Fly?

If you look at the mask requirements for the major U.S. airlines, you'll see that all of them defer to advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Transportation…

Masks Are Coming Off but Not on Public Transportation—with One Exception

Science has spoken! Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Covid-19 vaccines have been so effective that fully vaccinated Americans can return to…

Masks Will Be Required on Planes, Trains, and Buses Into September

Masks aren't going away anytime soon, at least not on public transportation in the United States. The Transportation Security Administration has extended its mask mandate through…

Going Maskless on Planes, Buses, or Trains Could Now Cost $1,500 or More

For most of 2020, airlines and other travel suppliers urgently told customers to wear masks. But if passengers were unwilling to comply, there wasn't much that could be done. The major…

On Day One, President Biden Makes Masks Mandatory on Planes, At National Parks, and Elsewhere

Over the last 10 months, common sense sat on the back burner. Even though 33 transportation unions, most airline CEOs, the good folks at Consumer Reports, and hundreds of thousands of…

Meow! It's Japan's New Covid-Fighting Kitty Cat Mascot

Japan is putting the cat in catastrophe with its new pandemic mascot, a coronavirus-combatting kitty named Koronon. On most days, the mascot can be spotted in busy parts of Tokyo such…

Flyers Pretend to Eat to Avoid Masking Up, So United Changed the Rules

One thing that has been unmasked in recent months is just how sneaky Americans are willing to be to get around the rules for face coverings. The issue came to the fore in July when…

Puerto Rico to Tourists: Stay Home!

Because Puerto Rico is part of the United States, flights to the island from the mainland were never completely halted this spring due to the pandemic. But in March, Puerto Rico's…

Disney and Hotel Chains Are Enforcing Mask Rules—Why Can't the Government?

As government leaders at the state and federal levels continue to send mixed and misleading messages about mask usage—we’re looking at you (but not only you), Georgia Gov. Brian…

Airline Now Requires Full Face Shields Plus Masks During Flights

As part of an effort to ramp up safety precautions amid the global health crisis, Qatar Airways is now requiring passengers to wear full face shields as well as masks throughout…

Can Airlines Legally Force You to Wear a Mask?

Their airline, their rules. If you don't like the rules, get your own plane. That's what it boils down to. Catharine Hamm of the Los Angeles Times looked into the legality of airlines…

Airport Leadership Begs the US Government to Regulate Mask Usage

Much of the attention given to the issue of air travel safety in the time of Covid-19 has focused on the in-flight experience. But airports, too, are gathering places for crowds, and…

A Winning Strategy to Get Vegas Gamblers to Wear Face Masks

The reopening of casinos in Las Vegas earlier this month was a gamble amid the pandemic. Sadly, it now looks like that might have been a bad bet. In the nearly three weeks since Sin…

Our Weekly Travel Podcasts: Airline Masks, Charities, and Border Testing

Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC in New York and our…

Despite What They Say, Airlines Are Not Enforcing Mask Use

This spring, news about U.S. airlines has followed a familiar pattern. First, the airlines trumpet a new safety measure that the news media repeats, generating a round of praise. Then…

Face Masks Finally Compulsory on All Major U.S. Airlines

It has been a slow, drawn-out week of public shaming and political pressure for the major U.S. airlines, but on Thursday, the social campaign culminated in a new rule, adopted en…

Look at the PPE Suits AirAsia Is Testing for Flight Attendants

Sure, you all laughed in early March when Naomi Campbell showed up at the airport in a hazmat suit. Turns out the supermodel was, as usual, ahead of the fashion curve. Malaysia-based…

Changing Course, JetBlue Now Requires Masks; Delta and American to Offer Them

On Monday, JetBlue finally became the first U.S. airline to insist all passengers wear face masks during flights. The new rule takes effect on Monday, May 4. Canada led the way—Air…

Flight Attendants Call for Halting Leisure Travel

There's a headline I never thought I'd write. But because these frontline workers feel that their lives are being put in danger, the Association of Flight Attendants, a union…

United Airlines Flight Attendants Now Required to Wear Masks

Starting today, United Airlines requires all flight attendants to wear masks while on board aircraft. The company is the largest U.S. carrier to adopt that policy, which has…