Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Why are some passengers overlooked for not wearing masks

Kwilli15
Explorer C

Travelled from Baltimore to Atlanta and back on a weekend.  I am aware that you can remove your mask while eating.  Problem for me was that the person sitting next to me ate the entire flight so did not have the mask on.  They started with a 3-course meal that took all of the boarding period.  Then grabbed a bag of crunchy snack mix and proceeded to nibble the entire flight.  On my way back to Baltimore, the flight was delayed.  As I sat in the area waiting for the plane to arrive, I watch two female passengers with an infant assist their friends to get standby tickets.  When boarding with children was announced,  they were first in line.  When our group was called, we boarded to find two seats.  The two females had selected seats behind the other and put their items in the seats to hold for their standby friends who had not yet boarded.  My husband sat separately and I was stuck in the aisle seat across from them.  The flight sat on the tarmac for 47 minutes before take off.  I watched as folks tried to sit next to them but were thwarted.  None of the four passengers had their masks in place because... yep.... they ate!  A big value meal with milkshakes followed by candy bars and cheese curls.  The shake got knocked over and spilled onto the floor.  They talked loudy to each other from front to back using profanity.  The infant was passed back and forth over the seats and they continued to ask the flight attendants for water the entire trip even before all passengers were boarded and while we were stalled on the tarmac.  No masks at all.  One FA asked for them to place their masks properly and they pulled out the food and said "I'm eatin. " When the standby passengers loaded in next to them the party started.  Can I have more water?   9 occasions the FA's catered to their need for water because they spilled the shake on the floor of the plane.  We wear our masks to protect people from us.  It is disrespectul that we are not given the same respect.  I know the FA's are frustrated.  They sure have their masks on while moving up and down the flight to repeatedly get water for two needy and entitled passengers who don't want to protect others the way we are protecting them.  So, the airline should not allow lunches and dinners on the plane for a 1 hr flight.  Especially since the one hour delay gave all passengers time to eat their meals pre-flight. And nibbling the entire flight to avoid a mask is ruthless, rude and just plain ridiculous.  We are in a pandemic people!

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Why are some passengers overlooked for not wearing masks

bec102896
Aviator A
Solution

Sorry to hear others on your flight were not wearing masks during the flight because they wanted to eat the whole flight. Did you notify a FA during the flight so they could say something to the passengers? Since this is primarily a customer to customer forum you should share your feedback with southwest and you can do so though one of these contact methods Submitting a Suggestion and/or Complaint 

 

-Blake

Re: Why are some passengers overlooked for not wearing masks

ffflyer
Frequent Flyer B

I hope you will contact SWA and that they will do a better job of enforcing the masks rules for everyone. 

But as long as people continue to fly, even with children and infants, during the pandemic there is no real incentive for SWA to do anything but sell tickets. 

Re: Why are some passengers overlooked for not wearing masks

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A

The policy is that you can remove your mask briefly to eat. That is said repeatedly at boarding and on board. Last week, I heard an announcement that the new policy was that you must replace your mask between bites. I'd sure like to see that be true.