Unworkable policy for disabled patients with heart failure

[ACESNEIGHTS]

If you cannot wear a mask because of breathlessness caused by heart failure, SWA graciously allows you to fly without a mask:

IF THERE IS NO ONE ELSE ON THE FLIGHT WITH A MASK EXEMPTION

AND THE FLIGHT IS LESS THAN 75% FULL.

Otherwise, you WILL BE DENIED BOARDING and rescheduled until a flight that is less than 75% full and has no one else with a medical exemption on board, no matter how long that takes hours or days.

The solution is to buy a portable oxygen concentrator that can deliver oxygen under your mask for $4000, or wear a mask that looks compliant but fits so poorly that it doesn't restrict your breathing at all or just wing it and have the flight attendants bring you bottled oxygen if you become breathless due to the mask.

After a few emergency landings, the airlines might be able to get the FAA/CDC to change their policy or if this is a SWA policy they might change it.

[bec102896 · Accepted solution]

Sorry your disappointed in the mask policy on Southwest. Since this is a customer to customer forum I would express your concerns with southwest directly though one of these contact methods Contact Customer Relations 

-Blake

[ZevSupport]

You can also DM on social media. Best of luck with this. 

[ACESNEIGHTS]

It's not going to change, it's the DOT that makes this absurd policy. 

It's actually even worse than I first posted, once a flight reaches 50% occupancy, they reschedule passengers proactively.

Also, it ignores vaccine status.

I'll probably tough it out and if I can't breathe, I'll just rip off the mask and let the pilot decide whether to let me keep the mask off, give supplemental oxygen or make an emergency landing.

[bwallet]

As I keep saying, if your breathing that vulnerable that you can't wear a mask, you probably shouldn't be flying right now. In case you missed it, there is a respiratory virus going around that kills people. It doesn't sound like you would survive if you got it. I'd recommend staying home.

[ACESNEIGHTS]

In case you missed it, there are vaccines that protect against that virus. And there is about a one in a million chance of contracting covid in an airplane. Why shouldn't a fully vaccinated heart failure patient be allowed the mask exemption in any case?

The policy is a bit bizarre, if there are 120 people on a 160 passenger plane, not wearing a mask is fine for one passenger. If there are 121 people on the plane, the mask exemption is a deadly menace to all onboard.