A federal judge in Florida ruled that the federal transportation mask mandate for the United States should no longer be required, causing many to wonder if the government would uphold the judge's decision.
On April 18, the judge's ruling was upheld by the TSA and they decided not to enforce masking in public transportation. It seems that the end of the mask mandate will stay in place, at least for now, as the Biden Administration waits on word from the CDC on whether or not they should appeal the judge's decision.
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The last two years in the sky have seen record-breaking numbers of violence and assaults against airline attendants, many over the mask-wearing policy. 73 percent of the incidents recorded by the FAA were caused by passengers refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate.
While passengers on flights to certain international destinations, like Canada, will be required to continue wearing their masks for the time being, some advisors shared their thoughts and reactions on how their businesses are being impacted by the new decision.
The end of the mask mandate is believed to bring in more travelers to his agency who didn't want to fly in the air with a mask on.
I have a spreadsheet full of names of clients. They want me to call them whenever they can travel without a mask. My phones have not stopped ringing since the news broke. Consumers feel appreciated now. Those that wish to wear one can, but those that don't now have the option of not wearing one.
Cindy Dodds, a travel consultant at elm grove travel, flew to Hawaii on April 19 and said the experience was respectful and made her happier.
The woman sitting next to me on the flight was wearing a mask because she was going to visit a friend that is immune-compromised. Dodds said that she wore a mask but was happy that things were getting back to normal. I love traveling and the isolation seems to have been removed.
Some travel advisors are not expecting a lot of clients. Susie Chau said that her clients hadn't been too concerned about the mask mandate because they were just happy to travel.
I don't have any stories to tell about people booking just because it's ending or not traveling when it was in place. My clients were happy to travel and willing to go along with whatever rules and restrictions were in place to make that happen.
While the mask mandate wasn't an impediment for most of her clients, the return testing requirement for international travel still is. I think there will be more bookings, but I don't think there will be a surge until the testing requirement to fly back to the US is lifted.
I have lost bookings over the testing requirement. Some of my good clients are concerned about testing positive and having to stay in the country they are visiting until they test negative.
Many countries have dropped the testing requirement, but the U.S. seems to be holding on to it. Unusual requirements are hard to explain to clients. They don't need a negative test to disembark in Miami if they cruise from Miami to Mexico. I expect a surge in bookings once the testing limit is lifted. It is the last big challenge many travel advisors face.
The return testing requirement is the biggest hurdle for travelers according to Jordan Bradshaw, Vice President of Northcutt Travel Agency. The end of the mask mandate might not be the end of all mask-wearing, at least where travel is concerned.
The mask mandate was lifted for domestic and international travel. Make sure you understand the requirements of the destination and that you bring a mask with you in case you need it at any point in your travels.
He continued, "Another important thing to remember is to be respectful to everyone around you." It is important that we all respect each other as people and fly safely together.
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