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Uncertainty and confusion: Airline mask rules end like they began

April 19, 2022
3 min read
Uncertainty and confusion: Airline mask rules end like they began
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It ended like it began: with chaos, confusion and uncertainty.

Airline mask rules came to an unceremonious end Monday, falling away with a whimper after a federal judge blocked the mandate and the White House stepped back to evaluate the situation.

In the immediate aftermath, it was unclear what that meant for each individual airline. But the ambiguity wasn't long-lived. Airline industry CEOs had already been outspoken about their desire for the mask mandate to end, so — once they saw the apparent opening — they seemed eager to take it. The dominoes began falling, with one airline after another saying they would no longer enforce a mask mandate that had been widely in place for nearly two years.

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On Monday, news of the struck-down mandate began to leak, first on breaking news updates and then on social media. Flights took off under one set of rules, only to have pilots make mid-air announcements, some quite celebratory in nature, that the mask mandate was over.

Social media posts proliferated, showing passengers cheer as pilots or flight attendants announced that masks were now optional.

On some flights, then came flight attendants who headed down the aisle to do a special trash collection for passengers who wished to discard their now-optional face masks.

What had been a part of airline announcements, rules and procedures for months only took hours to disassemble.

By the end of the day, no mask mandates were left standing at any large U.S. carrier. The rules fell away one by one, dropping in the absence of clear direction from Washington.

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Many who took to social media to mark the occasion created posts that welcomed the change.

Some, however, expressed dismay of the sudden and unexpected rollback. The nearly immediate implementation of the change left them on flights they had boarded minutes or hours early when the now-defunct rules had meant their fellow passengers would be masked.

It was back in May 2020, when JetBlue – in the absence of any formal federal rules – instituted its own policy that all passengers must wear masks onboard its flights.

Other carriers soon followed suit, but it put the airlines -- and the inflight crews -- in an uncomfortable position of having to enforce rules that not all passengers were happy about.

A number of airlines and their unions clamored for federal intervention, saying a national travel mandate would help take crews off the frontlines of enforcing each carrier’s individual policy.

However, in contrast to how quickly it was to ultimately depart, such a rule was not quick to arrive.

Finally, in January 2021, the government – following the lead of the newly elected Biden administration – enacted a comprehensive mask mandate. Initially set to expire in May 2021, it was extended multiple times. The most recent extension came quite recently in April 2022, with the government saying it intended to keep the ban in place for a couple more weeks as the latest COVID-19 variant began to build in the U.S.

But that was undone with Monday’s ruling by a federal judge – and then the Transportation Security Administration's subsequent decision to stop enforcing the mandate. And just like that, the rules began to fall away at one carrier after another — just as the way it all began.

Featured image by Bloomberg via Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Cons

  • The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
  • Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
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  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
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Best luxury travel rewards card
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

5XEarn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
5XEarn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • Intro Offer
    Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

    Earn 80,000 Points
  • Annual Fee

    $695
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

    670-850
    Excellent/Good

Why We Chose It

Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.

Pros

  • The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
  • This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
  • The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.

Cons

  • The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
  • Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
  • The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
  • American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
  • $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
  • $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees