If you are not a fan of wearing face masks, you should skip booking flights on JetBlue. The airline’s COO says all passengers need to wear a face mask while flying on the airline. Flight Attendants cannot physically make you but if refuse to comply, you’ll find yourself on JetBlue’s no-fly list.
Wearing a face mask is a courtesy to others, says JetBlue’s COO
In an online webinar on Wednesday, JetBlue’s COO, Joanna Geraghty, combined a likable charisma with a tough as nails enforcement policy. She has very clear views on weaknesses in the way hygiene protocols are implemented at airports and on airlines around the United States. But JetBlue takes them very seriously. Further, Ms Geraghty is not shy about banning passengers who won’t follow their procedures.
Since the start of May, JetBlue has required its passengers to wear face masks while flying. That policy is based on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. On Wednesday, Ms Geraghty said even if you didn’t like doing so, wearing a facemask was a “courtesy” to others.
“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself; it’s about protecting those around you,” she said.
The ABC of persuasion at JetBlue
In the webinar, JetBlue’s COO referred to what they call the ABC of encouraging passengers to wear face masks. The ABC stands for Ask, Bargain, and Convince. Ms Geraghty says it’s all about persuading passengers to follow the rules. She notes that ultimately if a passenger refuses to comply, there is not much the Flight Attendants can do about it. But that passenger will be met by airport security upon arrival and likely placed on JetBlue’s no-fly list.
A month ago, JetBlue’s CEO, Robin Hayes, said;
“We know that face masks aren’t great to wear. We do know it’s a significant mitigant, so we are asking all our customers to wear face masks. Our in-flight crew members are amazing at persuading people sometimes to do things they don’t want to do, so we trained them in how to manage conflict.
“If you want to sit there and just not wear it, then, unfortunately, we’re going to have to review whether we want that person to fly JetBlue again.”
Johanna Geraghty didn’t say whether anyone had got themselves listed on JetBlue’s no-fly list. But she did say the policy was still active in today’s webinar.
How to get yourself on JetBlue’s no-fly list
JetBlue’s no-fly list is a separate beast to the better known no-fly list administered by the Department of Homeland Security. Get on that list, and your life can be severely disrupted. Most airlines also have their no-fly lists, and it’s this list Ms Geraghty is referring to. Get yourself onto this, and you’ll find yourself unable to board JetBlue flights.
These lists tend to be small and usually contain the details of previous passengers who’ve proved disruptive, drunk, or disorderly. Ticket fraud or abusing frequent flyer programs might also see you on the list. You will know if you are on one because the individual airline will usually send you a stiffly worded letter saying so.
Think you can just switch over to United? Perhaps not. While not a defined practice, airlines can and do sometimes share their no-fly lists. So unless you want your traveling curtailed, best do as Joanna Geraghty suggests when next on JetBlue and wear a face mask.
