Airlines Offering Refunds to Passengers Concerned About Flying With Unmasked Travelers

Air travelers wear masks waiting to board a Southwest Airlines flight at Oakland International airport in Oakland, Calif., on April 9, 2020. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Airline passengers who are concerned about flying alongside unmasked people will now be offered refunds, among other things, after a federal judge struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) mask mandate on public transport last week.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told the “TODAY” show on April 21 that the airline will be flexible with customers who are immunocompromised and who don’t want to fly alongside passengers who aren’t wearing face coverings.

“All of our customers should feel free to wear a mask and many of them are,” Kirby said. “For customers like that, that are immunocompromised or that have other concerns or issues ... we are working with those customers, if they really don’t want to fly, to find them another option, give them a credit, or if they just don’t ever want to fly again, [we are] actually willing to give them a refund.”

A United spokesman told The Associated Press that customers, except those on the lowest-priced “basic economy” fares, are able to delay their travel plans for any reason without having to pay an extra fee. The spokesman noted that passengers with special circumstances should call the airline’s customer service number.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told AP that while his company hasn’t yet seen many refund requests following the mask mandate removal, it’s assessing its policies and asking passengers to contact the airline’s reservations office.

“We will make sure that we accommodate them in an appropriate fashion,” Isom said.

Passengers, almost all wearing masks, board an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, N.C., in New York on May 3, 2020. Eleonore Sens/AFP via Getty Images

An American Airlines spokeswoman pointed to the airline’s policy, which allows refunds for refundable tickets and credit for the value of unused nonrefundable tickets. But customers who have purchased a less pricey “basic economy” ticket since April 1 won’t be entitled to a refund or ticket change.

A Delta Air Lines spokesman said customers who want to cancel their upcoming trip in light of the mask mandate removal need to get in touch with the airline, noting that decisions on how to handle these requests will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Elsewhere, Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it respects customers’ decision to continue wearing masks onboard flights.

The flight carrier stated that it would “work with guests on a case-by-case basis if they’re not comfortable flying,” according to Simple Flying, while Southwest Airlines will continue to allow all passengers to cancel tickets and receive flight credit instead.

The moves by airlines come after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled on April 18 that the CDC had failed to justify its decision to impose the mandate and had exceeded its authority.

It also, inappropriately, didn’t seek public comment before imposing the order, Mizelle said, noting that public comment, in this case, is necessary because the mandate would “constrain their choices and actions via threats and civil and criminal penalties.”

The Justice Department announced on April 20 that it’s appealing the ruling.

Elsewhere during Kirby’s interview with “TODAY,” the United CEO pointed to HEPA filters onboard flights that remove around 99.97 percent of particles in the air, noting that a plane is “literally one of the safest places you can be.”

He said he believes mask mandates on flights will be unlikely to come back anytime soon, saying that the Justice Department’s appeal “is mostly about jurisdiction.”