Video footage showing conditions on a “packed” American Airlines flight has been circulated on social media, after passenger Krissy Maloney posted the clip online.
The Connecticut woman blasted the airline over reportedly failing to comply with social distancing guidelines, claiming that “every single seat on this plane was filled”.
Maloney also claimed that, contrary to current airline policy, this included the A321’s middle seats. While AA’s website does not guarantee that middle seats are to be left empty, the airline does state that:
“We’re making more standard seats available on the seat map and restricting access to some seats, when possible, to give you more space.”
Hey @AmericanAir— how are you LEGALLY allowed to do this? Every single seat is filled. This flight is leaving from NYC… There were no precautions taken and everyone is on top of each other with no mask. You should be ashamed of yourself. pic.twitter.com/c8cOGsdB2d
— Megimmaculate (@megimmaculate) May 5, 2020
“While I understand the need to make the flight worth the cost, I just don’t understand how the airline gets away with this,” said Maloney. “While a restaurant owner is charged with a misdemeanour for serving a single person at a bar, or drones can monitor us and our distance from each other and the airline just lies that they are taking precautions.”
Maloney also took issue with the number of passengers not adhering to AA’s mask policy. While the airline “strongly encourages” all passengers to wear protective face masks during check-in, boarding and flight, Maloney said that many were wearing them ineffectively.
“Everyone was wearing a mask, though many had them under their chin with mouth and nose exposed or it just covered their mouth and there (sic) nose was completely open,” she wrote.
“No one said anything to anyone about distancing or even to pull your mask from under your chin,” said Maloney, who flew to South Carolina to be with her pregnant daughter Meg, the Daily Mail reported.
Doug Green
says:Aer Lingus have done the same on an Airbus from Belfast to London. Again, publicised by social media video and the national tv news. I know there’s no compelling evidence for passing the virus on airliners but rules are rules.