An Alaska Airlines pilot is under fire today after mask-shaming passengers on board his flight.
Travel
You may recall that Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle — a Donald Trump appointee — recently and abruptly ended the mask mandate on airplanes. Many pilots, whose political beliefs lean toward the GOP notion that masks are useless and COVID is a joke, cheered the judge’s ruling and ended mask mandates mid-flight. Some pilots even gave away free champagne and encouraged or insisted that passengers remove their masks.
However, one Alaska Airlines pilot took things a step too far.
According to Jonathan Evans, a recent passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight from Orlando to Seattle, his pilot created “an anti-mask party from the start” and made life uncomfortable for those who put safety ahead of politics.
In a Twitter tirade, Evans wrote: “I had never been shamed for wearing a mask until my @AlaskaAir Orlando-Seattle flight today. The pilot created an anti-mask party from the start, which encouraged the non-mask wearers to chide the mask-wearers. The most uncomfortable experience for me and my family. Really sucked.”
Evans explained that those who willingly removed their masks were cheered and rewarded with champagne. However, those who chose to remain safe and keep their masks on were made fun of and treated like freaks.
“This was a bad experience for my family, and I feel it is important to tell the story,” Evans added.
Another passenger on the same flight also shared their experience.
“I was on that flight,” the additional passenger said. “As we were taking off and for the whole 6 hour flight the pilot was walking up and down the aisle ridiculing each passenger that was wearing a mask. He then asked a kid join (sic) him on the flight deck to help land the plane as a reward for not wearing a mask,” the passenger added.
Evans’ tweets attracted a lot of attention, with one user asking “Hey @AlaskaAir so if my friend with cancer was on that flight and she caught covid and died as a result of this willful gross negligence, should the lawsuit be directed to you, the cabin crew, or all of the above?” Another user tweeted, “So an @AlaskaAir pilot and crew were complicit and supportive in harassment against a guest? This sounds like a real big problem. I’d rather have an expanded pilot shortage than deal with that sh*t.”
Adding @AlaskaAir to the list of airlines I won’t be flying anytime soon. Actions like that demonstrate contempt for the needs of the immunocompromised and those with children under five.
— Erika With a K 🌻 (@badbuddhist01) April 21, 2022
The pilot’s behavior attracted so much attention that Alaska Airlines reached out to Evans directly.
“We are sorry for the experience you had onboard our flight yesterday. We have started an investigation to look into this situation,” the airlines said.
Interestingly, Evans was also told that Alaska Airlines would not make him aware of their findings in the investigation or what punishment (if any) is eventually given to the pilot.
The entire event in the skies was proof positive that even pilots can be political assholes.
OK WASSUP! covers Travel News:
Alaska Airlines pilot ridicules mask wearers.
[Interestingly, Evans was also told that Alaska Airlines would not make him aware of their findings in the investigation or what punishment (if any) is eventually given to the pilot.
The entire event in the skies was proof positive that even pilots can be political assholes.] – DJ
I agree that one of the reasons for all of this madness is people playing politics. However, I’ve gone on record before and expressed my belief that it’s first and foremost rooted in FEAR and ignorance with FEAR being the #1 reason.