Airlines’ no-mask blacklists

This item appears on page 22 of the February 2021 issue.

US airlines have blacklisted hundreds of flyers for not following mask rules on board flights. According to the airlines, they are not sharing passenger information with each other, so a passenger blacklisted from one airline may still be able to fly on another one, provided the traveler follows the rules on wearing masks.

There are no federal guidelines for wearing masks, so anyone who refuses to wear a mask is not at risk of a fine or arrest, but airlines are within their rights to create and enforce their own rules, which may include removing passengers from a flight and blacklisting them.