- Joined
- Jul 7, 2010
- Messages
- 10,180
I've flown several times since the pandemic started, and have never been told or seen anyone else eating or drinking be told to do that. You can keep your mask completely off until done eating or drinking, according to airline and CDC rules.
From the CDC website:
While in indoor areas of conveyances or while indoors at transportation hubs, people are not required to wear a mask under the following circumstances:
- while eating, drinking, or taking medication for brief periods of time;
Obviously, you aren't supposed to nurse your beverage throughout the whole flight, but there is nothing at all indicating that you should just lower your mask to stick the food in or sip from your drink, then chew & swallow with it back on. That level of hypervigilance is not required at all.
We flew last month on Delta and during their speech before take off they told us to do exactly this - only have the mask off while you take a bite and put it on between bites. All four legs of our flights. Alaska in October said you could have it off while eating or drinking but must put them back on as soon as you were done. My MIL said Southwest told her the same as Delta and, she claims, were very mean about it.