Was this unreasonable?

[slpin27]

Okay. Today I was on a plane to Ireland from the UK, where masks aren’t mandated. So, I got on, settled on and I didn’t have my mask. I got told that I need to put my mask on, I said sorry, I don’t have one. Any spares? They said they didn’t have any, so I left it and a couple of minutes later the attendant came over and told me that I need to wear my mask otherwise they’ll kick me off. I was extremely confused, explained I was happy to wear a mask but they’re not mandated and had no way of knowing I had to bring one, and there are no spares provided. So, I went around asking half of the plane for a mask, eventually got one. But I ended up arguing anyway. Conversation as follows.
Me: if you’re going to kick people off for not wearing masks, surely you should provide spares?
1: I wasn’t going to kick you off.
Me: The other one threaten to.
1: And she had every right to. You were refusing to wear a mask!
me: I had no access to one?
so. Was I unreasonable?

Why is preventing the spread of covid insane?

Pretending it's all over is insane. Daft, plain daft.

What if the email had a flight change on it? It is peoples own responsibility to check emails from airlines and to bring everything required if you want to fly surely?

When we flew to Berlin recently we had missed an email stating it was mandatory to wear an FFP2 mask. Surgical masks not accepted. There was a vending machine at the airport and they were £5 each so am expensive mistake!

Airline rules should have been clearly communicated to you, yanbu

Why should they?
Your responsibility to know the expectations and rules for flight. The same as you have to know what you can put in your luggage.
Not their responsibility to offer you the option to buy or be given one.
Not having a mask 2.5 years in is totally on you. And actually I think that you should have been removed at the point that you went around inconveniencing half the flight passengers.

Why is your failure to be prepared their fault? Maybe they didn’t have any either, but it’s pretty standard on aircraft at the moment, and you should have read the carrier requirements and carry a spare, just in case your string broke. You’re lucky not to have been thrown off for arguing with the cabin crew frankly.

Actually maybe not bringing a mask is the new expecting a seat of your choice without having to pay for it.

I can see not having the right sort of mask, but not having a mask at all - nah - that's on the traveller.

No you weren't being unreasonable but everyone knows how strict airlines can be with rules. There's no leeway with them, your responsibility was to make sure you at least had a mask to use if required.

Oh bore off that’s not the same thing and you know it . If they want you to wear a mask they should provide them imo . The op isn’t refusing she just didn’t have one .

What is insane is thinking that little mask will stop the spread of covid . Pissing in the wind comes to mind .

Maybe read the research, no wonder you got it wrong first time. Ignorance is no excuse.

If masks are mandatory it wouldn’t kill them to have a sign at check in or security actually telling you that…it’s all very well saying it tells you in an email or whatever but honestly nearly everywhere I go now claims that you need a mask and when you get there nobody is wearing one, so if it’s actually mandatory I think they need to make that super clear.

Or people could just use their common sense and bring one with them just in case. I can't be the only one with masks spilling out of every nook and cranny. Honestly I do feel sorry for the airlines sometimes, they probably do spell it out on an email somewhere - Ryanair may have their faults but for luggage size they are very clear and send at least one email stating exactly the size of your allowance, so I'd be surprised if they don't tell you regarding masks.

Well, for everything that people could/should do, people will forget or not know, because people are human. Passengers do forget their passport, but that doesn’t impact the flight because it just goes without them. When there’s something like this that’s easy to forget and also SUPER EASY to fix - supply masks even for a few- it’s nuts that they don’t do it. All that time and aggro for something that could have been solved in 30 seconds. Getting all superior and “well I would never do that” doesn’t change the cast-iron fact that people WILL screw up sometimes. Everyone does. The thing is to make the system work even when those screw ups happen.

masks do nothing but starve you of oxygen

only if you're daft enough to make one out of a plastic bag.

it's amusing to imagine a mask that is simultaneously too flimsy to stop the virus yet too substantial to let oxygen through.

I also think you’re being unreasonable, masks have been a way of life for a couple of years now, everyone should have loads, and before flying you should check the requirements. I don’t believe airlines should act like a nanny. We are all grown up and personal responsibility is a thing.

Who gets on a plane in 2022 and then moans on at the airline?

YABU.

Seemingly, the air staff were also a bit dicky but it doesn't change the fact that it's gross negligence, some might argue stupidity, to get on a plane without a mask at the moment.

Remember for next time, move on. Not every interaction needs dissecting and examining. It doesn't matter if people feel being booted from a flight is unacceptable, take your mask and don't risk it.

so they should have let you on if you forgot your booking pass/passport, if it's "so easy to forget/lose something" that is essential (according to the airline) for travelling?

I was initially thinking YANBU but given that they had emailed you confirming you'd need a mask, presumably made this clear when you originally booked (ryanair make it very clear on their website www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/healthy-flying) and everyone else on the plane had managed to bring one (and some clearly had spares) then YABU. Yes it would have been helpful if they had spare masks but as PPs have said there are a lot of other things it would be 'helpful' for them to provide but at the end of the day its not their responsibility, it's yours.

They were. OP couldn't be arsed to read the email they sent to her, or the website where its made clear.

I'd have been more surprised that you wouldn't need one at some point in your trip than by needing one. Also hell of an entitled to expect to be given one if you hadn't bothered to bring what you were told to bring.

I'd also be very surprised that the vending machines in departures didn't have them next to the over priced bottles of water.
Some airports are very happy to sell you a compliant clear plastic bag for your liquids at security so I doubt they are going to miss the trick of selling you a mask.

YABU. You need to check everything now regarding travel - we've travelled twice this year and the airline has specified FFP2 masks. No longer required in the airport though just on the plane. With so many changes taking place it makes sense to read up on everything to do with individual country requirements and passport renewal dates as well. Try and make your journey as easy as possible by reading all info available so you can try and not get caught out.

Sorry op but I think ywbu.

I tend to keep a few in my handbag even though I hardly ever wear one. The other day my dm had a fall and I had to take her to A&E where masks are still required. Fortunately I had one for each of us so we weren’t refused entry.

I do think that it would be good customer service for the airline to provide spares though, either for sale or free of charge. But let’s be honest, Ryanair aren’t always too hot on that score so perhaps best to travel prepared.

Everyone else managed to bring one, and not only did the poor airline staff manage to magic one up from another passenger, OP then still had a set to with them.

Write a letter to Ryanair if you feel strongly about it, but honestly you were lucky not to be kicked off the flight, not for not having a mask, but for being arsey rather than apologetic about it.

I’m not sure why it’s mandatory on some forms of transport and not others, it’s no longer enforceable on trains, buses, the tube but sit on a plane and suddenly it’s Covid central.

Airlines should have masks on board imo, or make it clear you need to wear one at the boarding desk and have a spare box there, not allowing you through unless you’re wearing a mask.

No point seating everyone and then pointing it out just before take off!

And surely the staff have spare masks for themselves on a flight!