State senator says Alaska Airline 'monopoly' should be 'reviewed' after it bans her for not masking up, forcing her to take ferry

Alaska State Senator Lora Reinbold was forced to take a huge ferry and road journey to the state's capital city, Juneau, after Alaska Airlines banned her from flying for refusing to wear a mask.

Alaska Airlines announced on Saturday that it had banned Reinbold for refusing to adhere to its Covid-19 pandemic mask policy.

“We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy,” said a spokesman for the company, noting that United States law “requires all guests to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times during travel, including throughout the flight, during boarding and deplaning.”

Following the ban, Reinbold, who has frequently criticized mask requirements, revealed on Sunday that she had been forced to take a sizeable ferry and road journey to Juneau instead, where state senators are required to vote in person on the Senate floor.

Claiming to have “a new appreciation for the marine ferry system,” Reinbold wrote in her post that the “monopoly in air transport to Juneau” needs to be “reviewed.” The state senator also posted a selection of scenic photos from her ferry ride, including one from the ship's deck where she could be seen without a mask.

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According to Anchorage Daily News, “To reach a port serviced by a ferry to Juneau on Sunday, [Reinbold] would've had to drive hundreds of miles from Eagle River to either Skagway or Haines, which also would require going through part of Canada.”

Many social media users mocked Reinbold and thanked the airline for banning her.

@AlaskaAir Thank You for protecting us. You can also read that as U.S., if you prefer.

— DeirdreAConnolly (@DeirdreChicago) April 25, 2021

Great Job & Thank you @AlaskaAir you’re simply the best!????????

— Mia Belanger (@MiaBelanger29) April 25, 2021

Thank you @AlaskaAir for putting your passengers and employees first.
Also, could you please make the ban permanent?

— Phlox (@nronharris) April 26, 2021

“Given how Alaska works, this is a bit like being banned from cars,” observed one user, while others suggested Reinbold take a husky sled to Juneau.

Supporters of the senator, however, vowed to never fly on Alaska Airlines again and questioned why President Joe Biden's Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry wasn't banned from American Airlines after he was photographed without a mask on a flight in March.

How long Reinbold's Alaska Airlines ban will last is currently unknown.

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