7 communications lessons from air travel mask rules

I’ve traveled on commercial airlines seven of the last eight weeks. I’ve been in large-market airports and smaller markets with regional service. And what I have noticed about that time are seven lessons that any communicator can put into practice when trying to get information across to critical audiences.

Federal guidelines now require masking in all aspects of commercial air travel, and these policies must be communicated to stakeholders across the spectrum, from early mask adopters to those less likely to believe in masks’ efficacy and reluctantly mask up to fly.

And while universal mask rules have been incredibly hard to enforce and have become politicized across the nation, the vast majority of those traveling by air are complying.

While communicating information to disparate groups like this can be fraught with challenge, these seven strategies, applied with uniformity across the country, have helped ensure understanding and compliance.

1. Message consistency. The message, across multiple platforms, was always the same. “Federal aviation law requires the use of masks…” No extras, no complexity—just one simple directive.