It’s chinas fault for wearing the mask until now. Koreans started wearing a mask before Covid bc of chinas pollution. Now Covid started it up everyone one is now wearing it.
Me personally, I'm done with masks. It's September 2022 already. No more masks. However, in some Asian cities, mask use has been going on well before the pandemic. I'm sure the population density us one reason masks are so common. Add lingering Covid fears and itvis what it is. The main reason though is the dust. The dust can be fairly invisible since it's so fine, but it's certainly in the air
Masks have always been very popular in Asian countries. Specifically Korean and Japanese culture sees it as a politeness thing to protect others from getting sick, not just Covid but anything really. The use has just been a lot more since Covid.
Asian has been wearing mask well before COVID & other pandemics as Asian air isn’t the cleanest due smog, dust, disease, etc so everyone wears a mask to prevent that going into their lungs. I think the younger generation stopped wearing mask as the air is cleaner but returned due to COVID.
It was a sea change in Singapore with this pandemic as before that I rmb people thought that only those carrying contagious diseases do so. During the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, a taxi driver was interviewed by a local newspaper as having worn a mask out of caution against being infected, but in the end no one dared to ride his taxi
@@steveh7508 5 percent helpfull U have imunity my friend Putting mask all time it destroyes ur imunity system It dont help barely at all Only time help is when u cough for that part i suggest masks No cough no mask help st all People dont understant how human body works
You are bringing a very western thought process to this Josh. In many of the Asian counties, even before covid, people wore masks when they were sick to prevent spreading the illness. I don’t think that should be discouraged - you are viewing the mask as a restriction rather than as an enabler.
I totally agree with you, masks should be seen as something that helps other people not to get sick from any sort of infection, and in these east Asian countries people understand that the use of wearing masks will not only protect them at all times but protect the people from their communities, their country and will especially protect the elderly and children, who are vulnerable to many diseases in our world.
@@portegobelet no it's very interesting to hear my audience point of view and what the general standpoint is on this matter. Don't overthink this topic. I'm a very harmonious person and I don't like dividing subjects at all.
There are 2 women from Asian countries (Thai and Japan) in my extremely rural Texas county married to white American men. Both women shared masks wearing was common at home and had zero problems wearing them back in 2020.
@Kavin Khanna I agree and I wish masks were used more in western countries too, at least on public transport and in winter to curb the spread of flu, not just covid.
Wearing mask was already very common in Korea even before the pandemic due to; dust/ pollen, if you feel sick, some even as fashion. So when pandemic started, wearing mask was no issues at all. Also I believe it was a big lesson learned for koreans when things were looking like going back to norm a year ago and hit by 2nd wave really bad.
So what you are saying is that masks were normal before and during COVID. So as you say "second wave was really bad" then masks did Fu&K all to stop it.
As so many others have stated so eloquently here, in many parts of Asia mask wearing is either required or preferred. I was in SIN and BKK in June and mask wearing was predominate in both cities. If you choose to travel, respect the local customs.
Many still wear masks in Singapore. It’s their choice. Doesn’t matter. There’s no mandate anymore except in public transport. Elsewhere. There’s no need.
@@pyoodiepie like the custom to not wear masks in public during flu season? There was no need for a mask mandate before Corona, but wearing masks definitely was useful even then.
Korea has been tackling dust for quite a few years. Those from local traffic and factories, and a significant contribution from China by way of dust from coal burning households and factories, as well as dust storms from the Gobi Desert carried by the winds. So much so that we measure by its size, fine dust and ultra fine dust. Hence, the people have become somewhat used to wearing masks. Dusts can be particularly bad during winters
I mean where I live wildfire season is a thing and smoke from it is super dangerous so much so schools and businesses have to close due to it. So mask are a necessity to the point where double to triple up mask on top each other just to be able to breathe normally without choking on the smoke
Fun fact: Chinese never admits this fact. It's funny once they stopped operating factories beginning of the pandemic, Korea's air quality became remarkably better for those periods.
4:30 - What is "normal" is subject to local societal norms. I have seen Korean tourists wearing masks outdoors years before Covid pandemic. I think they simply consider it a nice thing to protect their fellows from whatever airborne infection they might harbor, even a mild common cold. As for usefulness of masks, it is not a matter opinion, but facts: they protect very mildly the wearer from airborne infections in places like public transport, lowering the probability of infection by perhaps 30% at most. But they cut the transmission _from_ the wearer by a factor of five or more. They certainly _don't_ lower the wearer's blood oxygenation level, or some such nonsense promoted by many charlatans. Many people, though, do find them uncomfortable, and I find my eyeglasses fog up much more when I wear a mask.
I think SARS played a major role in Asia as to why the population is so used to wearing mask (at least for Hong Kong). But also in everyday life you wear a mask when you're sick + South Korea also gets hit by sandstorms. Breathing that air in without a mask is a health hazard.
SARS didn't affect South Korea at all. In contrast to those Chinese people who had gone through tough SARS epidemic, we Koreans didn't take SARS serious because there wasn't a single SARS-infected patient in Korea. We didn't wear masks during those SARS epidemic.
Korea and Japan in particular, along with a few other east asian nations were big into masks well before covid. It's a cultural thing and part of social norms.
@@shirleyvalentine2794 In Korea you have dust coming from China and really bad air to a point where you cannot see the sun on a sunny day. Wearing a mask is mandatory, you do not want to inhale that air and you feel it itching in your throat when you inhale and not wear a mask. Additionally Koreans also wear masks to cover their face when they just want to go outside shortly and did not put make up on.
In Korea, it's not only about using a mask for covid protection, but it helps with the fine dust problem they have at certain times of the year. And as for the covid aspect, I have a friend who is fully vaxxed and boosted and yet she went to Germany where no one is wearing a mask and that's when she got covid. She was in Korea where everyone wears a mask and she was fine. Remember, the virus is mutating and we don't have a vax or booster for the newest variant yet (hopefully it will come out this fall). Wearing a mask in Korea is not about protecting yourself only... it's about also protecting others so everyone can live well.
You do realise what you are getting injected with is not a vaccine.If it were you wouldn’t need more than one.But you want to play Russian roulette with your health carry on.
@@cherylschaeffer7832 people who are vaccinated or have gotten COVID don’t wear any mask being together would produce that immunity to fight any “new waves,” whereas in moronic countries like Korea and Japan and Taiwan. If you isolate yourself from bacteria and viruses, you don’t have immunity to fight them when you get off your mask. First, although people are forced to wear a mask, still lots of people get it anyways, making it useless. Second, COVID is getting more and more smooth, the fatality rate drops below seasonal flus. Third, unless you are going to wear that stupid mask for the rest of your life while sanitizing everything you are surrounding with, wearing a mask is unnecessary.
Hey Josh! Big fan of your videos! I think everyone on the section already commented on it but yeah! Masks are actually quite normal in parts of the Asia Pacific, South Korea being one of them, even before the pandemic many willingly choose to wear a mask!
some countries mandate their citizens to still wear masks and there is a standing law like in my country, always love your videos Josh!! greetings and cheers from the Philippines!!
@@shirleyvalentine2794 1. It's virtue signalling. Not virtual 2. As others have pointed out here, wearing mask has been around Korea and Japan way before covid. The Japanese use mask as a way to prevent virus from spreading if they have cough or colds. It's more of a concern for the welfare for others and totally different from what youre thinking.
Hey Josh!. Great vid as always - Just like to comment on your observations re: mask usage by the Korean people. I lived in Seoul in the mid-end 80s' and mask wearing was a thing then too. If you have a cold, flu, just don't feel great etc, it is considered common sense to cover up to avoid spreading germs, and a courtesy to your fellow citizens that you bear their safety in mind, while not giving them the inconvenience of "your" illness. Additionally, Koreans are extremely industrious and very hard working people - a sick person means loss of productivity - be it in a shop or on the factory floor. Lastly, Most Koreans think of the group as being more important than the individual - "we" vs "me" so what is better for the group as a whole is generally preferred. - So I best think it can also be summarized a a "cultural" thing. Cheers to travel, Marc
Masks are not restrictions in Korea. It’s about being part of a society, about living in a densely populated city. It’s about not spreading germs if you cough. This was all in place before Covid. Very common to wear masks, especially buses and subways. When you enter any culture outside of your own, there will be differences. It is always good to be respectful of these differences and try to observe them as if you lived there.
Also, some bloke making a travel vlogging channel and then flaunting local health regulations is a really good way for the vlogger to look like a fool and lose potential viewers.
The wearing of a mask is NOT NORMAL. Humans did not evolve to have their faces covered by cloth. I’m in Southeast Asia right now and it’s appalling to me how eager some Asians can be to conform to cultural norms, no matter how foolish. Here in Bangkok, about 99% of the Thais are STILL wearing masks, while about 99% of foreigners are not. My guess is: it’s less about the efficacy of the mask than it is about conforming.
Hey Josh, even visiting Germany there are things that I found culturally unusual there. In many Asian countries, mask wearing isn’t seen as restrictive or fearful, but not wearing a mask or breaking social norms may be seen as a sign of disrespect (which perhaps they’ll give some leeway since you are a foreigner). Of course, if you’re stirring the pot just to get engagement on the video, your ploy worked! Thanks for the good content.
Wearing face masks on some Asian countries (like South Korea, Hong Kong/China) were pretty common prior to the pandemic. It's a cultural thing for them not only to protect themselves from sickness, but to also protect others from getting sick (at least that's what was told to me when I visited HK before the pandemic and I sneezed on the MTR without a face mask). Love your vids man! Cheers from the Philippines!
Definitely a cultural thing, Asians care about the community, Westerners care about themselves. Asians sacrifice their own discomfort for the benefits of others. Westerners care about their own comfort not really thinking about anyone else. I just came back from Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. 90% of the locals wear mask both indoors and outdoors, but rarely any foreigners, especially the White ones, it's rare to see them wearing mask.
Which is why I wish I was not in these Asian countries but in a country where they don’t give shit to the safety of their people, like the UK. (I mean no offence).
Westerners are generally against masking versus those of the east are more cautious, more willing to take the health of those who can't get vaccinated or are immuno compromised or elderly as part of respect. COVID is still very much prevalent but Western countries seem to have decided to disregard it.
Only generalised comment I see is the one I just read… not from Josh… you understand people that are using masks are not even using the proper mask thus not even blocking the Covid virus… so unless everyone is wearing the proper mask then okay I get it… since they’re not, non n95 masks are worthless unless it’s for other issues non Covid related.
Bit disappointed it’s not hybrid power. That would have really impressed me! On the mask front you have to remember that it’s part of the culture there pre-Covid. I taught English there my summer between college and law school a decade ago and two things were apparent: the women constantly using umbrellas and sun visors when outside and a fair bit of mask use by pedestrians. It’s not a huge leap given masks were already a cultural feature and of course how efficacious they were at start of pandemic.
ICN is a fantastic airport. 20 years on, terminal 1 is beginning to show its age, but the newer terminal 2 is terrific. Great bus and light rail connections too.
WOW! What a wonderful review, Josh! I've never looked forward to a TH-cam video as much as this Air Premia review. Thank you for a great video. I'm so happy to know that you enjoyed the flight with Korea's latest airline. The 35 inches of seat pitch is so amazing. Hope I can fly with them to LAX soon! BTW, It was great to meet you in Seoul this time. Hope to see you again soon. :)
On the musk issue, I think each country has been affected differently by the pandemic and how each country react to it will be different. Whenever I travel I always try to understand the reasons of that particular country and follow their rules. Yes it’s frustrating at times. Some countries might have taken just a year to recover while others might take longer.
Hi Josh, love your videos, have been flying for over 50 years, so as the aviation industry has grown, so have I. Masks ... my sister and I have travelled a lot in Asia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and have noticed that mask wearing (pre Covid) was the rule rather than the exception. In Australia some people do wear masks, e.g. to the Supermarket, it is required on trains, planes, all public transport as we still have a lot of Covid around. At 74 and about to start travelling again, I will happily wear a mask, people can always tell when you are smiling by looking at your eyes, the mask does not prevent you saying, preferably in the language of the country you are visiting, Good morning, good afternoon, thank you etc. As a community I believe we have a responsibility to protect ourselves which will then also protect the people around us. May we all travel safely and peacefully. Beth
@@arkamukhopadhyay9111 I am sorry you feel this way, I have family members that have had Covid (so far I have not), one sister has had it twice, I am happy to do whatever I can to protect my community, and I am certainly not holier than thou, or pompous, just simply want to protect the community I live in and love. Please stay safe, stay well.
@@bethbenbow8108 your comment is the epitome of being holier than thou. Thing is, no matter how many masks you pile on, or how many boosters you take, you are still going to get COVID. Nothing surprising there. Your prerogative, of course. But the preaching is something others can do without.
As a Chinese, long before the pandemic, my parents would tell me to put on a mask before going on a long-haul flight such as those between China and the US. The reasoning is that this provides more moist to my mouth, making it more comfortable to sleep on the plane. I absolutely hated wearing masks, so I didn't do it. But, as far as I can observe, wearing masks in public (even without diseases) is not rare whatsoever in China (or, perhaps, any other Asian countries).
Masks have been used in Japan, Korea, HK long before the pandemic begun. It is considered politeness to protect others if theres a chance you might be starting colds/flu. Also in some cities in China, Philippines, Vietnam, etc. masks are used to protect against air polution. As someone with asthma, I have been wearing mask (mostly on high polution days) since I was in Grade school.
It's not really an obsession, it's a social norm and a sign of respect towards other people. The Asian culture is built on trust and respect for others and wearing of masks is just one way for us saying that we care about other people. Personally, I am not comfortable wearing a mask, but if it makes other people comfortable when I talk to them or when I approach them, then I do not see it as a hindrance. Also, remember that not all bodies react the same when vaccinated. Some, even if completely vaccinated, can still contract the virus and can affect the health extremely. Although vaccines are prevalent already, we still value caution and prevention. two cents
I think that it's easy to forget that the pandemic isn't over and although we have vaccines and other things it's still a good idea to protect ourselves from contracting COVID as much as possible. If the pandemic was over and COVID still wasn't as much of a threat I'd agree but I think it's still around and people are still dying, we just don't care as much any more.
Hey Josh, in USA all of my friends have gotten all the vaccines(incl. boosters) but many of them got sick seriously. It does not matter whether we have vaccine we still get sick if you are around too many people, too many times. Yes, with vaccine we do not get as sick as those who did not get but with mask we protect ourselves extra.
I believe countries citizens from South Korea China Japan etc decided to wear masks in public even pre pandemic due to construction dust and particles. Also if someone contracts a cold, they would wear a mask to protect others from catching it.
People in Asia pacific used to wear mask even before a pandemic. I grew up in Thailand so I know for them it's a normal thing to do. They wear to protect others . They are considered unlike European countries .
Thank You for choosing Air Premia as your preferred choice! It makes me proud to be part of the airline after switching from Emirates over 10years. On behalf of Air Premia , thank you and hope to see you on board in near future! Xx
Hello, I have a question. I'm, flying from Newark, USA to China this summer. I have a layover in Seoul for about 6 hours. I don't have a US passport. I have a Chinese passport. Do I need to apply for a visa to get on the flight from Newark to Seoul? Thanks, any input helps!
I’m a Korean American living in Korea right now. I think it’s kind of wrong to say that people are “obsessed” with masks. It comes off kind of offensive. Masks in Korea have been around before Covid for other reasons. I think as a person who travels the world, you should respect how things are in different countries. I’ve been wearing mine since Covid and have never gotten even a cold and I always used to get that so it does help. I think this should be the least of your worries about a country you’re visiting.
It is insane that such a flight has so much legroom and the hybrid constellation is also cool. Hopefully the Airlaine will soon have a connection to Germany or nearby. Singapore Airport is of course everyone's favorite airport, but Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is underrated. I've been there before and the architecture is too nice. Also, most people there are very friendly and not as fucked up as in Germany (that's what I've heard, of course it can be different for everyone). Mach weiter so Josh mit den Videos, zu wyld!
I still think it is necessary to wear masks, especially in busy areas. We're currently living with the most transmissible variant of covid so far, and catching it whilst away on holiday is a huge inconvenience (sadly speaking from own experience) and can be very costly! Stay safe everyone!
It's not just South Korea. Japan and Thailand too. Everyone wears a mask everywhere, everyday, all day. It it will probably be that way for a long long time.
Mask wearing has already been a thing in Korea and Japan even before the pandemic. It even reached a point that it became a status symbol or a fashion statement.
Masks at the time this video was published are REQUIRED BY LAW to be worn in public. Just cuz you don't like masks doesn't mean you can just go around breaking the law in Korea
Thanks for this great review of Asia’s newest airline. I’d give them a try. Re masks, being Australian & finding mask wearing compulsory it’s second nature. Personally I don’t have a problem wearing a mask, Covid is part of our life now & many countries have dropped mandatory tests pre arrival so I just accept it as part of travel now. Favourite airport is still Singapore, the services, things to do there while waiting sometimes many hours for a connecting flight, is never boring.. Safe travels Josh, love following your adventures..
So you are happy to wear a mask for the rest of your life, or just start to think of it as another flu as it is? In Norway there has never been a mask mandate.
@@Andre1980stavanger While the pandemic is on I’m happy to wear a mask if it helps in some way me not getting it. Of course I prefer not to have to wear it.. In Melbourne there is still a mandate to wear on public transport, planes. A person with a weakened immune system has more chance of getting the virus so we all do what we choose to get through this pandemic.
@@clay9185 Actually, everyone still can get infected and get impacted by long covid. It is wiser to wear masks, also in regard of Omicron. I only travel with masks since 2020, since 2021 by air again and never had covid. Also the mask helps against pollen and dust.
I just wanted to correct 2 points in the video. 1. Koreans are not obsessed with mask, they are simply very disciplined. 2. The air Premia airplane has been operating more than a year ago and not for a week only. I took the same airplane in a domestic flight between Seoul to Jeju. Except that, nice video👏
Masks have been a 'part of everyday life' in that region for as long as I remember, possibly dating back to the late 80's when my Army unit was sent there for temporary duty exercises..Just as natural for them to wear masks as it is for them to take their umbrella with them on a cloudy day..
It’s not just South Korea where masks are worn in public. I’m 42 years old and I can still remember watching educational videos in geography class and seeing people living in China, Hong Kong, Japan and most densely populated East Asian area wearing masks. At first I thought it was because of the smog. However, both our geography and biology teachers explained to us about how quickly and easily viruses spread in densely populated areas. The air pollution was one factor but learning about the different variations of avian flu, h1n1 and other coronaviruses, it’s understandable why the population wears masks. As it was an everyday thing to do before covid19.
Changi is my #1 Choice Followed by Inchon #2 Changi has far more facilities for travellers, it doesn't feel like a an airport. Inchon is so clean and organised it sometimes feels to sterile
I live in Korea right now and have through the entire pandemic and thought I could give some input, currently Masks are still mandated indoors in the country, outside there is no mask mandate unless it’s at an event with more than 50people. I don’t think masks are the most effective thing anymore and don’t understand why the mandate is in wfffect but really not much we can do. Koreas response at the beginning of the pandemic was great! But now it feels like fear mongering and caution has become a little extreme. Anyways great video.
pre-pandemic and pre-national security law, hongkong international was always my favorite. as for mask wearing, korea, japan and hongkong has always had a mask wearing culture, even before the pandemic and especially during cold weather, one would expect people to be wearing surgical mask on the streets. with the face mask, it prevents the face from freezing. from what i understand if im not wrong, in japan they do it as a preventive measure as not to spread diseases during flu season. for the japanese, they wear the mask not because they dont want to be infected by the flu virus, but in case they are infected, it prevents the spread of the disease.
Korean here! I feel like there are many reasons about wearing masks #1 You still have to wear masks inside because it's mandatory&korea is having a huge number of new cases rn We don't have to wear it outside but still in the inside(like singapore!) #2 I am prettier when I wear masks Idk why but I feel more confident cuz i look better with the masks(yeah catfish🤷🏻♀️) lol. My fellow friends wear masks even in the outside because of this reason #3 Wearing masks was normal before COVID Thanks to our kind neighbor China, we were so done with dusts and all the air pollution coming from there(and some from korea). That's why we wore masks before the pandemic. I think pandemic boosted this culture but yeah, we don't want to suffer from covid and lung cancer. Btw the seat looks like KLM's economy seat😃
Hi, Josh, my first ever message to you, I agree, a fantastic airport. I was there in July flying from the UK to see family. I have been flying this route twice year for 11years now, I still get a wow factor every time I pass through the airport on my way to Jeju. Ps, Have you ever flown to Jeju, the busiest air route in the world so I am informed. A beautiful Island.
It's part of Korean culture to wear masks because they had to deal with MERS and other things. It's not a political thing. It's just part of culture. Much more crowded country than others, as well. It's not just about protecting against COVID, it's just part of the culture to be careful about health, including general cold and flu.
On the mask thing I still wear one when in crowded spaces for example the security line at the airport or during boarding as well as on board depending how full the flight is. When I'm just sitting around the terminal though and there's no one within a couple of meters of me then I take it off. I recently flew to Vienna with Austrian and found that about %35 of passengers had their mask on. Most of the cabin crew had a mask and took it off when doing their service. I also chatted with the pilots pre departure and they both had their mask on.
@@noahditz1889 Depends when in july. All of june and the first 3/4 of july were complete chaos here. I flew out in the end of july and got past security in 20 minutes.
My favourite airport- and it’s a strange one - is Southend. I tend to stay within Europe & the fact it’s so small means it is REALLY easy to navigate. Quick to check in/security etc and when you get home it’s literally 30 minutes from getting off the aircraft to reaching your car. Lovely and takes the stress out of flying
I always used a mask in certain countries in Asia even before covid. There were severe dust warnings all the time when I lived in Bangkok, so it helped to wear them.
Hi Josh from NZ. I work with vulnerable elderly people in a home. Because of this I wear a mask everywhere when I go out of the house. This is my choice.
Being Korean myself, I can attest to the fact that at least half, if not majority, of Koreans share the same sentiment with you regarding the mask mandate, especially the younger generations. It’s just the government policy prevailing against the opinion popular across their own citizens.
My favourite Airport is Singapore Changi Airport. So much great stuff to do, many shopping opportunities, many gardens, free Movie Theatre, Carpet Floor which makes it a lot quieter. Its clean and its convenient to get from one terminal to another.
Same situation in Japan regarding everyone wearing face masks. Both countries have had a long tradition of wearing for colds and flu long before COVID. Although the Japanese Govt announced masks were not required outside if there was social distance, people mostly wear them. Japanese people hesitate to do something different from everyone else for fear they will be singled out, so they keep wearing. Japan apparently has one of the highest rates of COVID infections per population in the world at the moment so it is questionable how effective masks are in reducing infections. I'll be travelling Singapore Airlines Bus.class Osaka via Changi to NZ next month, looking forward to enjoying SilverKris Lounge and some layover in Singapore city too. I was looking forward to returning on the A380 from Auckland but it was changed to a 777-300, guessing passenger numbers still not enough.
My Son moved from Scotland to South Korea to teach English for one year, that was 8 years ago, he has never come home. When I visited him 5 months later, I could not believe how many people were wearing face masks, even just walking about in the streets or on the subway, this was years before covid. Pollution in Seoul is extremally high, so glad they moved to Jeju--do, a small, island off the south coast.
I guess not all asian countries got the same vaccines as us here in Europe and that could be the reason. Also airlines follow public transport laws in destination country so if traveling to Spain or Portugal you should wear a mask. I have mixed feelings with the mask thing but respect that people still safer with it. Great video, interesting concept the hybrid plane.
We also have the usuals (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, Astra-Zeneca) and some Chinese vaccines (mostly administered at the beginning of the pandemic to people who absolutely need to be safe from covid). It's just a cultural thing for Asians to wear masks even before the pandemic happened. Source: I'm an Asian living in an Asian country.
Love the channel. In regards to masks, I am a dementia specialist nurse who witnessed many people suffer from Covid over the past few years. Vaccines are effective and immunity seems to be strong. However, masks, if people want to wear them, then wear them . If people don’t want to wear masks, don’t wear them. Thanks for the amazing channel 👍🏴🇬🇧
As far as South Korea and their mask mandate, I would make the argument that in that part of the world ( especially in China ), masks have been more of a daily part of life because of the pollution issues in Asia. I totally agree as far as the freedom from masks and as long as you are fully vaccinated, the requirements to wear one should be dropped. While Covid-19 has something to do with it, to them it’s more normal than it ever was anywhere else on the planet.
Thank you Josh for reviewing Air Premia! I was curious about Air Premia, and it wasn't until I found this video, that I found out Air Premia is a Korean airline. I'm definitely choosing Air Premia for future (nonstop) travels to Korea!
You’re so pleasant to listen and watch these airline experiences with. Your subjects are interesting and you’re super easy on the eyes. Appearance is important as the vids. No scruffy beard face for radio. Perfect.
Personally I still wear a mask if I'm out or around people I don't know but that's because I'm classed as extremely high risk and covid killed me! Thanks to our NHS I'm here but I've been told if I get it again I won't be so lucky. I think masks should be optional but we still need to be sensible.
If you are in Korea and flying with a Korean based carrier and they chose to enforce the mask wearing, you should respect that. Yes, there are vaccines for COVID-19, but people who are contracting COVID-19 now are the ones that are not wearing their masks.
My favourite airport was either Rio de Janeiro or FOZ do Iguazu in the south of brasil. The mask thing in Asian countries is a thing of respect for elderly and weaker people
For some reason, I seem to recall that, even pre-pandemic, there were some (Asian?) countries where mask-wearing was pretty normal. No clue whether is was mandated - but it seemed normal (for them). I could be completely wrong though! Me? I'm a Masker - by choice. Choice is the keyword 😉
I am 70 years old Singaporean and had 2 primary vaccine jabs and 2 booster jabs by end June this year. I very careful, sanitising my hands regularly but when authority permitted no mask in open area and public open environment I did not put on mask except indoor, I caught Covid mid July with mild symptoms. I recovered exactly on the 7th day. Therefore MASK should be worn if you don't feels it is A Safe Environment.
As an American Democrat, anytime I start hearing antimasking rhetoric about how you’re losing your freedoms, I just want to say, “Shut up!” Science, not soundbites.
out of all the airports ive been to, punta cana has to be my favourite in the dominican republic. the fact that its all open, with the thatched roof, and you can be sat eating food less than 50m away from an engine with no window ruining the view just makes it my favourite. plus you still get the holiday heat before you go home
In many countries in Asia even before the pandemic due to smog Masks were very common. So it may look like it is solely to do with the pandemic but that isn't the whole story.
Precovid, many Asian countries regularly wore masks. The concept is new to western countries. Yes they are primarily wearing it because of the pandemic but they are also used to it. Unlike many who dislike because they can’t breath, uncomfortable, etc or find a reason to hate it, Asian countries find it weird that people don’t wear it around the world pre-pandemic.
Before the pandemic, It’s normal to show up to school wearing a mask, it’s normal to walk outside wearing a mask, it’s normal take a subway/bus and wear a mask in many Asian countries (predominantly Korean, Japan, & China). It is normalized. No you weren’t seen as sick nor was everyone is trying to stay away from you. For example, I live in California and you would notice in places like Chinatown or Koreantown many middle-age and elderly wore masks (of course pre-pandemic). In short, different customs different practices. I have traveled to many east & SE Asian countries before the pandemic and never saw it as weird/restricting and vice-versus when I chose to wear it because of bad air pollution/quality.
Josh maybe respect that masks still work and the countries that dropped masks have some of the highest reported death rates directly from Covid-19. IE, compare South Korea to the US for example.
If I didn’t respect it I would refuse to wear them :) - it’s important to hear people out and hear others opinions too, that’s the beauty of democracy and helps me to understand my audience too.
@@JoshCahill my honey is a veteran flight attendant. You lost a few subscribers today. Simply put your comment is poop. When you respect a rule, like masking, it's one thing, but there are some of you who have that mask under the nose or seem to be drinking water for ever so long to keep it down. Flight crews have been hit hard by Omicron and their families. Because of #covidiot politics mask policies have failed in too many countries. So please, don't complain about the few countries that try to limit spread on airplanes.
Seoul Incheon is a nice airport. I do recall one time when I flew Malaysia Airlines from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur. Waiting in the departure gate to board the flight, a Sikh wearing a long coat, with a long beard, head fully wrapped, very tall, walked into the departure gate and stood at the window looking out. A party of ten Koreans sat in shock as this massive man with a massive beard stood looking out the window. They were freaking out, and finally one of them said it: "Terror! Terrorist! Ohhhh!" There was one man from Canada sitting not very far from me and he looked at me, I didn't know whether to interject, or to laugh in shock. It was one of those moments that would only happen in a place like Incheon Airport. Nowhere else in the world, I don't think this would fly, no pun intended. Either way, the airport is amazing.
Your views of masking is very Westernized. Masks were very prevalent throughout Asia before COVID during flu seasons or when not feeling well to help prevent the spread to others. Also making statements like we have vaccines and antibodies so don’t need to wear masks anymore is extremely irresponsible. In many regions (mostly those Westernized places), more people are dying today from COVID than before we had all these things in place.
I've lived in korea for years and while you would see people with masks esp during winter or on days where smog was really bad it was never to this extent. Even in winter youd see like less then 30% of people with masks. While yes masks are a cultural thing and have always been in korea it was never to this extent. Not even during the swine flue back in 2016 is was like this. Wish id be able to see peoples faces again. Hope this wont be the new "normal" and nobody will ever leave the house without a mask (but thats what it feels like)...
I know lots of koreans still wear the masks even after the mandate was dropped in may for the main reasons if not wanting to get sick, respecting other peoples health and because it actually gives lots of people relieve from makeup etc. Koreans are extremely obsessed with looks and hiding the face with a mask relieves you from the pressure of having to look a certain way, looking better then the person next to you etc. Hiding your face cannot be the solution to this however but for now I personalyl know many people that are happy they can skip makeup in the mornings etc Some people are also like "yeah i dont wanna be the only one without a mask" but unless somebody makes the first step nothings gonna change so well habe to wait and see
I believe the mask use in South Korea is also intimately linked to the SARS epidemic a couple of decades ago. South Korea is much more public health aware in terms of infectious disease which is probably one of the defining factors of why it’s so much in the mindset of people in Korea. Personally I still wear a mask everywhere (UK) because I feel more comfortable with it, especially on public transport and I have to wear it when in hospital anyway, so it’s not really a big thing for me. There is a growing demand from healthcare workers in the UK to retook at that though. In my mind, realistically, masks are going to be less effective against current strains than the original ones (because of infectious differences) but it’s still something that I use. I also find a bit of comfort from the anonymity of wearing a mask to be honest which is comforting
I am here in the Philippines and they got rid of the masks requirements 3 months ago but I notice that even outside 95% of the Filipinos still wear their mask. It's funny because all the foreigners walking around without one but all locals masked up.
I see wearing masks as being polite and to protect others if you are sick, and especially during COVID, you can be contagious for a few days before you test positive, it's just the right thing to do and NOTHING wrong with it.
Another way to see this is that there is a difference between people that chooses to protect others vs those chooses to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the name of "freedom".
As my homebase airport, I spend a lot of time at Incheon and it is hands-down my favorite airport in the world: super friendly, helpful staff; beautifully crafted with great attention to both greenery and historic Korean aesthetics; ancient and medieval treasures on exhibit; interactive, hands-on traditional Korean, free culture experiences; wonderful live music; plenty of comofrtable, accessible relaxation spaces (including lounging/sleeping areas), and most importantly, easy to access and navigate. Every time I am confined to a depressing, metastatic US-based airport, my mind wanders to Incheon!
You also might consider South Korean’s respect for their elders. This is a part of their culture from what I’ve read. They may be sticking with masks to protect elderly people who may have weakened immune systems from the virus.
Hey Josh, Air Premia looks cool but I know another airline that could be called a hibrid airline : air Transat. It's a canadian airline that do domestic and international fligth. I was on a transatlantic fligth of 7 hours and you get a lunch and a pre arrival sandwich. Water and soft drinks were also free. Additional snacks, alcohol drinks, blanked, earplugs and eye mask were also avaible but need to be purchased. There is just premium economy and economy. I took it 2018 so i'm sure thing have changed (per example : luggage is not included in the basic fare, but it's also the case for legacy carrier).
There’s a few reasons most new airlines are ULCC. 1) most business and frequent passengers always book with the same airline to get points and don’t usually care about costs. 2 a lot of older passengers have brand loyalty even if they haven’t travelled in many years and are more likely to book directly with that airline. 3) everyone else left basically just looks for the cheapest most direct flight to where they want to go and don’t care too much about quality as they don’t really understand the difference in planes or comfort levels.
When flying, I noticed wearing a mask helps especially when napping because you're trapping moisture from your breath and not drying out your throat nearly as fast.
I love your videos and not just the content, but the way your speak. I get tired of some of the others that just.....uh....uh.......uh..... you are very fluent and well spoken. I only wish I could travel to as many countries as you. Keep up the great work!!!
Argubly this isn't the first "hybrid" airline in the world. Honestly the first airline mixing low cost and full service is probably JetBlue, who do it nearly perfectly. Though this airline does show a lot of promise, looking forward to their expansion.
As someone in the USA who is fully vaccinated and boosted twice, but who was living with a wife who works in healthcare that finally got Covid three weeks ago from a work exposure, I will say it was “just a cold for her” and I never tested positive, nor sick at all. As a result, unless I see other variants that are much stronger, I’m over the mask as IMO, I have enough immunity.
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It’s chinas fault for wearing the mask until now. Koreans started wearing a mask before Covid bc of chinas pollution. Now Covid started it up everyone one is now wearing it.
Me personally, I'm done with masks. It's September 2022 already. No more masks. However, in some Asian cities, mask use has been going on well before the pandemic. I'm sure the population density us one reason masks are so common. Add lingering Covid fears and itvis what it is. The main reason though is the dust. The dust can be fairly invisible since it's so fine, but it's certainly in the air
Masks have always been very popular in Asian countries. Specifically Korean and Japanese culture sees it as a politeness thing to protect others from getting sick, not just Covid but anything really. The use has just been a lot more since Covid.
Asian has been wearing mask well before COVID & other pandemics as Asian air isn’t the cleanest due smog, dust, disease, etc so everyone wears a mask to prevent that going into their lungs.
I think the younger generation stopped wearing mask as the air is cleaner but returned due to COVID.
Yeah I traveled back to Taiwan for summer from the us, and I keep on forgetting to put my mask on :p my friends had to keep on reminding me
40-60% decrease in flu and colds so mask in fall months is very helpful
It was a sea change in Singapore with this pandemic as before that I rmb people thought that only those carrying contagious diseases do so. During the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, a taxi driver was interviewed by a local newspaper as having worn a mask out of caution against being infected, but in the end no one dared to ride his taxi
@@steveh7508 5 percent helpfull
U have imunity my friend
Putting mask all time it destroyes ur imunity system
It dont help barely at all
Only time help is when u cough for that part i suggest masks
No cough no mask help st all
People dont understant how human body works
You are bringing a very western thought process to this Josh. In many of the Asian counties, even before covid, people wore masks when they were sick to prevent spreading the illness. I don’t think that should be discouraged - you are viewing the mask as a restriction rather than as an enabler.
I totally agree with you, masks should be seen as something that helps other people not to get sick from any sort of infection, and in these east Asian countries people understand that the use of wearing masks will not only protect them at all times but protect the people from their communities, their country and will especially protect the elderly and children, who are vulnerable to many diseases in our world.
Wouldn’t never getting sick destroy your immune system though?
@@portegobelet no it's very interesting to hear my audience point of view and what the general standpoint is on this matter. Don't overthink this topic. I'm a very harmonious person and I don't like dividing subjects at all.
There are 2 women from Asian countries (Thai and Japan) in my extremely rural Texas county married to white American men. Both women shared masks wearing was common at home and had zero problems wearing them back in 2020.
@Kavin Khanna I agree and I wish masks were used more in western countries too, at least on public transport and in winter to curb the spread of flu, not just covid.
Wearing mask was already very common in Korea even before the pandemic due to; dust/ pollen, if you feel sick, some even as fashion.
So when pandemic started, wearing mask was no issues at all.
Also I believe it was a big lesson learned for koreans when things were looking like going back to norm a year ago and hit by 2nd wave really bad.
The experience of Swine Flu, Bird Flu, original SARS, etc. in the region possibly also contributed to normalizing masks in public.
wearing a mask not only prevent you from getting COVID but also prevent your immune system to function normally.
So what you are saying is that masks were normal before and during COVID. So as you say "second wave was really bad" then masks did Fu&K all to stop it.
Still a horrible import to the UK
Might work there not necessarily here
@@philyan3435 says no healthcare experts
As so many others have stated so eloquently here, in many parts of Asia mask wearing is either required or preferred. I was in SIN and BKK in June and mask wearing was predominate in both cities. If you choose to travel, respect the local customs.
If your custom goes against human-nature, you and your custom can both get fucked.
Hell no
Masks were much more common in East Asia even before the pandemic. So there is a different attitude from the beginning.
Many still wear masks in Singapore. It’s their choice. Doesn’t matter. There’s no mandate anymore except in public transport.
Elsewhere. There’s no need.
@@pyoodiepie like the custom to not wear masks in public during flu season? There was no need for a mask mandate before Corona, but wearing masks definitely was useful even then.
Korea has been tackling dust for quite a few years. Those from local traffic and factories, and a significant contribution from China by way of dust from coal burning households and factories, as well as dust storms from the Gobi Desert carried by the winds. So much so that we measure by its size, fine dust and ultra fine dust. Hence, the people have become somewhat used to wearing masks. Dusts can be particularly bad during winters
I mean where I live wildfire season is a thing and smoke from it is super dangerous so much so schools and businesses have to close due to it. So mask are a necessity to the point where double to triple up mask on top each other just to be able to breathe normally without choking on the smoke
Fun fact: Chinese never admits this fact. It's funny once they stopped operating factories beginning of the pandemic, Korea's air quality became remarkably better for those periods.
Terrible pollution. They have been wearing masks before the scamdemic.
The yellow dust season occurred in spring when I used to live and work in SK. But a minority of people wore masks.
Luckily Chinese bad air does not reach Japan. Japan has the cleanest air in Asia 🇯🇵
4:30 - What is "normal" is subject to local societal norms. I have seen Korean tourists wearing masks outdoors years before Covid pandemic. I think they simply consider it a nice thing to protect their fellows from whatever airborne infection they might harbor, even a mild common cold.
As for usefulness of masks, it is not a matter opinion, but facts: they protect very mildly the wearer from airborne infections in places like public transport, lowering the probability of infection by perhaps 30% at most. But they cut the transmission _from_ the wearer by a factor of five or more. They certainly _don't_ lower the wearer's blood oxygenation level, or some such nonsense promoted by many charlatans. Many people, though, do find them uncomfortable, and I find my eyeglasses fog up much more when I wear a mask.
I find breathing and brisk walking hard with a mas on.
Brain washed to do as there told like most Asian countries...
Masks are stupid and there is NO proff they work, it is you own opinion
@@dartfrogdk Don't let facts stand in your petty, selfish way.
@@bazoo513 yours are not facts show the facts!
I think SARS played a major role in Asia as to why the population is so used to wearing mask (at least for Hong Kong). But also in everyday life you wear a mask when you're sick + South Korea also gets hit by sandstorms. Breathing that air in without a mask is a health hazard.
It did...but a virus will not be contained by these masks.
Heard people in Japan wear masks to keep their faces warm too
SARS didn't affect South Korea at all. In contrast to those Chinese people who had gone through tough SARS epidemic, we Koreans didn't take SARS serious because there wasn't a single SARS-infected patient in Korea. We didn't wear masks during those SARS epidemic.
Dust from china did affect South Korea wearing masks.
@@okidokidoki-s5p Because it wasnt SARS that affected Korea to this extent for the norm. It was MERS
Korea and Japan in particular, along with a few other east asian nations were big into masks well before covid. It's a cultural thing and part of social norms.
Doesn’t make them any more useful
@@shirleyvalentine2794 In Korea you have dust coming from China and really bad air to a point where you cannot see the sun on a sunny day. Wearing a mask is mandatory, you do not want to inhale that air and you feel it itching in your throat when you inhale and not wear a mask. Additionally Koreans also wear masks to cover their face when they just want to go outside shortly and did not put make up on.
@@shirleyvalentine2794 They eat dogs
@Sally's stuff If my facts are wrong, please share where you have your facts from.
@Sally's stuff before even covid, koreans wear masks if they get a cold or anything.
In Korea, it's not only about using a mask for covid protection, but it helps with the fine dust problem they have at certain times of the year. And as for the covid aspect, I have a friend who is fully vaxxed and boosted and yet she went to Germany where no one is wearing a mask and that's when she got covid. She was in Korea where everyone wears a mask and she was fine. Remember, the virus is mutating and we don't have a vax or booster for the newest variant yet (hopefully it will come out this fall). Wearing a mask in Korea is not about protecting yourself only... it's about also protecting others so everyone can live well.
same as in Taiwan even before Covid a lot of people did wear mask to protect others from viruses or theyr own "wet speaking"
You do realise what you are getting injected with is not a vaccine.If it were you wouldn’t need more than one.But you want to play Russian roulette with your health carry on.
So that everyone’s immune system will be fucked up. Preventing from contracting viruses and other germs will only weaken your immune system.
@@philyan3435 please provide your background in immunology that you make these statements. And please do so without profanity. Thank you.
@@cherylschaeffer7832 people who are vaccinated or have gotten COVID don’t wear any mask being together would produce that immunity to fight any “new waves,” whereas in moronic countries like Korea and Japan and Taiwan. If you isolate yourself from bacteria and viruses, you don’t have immunity to fight them when you get off your mask. First, although people are forced to wear a mask, still lots of people get it anyways, making it useless. Second, COVID is getting more and more smooth, the fatality rate drops below seasonal flus. Third, unless you are going to wear that stupid mask for the rest of your life while sanitizing everything you are surrounding with, wearing a mask is unnecessary.
Hey Josh! Big fan of your videos! I think everyone on the section already commented on it but yeah! Masks are actually quite normal in parts of the Asia Pacific, South Korea being one of them, even before the pandemic many willingly choose to wear a mask!
some countries mandate their citizens to still wear masks and there is a standing law like in my country, always love your videos Josh!! greetings and cheers from the Philippines!!
same here
Despite the fact they are absolutely pointless, taking them off on board to eat/ drink just proves the point.Just virtual signalling
@@shirleyvalentine2794 plus the filtration system on an aircraft is superior to an operating theatre. Agreed mask are utterly useless.
@@shirleyvalentine2794 1. It's virtue signalling. Not virtual
2. As others have pointed out here, wearing mask has been around Korea and Japan way before covid. The Japanese use mask as a way to prevent virus from spreading if they have cough or colds. It's more of a concern for the welfare for others and totally different from what youre thinking.
Hey Josh!. Great vid as always - Just like to comment on your observations re: mask usage by the Korean people. I lived in Seoul in the mid-end 80s' and mask wearing was a thing then too. If you have a cold, flu, just don't feel great etc, it is considered common sense to cover up to avoid spreading germs, and a courtesy to your fellow citizens that you bear their safety in mind, while not giving them the inconvenience of "your" illness. Additionally, Koreans are extremely industrious and very hard working people - a sick person means loss of productivity - be it in a shop or on the factory floor. Lastly, Most Koreans think of the group as being more important than the individual - "we" vs "me" so what is better for the group as a whole is generally preferred. - So I best think it can also be summarized a a "cultural" thing. Cheers to travel, Marc
Masks are not restrictions in Korea. It’s about being part of a society, about living in a densely populated city. It’s about not spreading germs if you cough.
This was all in place before Covid. Very common to wear masks, especially buses and subways.
When you enter any culture outside of your own, there will be differences. It is always good to be respectful of these differences and try to observe them as if you lived there.
Exactly. I dunno why westerners always assume that people from Asia are stupid.
Also, some bloke making a travel vlogging channel and then flaunting local health regulations is a really good way for the vlogger to look like a fool and lose potential viewers.
The wearing of a mask is NOT NORMAL. Humans did not evolve to have their faces covered by cloth. I’m in Southeast Asia right now and it’s appalling to me how eager some Asians can be to conform to cultural norms, no matter how foolish. Here in Bangkok, about 99% of the Thais are STILL wearing masks, while about 99% of foreigners are not.
My guess is: it’s less about the efficacy of the mask than it is about conforming.
Hey Josh, even visiting Germany there are things that I found culturally unusual there. In many Asian countries, mask wearing isn’t seen as restrictive or fearful, but not wearing a mask or breaking social norms may be seen as a sign of disrespect (which perhaps they’ll give some leeway since you are a foreigner). Of course, if you’re stirring the pot just to get engagement on the video, your ploy worked! Thanks for the good content.
Well said
What did you find unusual in Germany?
Wearing face masks on some Asian countries (like South Korea, Hong Kong/China) were pretty common prior to the pandemic. It's a cultural thing for them not only to protect themselves from sickness, but to also protect others from getting sick (at least that's what was told to me when I visited HK before the pandemic and I sneezed on the MTR without a face mask).
Love your vids man! Cheers from the Philippines!
Definitely a cultural thing, Asians care about the community, Westerners care about themselves. Asians sacrifice their own discomfort for the benefits of others. Westerners care about their own comfort not really thinking about anyone else. I just came back from Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. 90% of the locals wear mask both indoors and outdoors, but rarely any foreigners, especially the White ones, it's rare to see them wearing mask.
Which is why I wish I was not in these Asian countries but in a country where they don’t give shit to the safety of their people, like the UK. (I mean no offence).
I’m from Hong Kong and now if you sneeze on the MTR people actually move away from you. Good tip if you want some extra space for yourself haha 🤣
Westerners are generally against masking versus those of the east are more cautious, more willing to take the health of those who can't get vaccinated or are immuno compromised or elderly as part of respect.
COVID is still very much prevalent but Western countries seem to have decided to disregard it.
Exactly, this shows how Josh just generalized the mask issue for his own POV
Lets also not forget the dust issues that occur in some of these countries. I wore a mask alot in Bangkok.
Also SARS had an effect in these countries
Only generalised comment I see is the one I just read… not from Josh… you understand people that are using masks are not even using the proper mask thus not even blocking the Covid virus… so unless everyone is wearing the proper mask then okay I get it… since they’re not, non n95 masks are worthless unless it’s for other issues non Covid related.
@@nightfall22 The disposable 3 ply masks block covid
all the masks need to do is block the droplets
Bit disappointed it’s not hybrid power. That would have really impressed me!
On the mask front you have to remember that it’s part of the culture there pre-Covid. I taught English there my summer between college and law school a decade ago and two things were apparent: the women constantly using umbrellas and sun visors when outside and a fair bit of mask use by pedestrians. It’s not a huge leap given masks were already a cultural feature and of course how efficacious they were at start of pandemic.
haha, that was what I was wondering at first.
Yup that was what I thought too haha
Solar airplanes. Yeah,no thx.
ICN is a fantastic airport. 20 years on, terminal 1 is beginning to show its age, but the newer terminal 2 is terrific. Great bus and light rail connections too.
WOW! What a wonderful review, Josh! I've never looked forward to a TH-cam video as much as this Air Premia review. Thank you for a great video. I'm so happy to know that you enjoyed the flight with Korea's latest airline. The 35 inches of seat pitch is so amazing. Hope I can fly with them to LAX soon! BTW, It was great to meet you in Seoul this time. Hope to see you again soon. :)
On the musk issue, I think each country has been affected differently by the pandemic and how each country react to it will be different. Whenever I travel I always try to understand the reasons of that particular country and follow their rules. Yes it’s frustrating at times. Some countries might have taken just a year to recover while others might take longer.
Hi Josh, love your videos, have been flying for over 50 years, so as the aviation industry has grown, so have I. Masks ... my sister and I have travelled a lot in Asia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and have noticed that mask wearing (pre Covid) was the rule rather than the exception. In Australia some people do wear masks, e.g. to the Supermarket, it is required on trains, planes, all public transport as we still have a lot of Covid around. At 74 and about to start travelling again, I will happily wear a mask, people can always tell when you are smiling by looking at your eyes, the mask does not prevent you saying, preferably in the language of the country you are visiting, Good morning, good afternoon, thank you etc. As a community I believe we have a responsibility to protect ourselves which will then also protect the people around us. May we all travel safely and peacefully. Beth
the masks protect neither you nor anyone else, but you want to be pompous and holier than thou, go ahead.
@@arkamukhopadhyay9111 I am sorry you feel this way, I have family members that have had Covid (so far I have not), one sister has had it twice, I am happy to do whatever I can to protect my community, and I am certainly not holier than thou, or pompous, just simply want to protect the community I live in and love. Please stay safe, stay well.
@@bethbenbow8108 your comment is the epitome of being holier than thou. Thing is, no matter how many masks you pile on, or how many boosters you take, you are still going to get COVID. Nothing surprising there. Your prerogative, of course. But the preaching is something others can do without.
As a Chinese, long before the pandemic, my parents would tell me to put on a mask before going on a long-haul flight such as those between China and the US. The reasoning is that this provides more moist to my mouth, making it more comfortable to sleep on the plane.
I absolutely hated wearing masks, so I didn't do it. But, as far as I can observe, wearing masks in public (even without diseases) is not rare whatsoever in China (or, perhaps, any other Asian countries).
Masks have been used in Japan, Korea, HK long before the pandemic begun. It is considered politeness to protect others if theres a chance you might be starting colds/flu. Also in some cities in China, Philippines, Vietnam, etc. masks are used to protect against air polution. As someone with asthma, I have been wearing mask (mostly on high polution days) since I was in Grade school.
Since Asiana is merging with Korean Air, I hope Air Premia can be a good competitor to Korean! Comepetition is always good to see.
It's not really an obsession, it's a social norm and a sign of respect towards other people. The Asian culture is built on trust and respect for others and wearing of masks is just one way for us saying that we care about other people. Personally, I am not comfortable wearing a mask, but if it makes other people comfortable when I talk to them or when I approach them, then I do not see it as a hindrance. Also, remember that not all bodies react the same when vaccinated. Some, even if completely vaccinated, can still contract the virus and can affect the health extremely. Although vaccines are prevalent already, we still value caution and prevention.
two cents
This is why we all love Josh for being one of the first to review the most unique and newest airlines. Keep it up man! 🙏❤️
I think that it's easy to forget that the pandemic isn't over and although we have vaccines and other things it's still a good idea to protect ourselves from contracting COVID as much as possible. If the pandemic was over and COVID still wasn't as much of a threat I'd agree but I think it's still around and people are still dying, we just don't care as much any more.
Ok, sheep
@@dawsonje Haha I'm sorry if my basic empathy and concern for others besides myself makes me a sheep!
2:08 Cape Town International Airport is my favorite Airport :D. Its looks nice, clean, modern and feels quite spacious, even if its extremely busy
Malindo Air (now Batik Air Malaysia) used to be a hybrid airline when it was launched.... but later became full service....
Hey Josh, in USA all of my friends have gotten all the vaccines(incl. boosters) but many of them got sick seriously. It does not matter whether we have vaccine we still get sick if you are around too many people, too many times. Yes, with vaccine we do not get as sick as those who did not get but with mask we protect ourselves extra.
I believe countries citizens from South Korea China Japan etc decided to wear masks in public even pre pandemic due to construction dust and particles. Also if someone contracts a cold, they would wear a mask to protect others from catching it.
People in Asia pacific used to wear mask even before a pandemic. I grew up in Thailand so I know for them it's a normal thing to do. They wear to protect others . They are considered unlike European countries .
Thank You for choosing Air Premia as your preferred choice! It makes me proud to be part of the airline after switching from Emirates over 10years. On behalf of Air Premia , thank you and hope to see you on board in near future! Xx
Hello, I have a question.
I'm, flying from Newark, USA to China this summer. I have a layover in Seoul for about 6 hours.
I don't have a US passport. I have a Chinese passport.
Do I need to apply for a visa to get on the flight from Newark to Seoul?
Thanks, any input helps!
I’m a Korean American living in Korea right now. I think it’s kind of wrong to say that people are “obsessed” with masks. It comes off kind of offensive. Masks in Korea have been around before Covid for other reasons. I think as a person who travels the world, you should respect how things are in different countries. I’ve been wearing mine since Covid and have never gotten even a cold and I always used to get that so it does help. I think this should be the least of your worries about a country you’re visiting.
It is insane that such a flight has so much legroom and the hybrid constellation is also cool. Hopefully the Airlaine will soon have a connection to Germany or nearby.
Singapore Airport is of course everyone's favorite airport, but Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is underrated. I've been there before and the architecture is too nice. Also, most people there are very friendly and not as fucked up as in Germany (that's what I've heard, of course it can be different for everyone).
Mach weiter so Josh mit den Videos, zu wyld!
I also really like Inchon. My family has people with no immunity so we still wear masks. Masks also help with allergies and pollution.
I still think it is necessary to wear masks, especially in busy areas. We're currently living with the most transmissible variant of covid so far, and catching it whilst away on holiday is a huge inconvenience (sadly speaking from own experience) and can be very costly! Stay safe everyone!
It's not just South Korea. Japan and Thailand too. Everyone wears a mask everywhere, everyday, all day. It it will probably be that way for a long long time.
Just had to mention how clean that airport looks even from your camera images. Quite impressive!! 😎
Love how Josh talks about how much he likes not wearing a mask and then picks his nose! Cheers, here’s a booger!
Mask wearing has already been a thing in Korea and Japan even before the pandemic. It even reached a point that it became a status symbol or a fashion statement.
Masks at the time this video was published are REQUIRED BY LAW to be worn in public. Just cuz you don't like masks doesn't mean you can just go around breaking the law in Korea
Thanks for this great review of Asia’s newest airline. I’d give them a try. Re masks, being Australian & finding mask wearing compulsory it’s second nature. Personally I don’t have a problem wearing a mask, Covid is part of our life now & many countries have dropped mandatory tests pre arrival so I just accept it as part of travel now. Favourite airport is still Singapore, the services, things to do there while waiting sometimes many hours for a connecting flight, is never boring.. Safe travels Josh, love following your adventures..
So you are happy to wear a mask for the rest of your life, or just start to think of it as another flu as it is? In Norway there has never been a mask mandate.
@@Andre1980stavanger While the pandemic is on I’m happy to wear a mask if it helps in some way me not getting it. Of course I prefer not to have to wear it.. In Melbourne there is still a mandate to wear on public transport, planes. A person with a weakened immune system has more chance of getting the virus so we all do what we choose to get through this pandemic.
@@clay9185 Actually, everyone still can get infected and get impacted by long covid. It is wiser to wear masks, also in regard of Omicron. I only travel with masks since 2020, since 2021 by air again and never had covid. Also the mask helps against pollen and dust.
@@Canleaf08 yes true.. I was responding to a previous message which looks to have since been deleted. All the best..
@@clay9185 The main point of a mask is to protect others from you.
I just wanted to correct 2 points in the video. 1. Koreans are not obsessed with mask, they are simply very disciplined.
2. The air Premia airplane has been operating more than a year ago and not for a week only. I took the same airplane in a domestic flight between Seoul to Jeju. Except that, nice video👏
Masks have been a 'part of everyday life' in that region for as long as I remember, possibly dating back to the late 80's when my Army unit was sent there for temporary duty exercises..Just as natural for them to wear masks as it is for them to take their umbrella with them on a cloudy day..
It’s not just South Korea where masks are worn in public.
I’m 42 years old and I can still remember watching educational videos in geography class and seeing people living in China, Hong Kong, Japan and most densely populated East Asian area wearing masks.
At first I thought it was because of the smog.
However, both our geography and biology teachers explained to us about how quickly and easily viruses spread in densely populated areas. The air pollution was one factor but learning about the different variations of avian flu, h1n1 and other coronaviruses, it’s understandable why the population wears masks. As it was an everyday thing to do before covid19.
Changi is my #1 Choice
Followed by Inchon #2
Changi has far more facilities for travellers, it doesn't feel like a an airport.
Inchon is so clean and organised it sometimes feels to sterile
How’s wearing a mask a restriction? If it’s a free choice?
I live in Korea right now and have through the entire pandemic and thought I could give some input, currently Masks are still mandated indoors in the country, outside there is no mask mandate unless it’s at an event with more than 50people. I don’t think masks are the most effective thing anymore and don’t understand why the mandate is in wfffect but really not much we can do. Koreas response at the beginning of the pandemic was great! But now it feels like fear mongering and caution has become a little extreme. Anyways great video.
pre-pandemic and pre-national security law, hongkong international was always my favorite. as for mask wearing, korea, japan and hongkong has always had a mask wearing culture, even before the pandemic and especially during cold weather, one would expect people to be wearing surgical mask on the streets. with the face mask, it prevents the face from freezing. from what i understand if im not wrong, in japan they do it as a preventive measure as not to spread diseases during flu season. for the japanese, they wear the mask not because they dont want to be infected by the flu virus, but in case they are infected, it prevents the spread of the disease.
The one time I went somewhere with no mask requirements, I got covid. So yeah, I’m a firm believer that masks are still needed.
🐑
Korean here! I feel like there are many reasons about wearing masks
#1 You still have to wear masks inside because it's mandatory&korea is having a huge number of new cases rn
We don't have to wear it outside but still in the inside(like singapore!)
#2 I am prettier when I wear masks
Idk why but I feel more confident cuz i look better with the masks(yeah catfish🤷🏻♀️) lol. My fellow friends wear masks even in the outside because of this reason
#3 Wearing masks was normal before COVID
Thanks to our kind neighbor China, we were so done with dusts and all the air pollution coming from there(and some from korea). That's why we wore masks before the pandemic. I think pandemic boosted this culture but yeah, we don't want to suffer from covid and lung cancer.
Btw the seat looks like KLM's economy seat😃
Hi, Josh, my first ever message to you, I agree, a fantastic airport. I was there in July flying from the UK to see family. I have been flying this route twice year for 11years now, I still get a wow factor every time I pass through the airport on my way to Jeju.
Ps, Have you ever flown to Jeju, the busiest air route in the world so I am informed. A beautiful Island.
It's part of Korean culture to wear masks because they had to deal with MERS and other things. It's not a political thing. It's just part of culture. Much more crowded country than others, as well. It's not just about protecting against COVID, it's just part of the culture to be careful about health, including general cold and flu.
On the mask thing I still wear one when in crowded spaces for example the security line at the airport or during boarding as well as on board depending how full the flight is. When I'm just sitting around the terminal though and there's no one within a couple of meters of me then I take it off. I recently flew to Vienna with Austrian and found that about %35 of passengers had their mask on. Most of the cabin crew had a mask and took it off when doing their service. I also chatted with the pilots pre departure and they both had their mask on.
Especially in the TLV security line. I was there in July and it was insanely congested. TLV is a great airport though
@@noahditz1889 Depends when in july. All of june and the first 3/4 of july were complete chaos here. I flew out in the end of july and got past security in 20 minutes.
@@SpottingTLV I left after the Maccabiah games that’s why it was so crazy
@@noahditz1889 ah
@@noahditz1889 no wonder
My favourite airport- and it’s a strange one - is Southend. I tend to stay within Europe & the fact it’s so small means it is REALLY easy to navigate. Quick to check in/security etc and when you get home it’s literally 30 minutes from getting off the aircraft to reaching your car.
Lovely and takes the stress out of flying
I always used a mask in certain countries in Asia even before covid. There were severe dust warnings all the time when I lived in Bangkok, so it helped to wear them.
Hi Josh from NZ. I work with vulnerable elderly people in a home. Because of this I wear a mask everywhere when I go out of the house. This is my choice.
Being Korean myself, I can attest to the fact that at least half, if not majority, of Koreans share the same sentiment with you regarding the mask mandate, especially the younger generations. It’s just the government policy prevailing against the opinion popular across their own citizens.
My favourite Airport is Singapore Changi Airport. So much great stuff to do, many shopping opportunities, many gardens, free Movie Theatre, Carpet Floor which makes it a lot quieter. Its clean and its convenient to get from one terminal to another.
Same situation in Japan regarding everyone wearing face masks. Both countries have had a long tradition of wearing for colds and flu long before COVID. Although the Japanese Govt announced masks were not required outside if there was social distance, people mostly wear them. Japanese people hesitate to do something different from everyone else for fear they will be singled out, so they keep wearing. Japan apparently has one of the highest rates of COVID infections per population in the world at the moment so it is questionable how effective masks are in reducing infections. I'll be travelling Singapore Airlines Bus.class Osaka via Changi to NZ next month, looking forward to enjoying SilverKris Lounge and some layover in Singapore city too. I was looking forward to returning on the A380 from Auckland but it was changed to a 777-300, guessing passenger numbers still not enough.
ICN is my favorite airport as well - among all of those I have been to:
ICN, SVO, DME, AUH, DXB and TAS.
Aren't JetBlue and Alaska also Hybrid airlines?
Just looked it up... Alaska definitely is widely considered a Hybrid Airline!
I would agree both those are hybrid carriers.
My Son moved from Scotland to South Korea to teach English for one year, that was 8 years ago, he has never come home. When I visited him 5 months later, I could
not believe how many people were wearing face masks, even just walking about in the streets or on the subway, this was years before covid.
Pollution in Seoul is extremally high, so glad they moved to Jeju--do, a small, island off the south coast.
most of pollution comes from China.
I guess not all asian countries got the same vaccines as us here in Europe and that could be the reason. Also airlines follow public transport laws in destination country so if traveling to Spain or Portugal you should wear a mask. I have mixed feelings with the mask thing but respect that people still safer with it. Great video, interesting concept the hybrid plane.
To me it's just a minor discomfort that it's a no brainer.
We also have the usuals (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, Astra-Zeneca) and some Chinese vaccines (mostly administered at the beginning of the pandemic to people who absolutely need to be safe from covid). It's just a cultural thing for Asians to wear masks even before the pandemic happened. Source: I'm an Asian living in an Asian country.
@@patrickrodriguez8797 good to hear. Was not sure. Love Asia and hoping to go back soon. Take care
@@Bynming i agree. Didn’t have an issue with it and in Spain it’s still mandatory in hospitals, public transport, pharmacies, etc..
Love the channel.
In regards to masks, I am a dementia specialist nurse who witnessed many people suffer from Covid over the past few years. Vaccines are effective and immunity seems to be strong. However, masks, if people want to wear them, then wear them . If people don’t want to wear masks, don’t wear them.
Thanks for the amazing channel 👍🏴🇬🇧
As far as South Korea and their mask mandate, I would make the argument that in that part of the world ( especially in China ), masks have been more of a daily part of life because of the pollution issues in Asia. I totally agree as far as the freedom from masks and as long as you are fully vaccinated, the requirements to wear one should be dropped. While Covid-19 has something to do with it, to them it’s more normal than it ever was anywhere else on the planet.
Thank you Josh for reviewing Air Premia! I was curious about Air Premia, and it wasn't until I found this video, that I found out Air Premia is a Korean airline. I'm definitely choosing Air Premia for future (nonstop) travels to Korea!
You’re so pleasant to listen and watch these airline experiences with. Your subjects are interesting and you’re super easy on the eyes. Appearance is important as the vids. No scruffy beard face for radio. Perfect.
Personally I still wear a mask if I'm out or around people I don't know but that's because I'm classed as extremely high risk and covid killed me! Thanks to our NHS I'm here but I've been told if I get it again I won't be so lucky.
I think masks should be optional but we still need to be sensible.
If you are in Korea and flying with a Korean based carrier and they chose to enforce the mask wearing, you should respect that. Yes, there are vaccines for COVID-19, but people who are contracting COVID-19 now are the ones that are not wearing their masks.
My favourite airport was either Rio de Janeiro or FOZ do Iguazu in the south of brasil. The mask thing in Asian countries is a thing of respect for elderly and weaker people
Nice to see that you fly as much as pre pandemic, DXB is my favourite airport!
I wish you many flights to come !
For some reason, I seem to recall that, even pre-pandemic, there were some (Asian?) countries where mask-wearing was pretty normal. No clue whether is was mandated - but it seemed normal (for them).
I could be completely wrong though!
Me? I'm a Masker - by choice. Choice is the keyword 😉
Japanese and Koreans used to wear masks well before the pandemic arrived.
I am 70 years old Singaporean and had 2 primary vaccine jabs and 2 booster jabs by end June this year. I very careful, sanitising my hands regularly but when authority permitted no mask in open area and public open environment I did not put on mask except indoor, I caught Covid mid July with mild symptoms. I recovered exactly on the 7th day. Therefore MASK should be worn if you don't feels it is A Safe Environment.
As an American Democrat, anytime I start hearing antimasking rhetoric about how you’re losing your freedoms, I just want to say, “Shut up!” Science, not soundbites.
out of all the airports ive been to, punta cana has to be my favourite in the dominican republic. the fact that its all open, with the thatched roof, and you can be sat eating food less than 50m away from an engine with no window ruining the view just makes it my favourite. plus you still get the holiday heat before you go home
In many countries in Asia even before the pandemic due to smog Masks were very common. So it may look like it is solely to do with the pandemic but that isn't the whole story.
Precovid, many Asian countries regularly wore masks. The concept is new to western countries. Yes they are primarily wearing it because of the pandemic but they are also used to it. Unlike many who dislike because they can’t breath, uncomfortable, etc or find a reason to hate it, Asian countries find it weird that people don’t wear it around the world pre-pandemic.
Before the pandemic, It’s normal to show up to school wearing a mask, it’s normal to walk outside wearing a mask, it’s normal take a subway/bus and wear a mask in many Asian countries (predominantly Korean, Japan, & China). It is normalized. No you weren’t seen as sick nor was everyone is trying to stay away from you. For example, I live in California and you would notice in places like Chinatown or Koreantown many middle-age and elderly wore masks (of course pre-pandemic). In short, different customs different practices. I have traveled to many east & SE Asian countries before the pandemic and never saw it as weird/restricting and vice-versus when I chose to wear it because of bad air pollution/quality.
Masks became like a staple mostly when SARS hit during the early 2000’s. Since then, Asian people just kept it after the ordeal.
Josh maybe respect that masks still work and the countries that dropped masks have some of the highest reported death rates directly from Covid-19. IE, compare South Korea to the US for example.
If I didn’t respect it I would refuse to wear them :) - it’s important to hear people out and hear others opinions too, that’s the beauty of democracy and helps me to understand my audience too.
@@JoshCahill Well said!! Agreed with you!!
@@JoshCahill my honey is a veteran flight attendant. You lost a few subscribers today. Simply put your comment is poop. When you respect a rule, like masking, it's one thing, but there are some of you who have that mask under the nose or seem to be drinking water for ever so long to keep it down. Flight crews have been hit hard by Omicron and their families. Because of #covidiot politics mask policies have failed in too many countries. So please, don't complain about the few countries that try to limit spread on airplanes.
Seoul Incheon is a nice airport. I do recall one time when I flew Malaysia Airlines from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur. Waiting in the departure gate to board the flight, a Sikh wearing a long coat, with a long beard, head fully wrapped, very tall, walked into the departure gate and stood at the window looking out. A party of ten Koreans sat in shock as this massive man with a massive beard stood looking out the window. They were freaking out, and finally one of them said it: "Terror! Terrorist! Ohhhh!" There was one man from Canada sitting not very far from me and he looked at me, I didn't know whether to interject, or to laugh in shock. It was one of those moments that would only happen in a place like Incheon Airport. Nowhere else in the world, I don't think this would fly, no pun intended. Either way, the airport is amazing.
Your views of masking is very Westernized. Masks were very prevalent throughout Asia before COVID during flu seasons or when not feeling well to help prevent the spread to others. Also making statements like we have vaccines and antibodies so don’t need to wear masks anymore is extremely irresponsible. In many regions (mostly those Westernized places), more people are dying today from COVID than before we had all these things in place.
Favorite airport is *also* Incheon! It's amazingly good.
I've lived in korea for years and while you would see people with masks esp during winter or on days where smog was really bad it was never to this extent. Even in winter youd see like less then 30% of people with masks. While yes masks are a cultural thing and have always been in korea it was never to this extent.
Not even during the swine flue back in 2016 is was like this. Wish id be able to see peoples faces again. Hope this wont be the new "normal" and nobody will ever leave the house without a mask (but thats what it feels like)...
I know lots of koreans still wear the masks even after the mandate was dropped in may for the main reasons if not wanting to get sick, respecting other peoples health and because it actually gives lots of people relieve from makeup etc. Koreans are extremely obsessed with looks and hiding the face with a mask relieves you from the pressure of having to look a certain way, looking better then the person next to you etc. Hiding your face cannot be the solution to this however but for now I personalyl know many people that are happy they can skip makeup in the mornings etc
Some people are also like "yeah i dont wanna be the only one without a mask" but unless somebody makes the first step nothings gonna change so well habe to wait and see
I believe the mask use in South Korea is also intimately linked to the SARS epidemic a couple of decades ago. South Korea is much more public health aware in terms of infectious disease which is probably one of the defining factors of why it’s so much in the mindset of people in Korea. Personally I still wear a mask everywhere (UK) because I feel more comfortable with it, especially on public transport and I have to wear it when in hospital anyway, so it’s not really a big thing for me. There is a growing demand from healthcare workers in the UK to retook at that though. In my mind, realistically, masks are going to be less effective against current strains than the original ones (because of infectious differences) but it’s still something that I use. I also find a bit of comfort from the anonymity of wearing a mask to be honest which is comforting
I am here in the Philippines and they got rid of the masks requirements 3 months ago but I notice that even outside 95% of the Filipinos still wear their mask. It's funny because all the foreigners walking around without one but all locals masked up.
I see wearing masks as being polite and to protect others if you are sick, and especially during COVID, you can be contagious for a few days before you test positive, it's just the right thing to do and NOTHING wrong with it.
Another way to see this is that there is a difference between people that chooses to protect others vs those chooses to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the name of "freedom".
As my homebase airport, I spend a lot of time at Incheon and it is hands-down my favorite airport in the world: super friendly, helpful staff; beautifully crafted with great attention to both greenery and historic Korean aesthetics; ancient and medieval treasures on exhibit; interactive, hands-on traditional Korean, free culture experiences; wonderful live music; plenty of comofrtable, accessible relaxation spaces (including lounging/sleeping areas), and most importantly, easy to access and navigate. Every time I am confined to a depressing, metastatic US-based airport, my mind wanders to Incheon!
Not to mention the free transit tour to Seoul that Korea offers for people with a long layover!
Always love your honest detailed presentations along with your eloquent voice - so easy to comprehend.
You also might consider South Korean’s respect for their elders. This is a part of their culture from what I’ve read. They may be sticking with masks to protect elderly people who may have weakened immune systems from the virus.
Hey Josh, Air Premia looks cool but I know another airline that could be called a hibrid airline : air Transat. It's a canadian airline that do domestic and international fligth. I was on a transatlantic fligth of 7 hours and you get a lunch and a pre arrival sandwich. Water and soft drinks were also free. Additional snacks, alcohol drinks, blanked, earplugs and eye mask were also avaible but need to be purchased. There is just premium economy and economy. I took it 2018 so i'm sure thing have changed (per example : luggage is not included in the basic fare, but it's also the case for legacy carrier).
Hey Josh, first time watching your channel. What country are you from? Your accent sounds Irish.
Wow ,they really took time in making their cabin comfortable ,their economy class is having a business class vibe . Amazing airline ,good job Josh 🙃😊
There’s a few reasons most new airlines are ULCC. 1) most business and frequent passengers always book with the same airline to get points and don’t usually care about costs. 2 a lot of older passengers have brand loyalty even if they haven’t travelled in many years and are more likely to book directly with that airline. 3) everyone else left basically just looks for the cheapest most direct flight to where they want to go and don’t care too much about quality as they don’t really understand the difference in planes or comfort levels.
When flying, I noticed wearing a mask helps especially when napping because you're trapping moisture from your breath and not drying out your throat nearly as fast.
I love your videos and not just the content, but the way your speak. I get tired of some of the others that just.....uh....uh.......uh..... you are very fluent and well spoken. I only wish I could travel to as many countries as you. Keep up the great work!!!
Love Korea ....Viva Korea in the South ....masks, no masks is their choice and I appreciate their extra efforts to keep citizens extra well.
Argubly this isn't the first "hybrid" airline in the world. Honestly the first airline mixing low cost and full service is probably JetBlue, who do it nearly perfectly. Though this airline does show a lot of promise, looking forward to their expansion.
As someone in the USA who is fully vaccinated and boosted twice, but who was living with a wife who works in healthcare that finally got Covid three weeks ago from a work exposure, I will say it was “just a cold for her” and I never tested positive, nor sick at all. As a result, unless I see other variants that are much stronger, I’m over the mask as IMO, I have enough immunity.