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A recent study published by the Royal Society concludes that widespread use of home-made face masks, combined with physical distancing, may be an effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. That’s good news. Even better, you may already have something at home that is better than most home-made face masks: eyeshades.
The New York Times reported that materials that block light are good candidates for face masks. Luckily, many of us already have face masks that are designed to block light… eyeshades!
If you are (or were) a frequent flyer, it’s time to dust off those old airline amenity kits that you tucked away in your closet. Or, grab the eyeshade that you used to use to… you know… block light. Who says eyeshades are only for our eyes? Eyeshades already have what we need: straps to keep them on our face, comfortable cloth on the inside, and even a nose bump-out when worn upside down. Shown above is the British Airways business class eye shade from The White Company.
Above is an eye mask from an old Lufthansa First Class flight. I like that it’s fairly svelte and adjustable, but ‘m not sure that it does much to protect others. Notice the gap at the bottom?
Above, senior Frequent Miler author Nick is sporting a Cathay Pacific eyeshade and a sinister look.
Above, Frequent Miler author Stephen is wearing his wife’s pug face eyeshade. I think it’s a great look, but I’m not sure it will properly cover his mouth.
Our new creative director, Carrie, is shown here with her Dragon Air eyeshade.
Above is Delta’s Tumi-branded eye mask. Unlike the others, I found this one more comfortable to wear right-side-up. It also has the advantage of having straps that go both above and below your ear for a secure fit.
Above is a very short video showing me wearing my British Airways eyeshade as a face mask.
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[…] 1) The face mask you already own […]
[…] Wondering what to buy from Saks? For anyone who wants shiny (really shiny) new face masks, Saks sells a 3-piece set for $36. Of course, you may already have more face masks than you need if you’ve kept your amenity kit eyeshades given out on many international flights (see this post for more). […]
If you thread a wire (like those that are used to package cables) it makes a nice nose bridge. I love my Virgin Upper Class eye shades, but it means that the words are upside down
“…UK study…”
Too bad those UK studies are useless in the UK since anti-science leaders decided that the coronavirus wasn’t a big deal. So they decided to do nothing about it until it was too late. UK is now second in global deaths, just behind the country that is also led by the other anti-science guy. The country that is third in deaths is also led by another one that is anti-science.
[…] might already have a mask, however. A post from our friends over at Frequent Miler taught us that the eye masks from airline amenity kits can be used as face masks in a pinch! And, […]
[…] The face mask you already own […]
You’ll get a good laugh at this one: A few weeks ago before everyone started wearing masks, I saw a 20-something wearing a Speedo on his face
People also use a Bra.
F that BS my buddy @ GM is in charge of building these …venteclife.com ..
There’s more to life then wearing a Bra on ur head from a very large female..
#stayincave
Just discovered an honest to goodness face mask in my Japan Air Lines amenity kit with an insert to use saline solution to humidify your airway during flight. A HEPA square cut from a vacuum cleaner bag fits perfectly.
BTW to all the infection control experts, as best we can tell, the real problem with this particular pathogen is the atomized particles which lodge in the respiratory passages.The mask we all wear is a public service to protect others mostly.
I’ve made some cloth masks and bought some N95 for going to supermarket. Epidemiology.amotx may still got some N95, I bought some last week.
The British Airways “mask” looks like it works best.
[…] The face mask you own already by FM. […]
this blog has helped me earn the miles to book the trips that gave me the chance to snag the amenity kits. thanks for this idea. it is a great help to a ny’er who is netting nothing but frequent bicycle miles these days. thank you FM!
Yes, so convenient bc who doesn’t fly first class international on a regular basis?
Well, this blog is all about earning miles and points so that you can do just that – and that’s why many of our readers already have these eye masks. Of course, lots of people have eye masks that didn’t come from amenity kits and I bet they are probably in stock for purchase in many places (unlike traditional masks).
But if you are interested in flying international first and business class whenever life returns to normal someday, you may consider subscribing to our emails and reading our blog. While, like most people, I’d never dreamed of doing that before collecting miles and points, I (and many others here) usually fly several trips a year in international first and business class thanks to this hobby and the ability to earn points and miles.
I had the same thought as Huell Babineaux if you know a lady that has some old bras around you might be able to use one of the bra cups as a face mask if it is large enough.
I’ve been posting about this on FB and twitter even on nextdoor.com. Glad someone else has picked it up. I found 8 from several amenity kits. Even found 2 actual masks from JAL.