After being asked to clarify, Synot said it had been the crew, not the captain, who allegedly "reminded people of mask mandate then went on to complain about it, make jokes about it & COVID & the annoyance & then ask people to complain to feds & get it sorted".
Unsurprisingly, the post prompted a passionate debate about whether airlines should be responsible for supporting and enforcing various health-related mandates.
"Try not wearing the mandated seat belt and see if @VirginAustralia or @Qantas joke about that," wrote one Twitter user named Matt Walter.
Another user name Jan Cattoni wrote: "That was my experience when I recently travelled with virgin They were so Cavalier in their attitude. A passenger threatened me when I asked him to put his mask on."
One user drew attention to the fact that a lack of mask use could be 'abelist' towards medically vulnerable people who were more susceptible to catching Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Twitter user Amanda Roberts said it was "disappointing" to hear Synot's story, as she recently flew Virgin to Queensland and had "a very good experience".
Virgin Australia responded to the tweet with an apology and promised to investigate the claim.
"The health and safety of everyone onboard is always our number one priority, and for this reason, we strongly encourage all guests to comply with health orders and wear face masks," the company replied.
"We also require our cabin crew wear face masks while working on board an aircraft. We have sent you a DM (direct message) to confirm the date of your flight so we can investigate this matter further."
Last month Qantas became the first local carrier in Australia to lift mask requirements for some international services. In a leaked internal memo to staff, the company claimed it was "an important step in our transition to living with Covid".
Publically, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce hasn't been shy in expressing frustration about the mandate of masks on flights.
"It probably should have been removed some time ago," Joyce told 2GB radio host Ben Fordham, adding that Australia was "behind the curve" regarding the issue.
According to the airline's updated policy, masks are not mandatory for non-stop flights between New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland to the UK, US, Rome and Italy.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has since spoken about the mask policy change with 2GB, saying Australia is "behind the curve" on the issue.
"An aircraft is the safest environment of any transport in the world. You've got these HEPA filters on an aircraft that take out 99% of all particles, including Covid-19," Joyce said.
"We've had a change of government … we're hoping to make progress pretty soon."
Meanwhile, the federal government has scrapped Covid-19 vaccination requirements for people travelling to and from Australia from July 6.
