Several U.S. airlines blocked seats for a while within the identity of social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic; however, all but Delta have since abandoned the practice. Southwest, JetBlue, and Hawaiian ditched the practice in December, and Alaska’s seat-blocking policy expired for those in the main cabin in January.
Delta extended its policy by one month to block middle seats and restrict capacity on all flights through April 30, which includes the busy spring break travel period and Easter.
“We wish our clients to have full confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to inform us that more room offers extra peace of mind,” Bill Lentsch, Delta’s chief customer experience officer, stated in a statement. “We’ll continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, whereas bringing back products and services in ways that instill a belief in the health and safety of everybody on board.”
United execs have called seat blocking a PR stunt, and the airline industry has touted the safety of flying regardless of seating limits.
“U.S. airways have implemented multiple layers of measures aimed at stopping virus transmission on board the aircraft, including strict face-covering necessities, enhanced disinfection protocols, and hospital-grade ventilation systems,” Katherine Estep, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, the U.S. airline industry’s trade group, stated in an earlier statement. “We stay assured that this layered approach considerably reduces risk and are encouraged that science continues to confirm there’s a very low risk of virus transmission onboard aircraft.”
Some airways will let passengers know whether their flight is going to be full and will provide rebooking options.
