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Delta Air Lines announced on Monday that it will continue to block intermediate seats on its aircraft until April, making it the only major carrier to continue to do so.
The airline will continue to create space between passengers, while limiting overall capacity on all its flights to ensure that “customers can safely plan and book their trips in the spring,” until at least April 30, he said. the company in a statement.
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The airline offers more space by blocking seats and, at the same time, has reduced the number of people on board each flight since April 2020, the company said in a statement.
It also remains one of the only major airlines to maintain the policy in place amid the ongoing pandemic.
Most major airlines, including Southwest, American and United, lifted the restriction in the holiday season just months after taking the unprecedented step to block intermediate seats and create more distance between passengers.
SOUTHEAST AIRLINES STOP BLOCKING MIDDLE SEATS IN DECEMBER
Last month, Alaska Airlines became the last airline to no longer block intermediate seats in the main cabin. The airline had pointed out “several” scientific studies suggesting how masks, in addition to air circulation on board and HEPA filtration, keep passengers safe “even when all seats are occupied on an aircraft”.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 43.05 | +1.91 | + 4.64% |
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 52.34 | +2.28 | + 4.55% |
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HLDG. | 44.29 | +2.15 | + 5.10% |
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 17.77 | +0.58 | + 3.40% |
| ALK | ALASKA AIR GROUP | 56.91 | +2.76 | + 5.10% |
All intermediate seats in any Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort + and Main Cabin will remain locked for groups of one to two people. However, groups of three or more may continue to choose seats together, the airline said. If a runner does not have a seat in the middle, it will be blocked completely.
“We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they keep telling us that more space offers more peace of mind,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s director of customer experience.
If Delta sees signs of increased demand for certain flights, the airline “will look for opportunities to upgrade to larger aircraft or add more flights to promote space on board”.
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Delta will “continue to reevaluate the seat block in relation to the transmission of cases and vaccination fees” while working to bring back other products and services that the airline says will “inspire confidence in the health and safety of everyone on board” .
In addition, to block the seats, Delta says it is working to make it easier for passengers to understand test requirements and take the test before their trip, offering a test at home or helping passengers find a nearby test site personal. The airline recently expanded its rapid test centers to Delta hubs in Minneapolis and Detroit, as well as Atlanta, Boston, New York-JFK and Seattle.
Delta’s interactive travel map has been implemented to help customers understand the latest travel requirements or restrictions, the airline said.
More than 55 airports also have a dedicated team of “cleaning ambassadors” who are tasked with ensuring a “consistently safe and sanitized experience”.