The great experiment of blocking the middle seat on airplanes proved what we always know about air travel: more people are concerned about cheap tickets than comfort, or even pandemic safety.
Delta announced on Monday that it was extending its intermediate seat block for another month, until the end of April. Delta, the last U.S. airline to block all intermediate seats on the bus, will consider other extensions based on Covid-19’s transmission and vaccination rates.
So far, Delta believes it is gaining goodwill and trust with customers, especially business travelers, who are not traveling now but will be back. Some who flew during the pandemic are willing to pay Delta more for more space on board. Most have been price-sensitive leisure travelers, willing to sit shoulder to shoulder to get cheap fares – on airlines that do not block intermediate seats.
“It’s really about playing the long game and making sure we’re positioning this brand for greater success out of the pandemic,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s director of customer experience.
Delta’s financial results during the pandemic were greater losses than rival airlines that sell all of their seats. Delta was the most profitable airline in the United States in the last six months of 2019. That changed during the pandemic. In the last six months of 2020, Delta had the biggest losses, with a net loss of more than $ 6 billion, greater than United and Southwest combined.