Delta is so far the only U.S. airline to commit to blocking middle seats through the end of March. Airlines blocked seats for a while in the name of social distancing (United execs called it a PR stunt), but all but Delta have abandoned the practice or will soon. Delta is one of just five U.S. carriers, including Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines, capping the number of flyers onboard their planes during the coronavirus pandemic. Aircrafts grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including planes operated by TUI, are pictured on the apron at Manchester Airport in Manchester, north west England on May 1, 2020. Starting Dec. 15, Delta will ask⦠All airlines say they are offering some measure of social distancing, but executives say the moves are temporary because removing up to one-third of seats permanently would decimate their already weak finances, or force them to raise fares significantly. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Southwest also announced it would keep middle seats open through at least July 31. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. CEO Ed Bastian talks safety protocols, mask enforcement and ⦠Delta is building on its efforts to make more space for safer travel by blocking the sale of select aisle and window seats on additional aircraft, capping seating at 50 percent in First Class and 60 percent in Main Cabin, Delta Comfort +, and Delta Premium Select to reduce the overall number of customers in every cabin across the fleet. Several dozen Delta Air Lines jets are parked at Kansas City International Airport. Aerial view of Buenos Aires's International airport Jorge Newbery with grounded planes on April 14, 2020 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This aerial view shows parked aircrafts at the airport in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on May 8, 2020. wear a mask as soon as they step into the airport, social media backlash about a full Newark-San Francisco flight, notify passengers 24 hours before their flight, Airline middle seats won't stay empty forever in the name of social distancing, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Delta blocking middle seats, pausing automatic advance upgrades and more to enable more space for safer travel In the latest move to ensure weâre keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta is taking steps to help customers and employees have more space on the ground and in the air. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Legal Statement. Delta first announced it would block middle seats in mid-April and expanded its seat-capping commitment in May. Hawaiian hasnât specified an ⦠A link has been sent to your friend's email address. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has parked planes in Dublin and says it will continue to fly a reduced schedule through mid-April. Delta will make the decision before the COVID-19 vaccine is fully distributed. Frontier and JetBlue have planes parked at Orlando International Airport as well. Southwest Airlines Many U.S. airlines including American, Southwest, United, Delta, Alaska, Frontier and JetBlue have announced passengers must wear masks while flying. The carrier announced this week that it ⦠Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Airline mask requirements: Check the policies for 11 US carriers, Coronavirus: Airlines all over the world park planes as pandemic plays out, Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/06/03/delta-block-middle-seats-through-september-amid-coronavirus/3136273001/. Fox News Flash top headlines for November 18. Itâs one of several âlayers of protectionâ Delta has introduced during the pandemic, like sanitizing plane cabins between flights and using industrial-grade HEPA filters to extract viruses from the air. Egyptair has suspended flights to and from Egypt until April 23. British Airways has grounded much of its fleet, including these jets parked at London Heathrow. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. Customers onboard Deltaâs COVID-tested flights will additionally benefit from the more than 100 safety and cleanliness initiatives the airline has implemented across its operation based on expert insights from collaborations with Mayo Clinic, Purell, Emory University and Lysol. All rights reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. At the time, it was the biggest cut in company history. Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it will continue blocking middle seats on flights through the March 30, 2021. Devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, some U.S. airlines are hoping to put potential passengers at ease by imposing tougher rules for mask wearing, including threats ⦠Gallery: Delta overhauls cleaning methods in the face of COVID-19 Since March, Delta consulted medical professionals, cleaning experts, flight crews, customers and the ⦠(AP) â More than two dozen candidates vying to be Louisianaâs newest U.S. House members have registered to run in the March 20 special election to ⦠Qantas, which has grounded the vast majority of its international fleet, is stowing planes at Sydney's airport. Delta is so far the only U.S. airline to commit to blocking middle seats through the end of March. âWe are listening and will always take the appropriate steps to ensure our customers have complete confidence in their travel with us,â Lentsch said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Itâs about more than just the elbow room. Airlines around the world are parking planes at airports and storage facilities as the coronavirus pandemic to continues to decimate the industry. Delta confirms coronavirus middle seat restriction after customer's tweet One recent passenger alleges company is not blocking middle seats during COVID-19 Parties of 3+ can continue selecting seats together. Delta is extending our commitment to make more space for safer travel by continuing to block the selection of middle seats and capping seating in every cabin through Sept. 30, 2020. âReducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people,â said Chief Customer Experience ⦠On Wednesday, Delta announced it would continue to block the selection of middle seats through at least March 30, 2021. As airlines cut more service, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pittsburgh International Airport has closed one of its four runways to store close to 100 planes. Freaked out about full ⦠United Airlines, responding to social media backlash about a full Newark-San Francisco flight, has said that it would do its best to notify passengers 24 hours before their flight if it was going to be more than 70% full. Delta will also cap seating between 50% and 75%, depending on the cabin. Israel's flagship carrier, El Al, has suspended commercial flights until early May and will only operate cargo and rescue flights until then. On aircraft with middle seats: We will block the selection of middle seats in Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin for parties of 1-2. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Delta will also cap seating between 50% and 75%, depending on the cabin. Delta's 'COVID-free' flights to Europe allow passengers to skip quarantine ... Delta Air Lines will keep its middle seats open. (iStock), JETBLUE TO STOP BLOCKING SEATS IN JANUARY 2021. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Iberia, the flagship carrier of Spain, has parked planes on the tarmac at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport. The airline said the measure will help protect travelers from COVID-19. JetBlue announced last month that it would continue to block middle seats in rows in situations where passengers aren't traveling together through July 6. Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it will continue blocking middle seats on flights through March 30, 2021. Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it will continue blocking middle seats on flights through March 30, 2021. If you are a party of one or two people, you cannot buy a middle seat, but if you are a party of three or more, you can buy the middle seat ⦠Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more. Southwest Airlines is ⦠ATLANTA â Delta Air Lines is taking more action to help limit the spread of COVID-19 but making more space for travelers and blocking more seats on flights. Alaska is blocking seats through Nov. 30, JetBlue through Jan. 5 and Southwest through Nov. 30. USA TODAY. (Chris Rank for Rank Studios) Grounded Air France airplanes sit at the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy-en-France, north of Paris, on March 24, 2020. Delta Airlines announced it will continue to enforce social distancing rules while many other airlines throw out their safety measures despite coronavirus (COVID-19) ⦠Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Related: Which US airlines are blocking middle seats? For customers in parties of 1-2: Middle seats will be blocked. The airport has shut down two terminals due to low demand. It's the same story in Germany, where Lufthansa passenger planes are parked on a closed runway northwest of Frankfurt Airport, normally one of Europe's busiest hubs. Dutch airline KLM has parked on the tarmac of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The map highlights whether travelers will need to quarantine upon arrival, produce a negative COVID-19 test result or take other precautions in different countries. National government extended obligatory isolation until April 26. Delta has pulled ahead in the ever-evolving pandemic-era jostling over which airplane is willing to keep middle seats open for the longest. On aircraft without any middle seats: We will block the selection of one aisle of seats on smaller aircraft. American Airlines will continue to limit the number of customers on each aircraft and may reassign seats to create more space between customers, according to spokesman Ross Feinstein. China may be beginning to slowly reopen its economy but the country is barring foreigners from entering the country to prevent reinfections. The desert facility is about 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles. For Delta, that means keeping middle seats empty until at least January of 2021. Members of Delta's line maintenance crew disinfect the surfaces of the cabin including tray tables, seat backs and in-flight entertainment screens in a Boeing 757. Alaska Airlines has said it would keep middle seats unoccupied through Jan. 6, and Hawaiian Airlines will prevent middle seats from being booked through Dec. 15. Paul Hudson, president of ⦠However, this is the first time Delta has given a specific date past Jan. 6, the day it previously said it would stop blocking middle seats. Martin Sylvest/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima. Southwest is storing aircraft at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. British low-cost carrier EasyJet has covered the engines of an Airbus A320 to keep foreign objects from entering, part of the process for storing planes. Blocking Seats for More Space On Board: Driven by your feedback, weâre continuing to block middle or select aisle seats and limit the number of customers on board through March 30, 2021. Meanwhile, measures are being analyzed to alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic. Delta also said it would offer passengers more flexibility in the event they need to change travel plans by not charging change fees for domestic tickets excluding âbasic economyâ fares, not charging change fees for all domestic and international tickets purchased through Dec. 31, 2020, even if the travel is scheduled for next year, and by extending the use of travel credits for trips originally scheduled before March 31, 2021, through December 2022 if the ticket was purchased before April 17, 2020. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flagship carrier has parked its planes at Hong Kong International Airport. Through Jan. 6, 2021, Delta will block the selection of middle seats in Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin via the Fly Delta app or online. United has planes stashed at Orlando International Airport. Delta Air Lines says it will become the first US carrier to help the feds trace the contacts of international travelers who fly while infected with the coronavirus. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. The airline began mothballing planes in early March, when it parked 300 planes and cut 40% of its capacity. Delta CEO says airline will continue COVID-19 middle seat policy 'well into next year' The decision to sell the middle seat will be 'based very much on customer sentiment,' Ed Bastian said or redistributed. As a result, Air China jets were still parked at Beijing Capital Airport as of late March. Delta Air Lines will continue to block middle seats and cap seating through Sept. 30 to stem the spread of COVID-19, the airline announced Wednesday. Blocked Seats: Delta has one of the most generous blocked seating arrangements in the industry. COVID exposure on flights:It's more common than you think.The US doesn't share details, but Canada does. The moves come as travel demand is picking up and travelers are finding flights more full than expected given months of headlines about empty flights. Middle seats will be shown as unavailable during the booking process. Bill Lentsch, Deltaâs chief customer experience officer, said in a press release that several studies have âvalidated the effectivenessâ of its protections, but the airline recognized that some customers need the extra space for peace of mind as they learn to live amid the pandemic. Delta is capping seating at 60 percent in the main cabin and 50 percent in first class through September 30th, along with blocking middle seats, ABC News reports. Middle seats will be shown as unavailable during the booking process. On some smaller aircraft, some aisle seats will be blocked. Delta + Lysol®: Weâve joined forces with Lysol, the expert in disinfection, to set the standard for a cleaner and hygienic travel experience. Scroll on to get an idea of just how many aircraft are being mothballed. Planes belonging to Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary, Germanwings, are being stored at Munich's Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 201215-Atlanta- Delta Airlines unveils its rapid COVID testing setup at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 15, 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Scandinavian Airlines planes sit idle on the tarmac at Copenhagen Airport. Delta is extending its commitment to block middle or select aisle seats and implementing the following changes for Delta-operated flights departing now through March 30, 2021: On aircraft with middle seats: We will block the selection of middle seats in Delta Premium Select, Delta ⦠Swiss jets are seen parked at the airport in Geneva. Follow me on Twitter . Additionally, Delta has launched a new interactive map to show travelers current travel restrictions around the world. Market data provided by Factset. Delta Air Lines announced it would continue to block middle seats and cap seating through Sept. 30 to stem the spread of COVID-19. (iStock), The airlineâs extension of the middle seat policy isnât a total surprise. The airline said the measure will help protect travelers from COVID-19. (Delta Airlines), CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER. All rights reserved. Other carriers may not have the flexibility or the desire to make the same decision. BATON ROUGE, La. If Delta unblocks the middle seat, it is going to be a very strong signal about the return of air travel. More aircraft are being stored at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. A satellite image shows how another of Europe's busiest airports, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, has become a parking lot for planes. More than 80 American Airlines jets were parked at Pittsburgh International Airport as of March 31. "As more people get back to traveling and loads are higher, American is deploying new tools to notify customers and allow them to move to more open flights when available," he said. On April 8, the airport began testing all inbound passengers for COVID-19. "Weâre one of the few airlines in the world still thatâs blocking the middle seat and capping the load factors on our plane at somewhere around two-thirds of the normal capacity," he said. But travel industry officials are encouraged. Middle seats are blocked on larger aircraft and select aisle seats are blocked on ⦠Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Fox Businessâ Maria Bartiromo on âMornings with Mariaâ last month that the airline would block the seats âwell into next year.â. Planes sit at the apron of the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Bangalore on April 8, 2020. Delta, along with other major U.S. airlines and an increasing number of airports, already requires passengers and crew members to wear masks or other face coverings. Market data provided by Factset. Here's why: Airline middle seats won't stay empty forever in the name of social distancing. Deltaâs precautions and flashy brand partnership seem similar to Unitedâs, but, unlike United, the airline has chosen to block out middle seats through March 2021. Delta Air Lines will continue to block middle seats and cap seating through Sept. 30 to stem the spread of COVID-19, the airline announced Wednesday. “Reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft across the fleet is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure a safe experience for our customers and people,” Bill Lentsch, chief customer experience officer, said in a statement. 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