In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, many airlines have swiftly made changes to the way they operate. Social distancing is the new normal. Therefore, airlines have put new measures and requirements in place. In most cases, you won’t be allowed to fly if you’re not wearing a mask. Similarly, Delta plans to continue keeping middle seats on most of its planes empty.
Delta extends policy to block Middle Seats
Yesterday, Delta sent an email to notify customers that they’re extending their policy to block middle seats.
As you plan your future trips, including travel to visit family for the holidays, rest assured that we have extended our policy of blocking middle seats and limiting the number of customers on every flight through Jan. 6, 2021. Data and science drive this approach to your care and protection. The medical experts at Emory Healthcare agree: distance matters.
This extension comes as no surprise given the current scenario pertaining to Covid-19 in the United States. The email then goes on to reiterate the importance of wearing masks. Delta emphasizes that their decision has been purely guided by data and science. The email ends with an assurance to customers that Delta’s taking all the necessary steps from their side. This includes testing all employees regularly and following the best in class cleaning procedures.
Layers of protection have been implemented with guidance from medical experts at Emory to help mitigate your risk of bacterial and viral spread. The cleanliness throughout your trip is a result of Delta’s newly established Global Cleanliness division and partnership with RB, the makers of Lysol.
To take care of the people who take care of you, Delta is well on its way to testing nearly 100 percent of employees for COVID-19, thanks to relationships with Mayo Clinic, Quest Diagnostics and CVS Health.
The Pundit’s Mantra
After the initial outbreak of Covid-19, I’d predicted that safety and cleanliness will be the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for many brand going forward. Delta’s emphasis on cleanliness and health clearly shows that they’re pulling all stops. However, I’m interested to see how this pans out once customer demand picks up.
Will airlines continue to block middle seats post 2021 when demand picks up? Airlines will have to make a choice. Do they increase prices as they sell fewer seats? Conversely, do they roll back their policy to block the middle seats in order to sell more seats?
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