Delta remains the only U.S. carrier blocking middle seats and will continue to provide more space and peace of mind to guests through April 2021. The carrier has been blocking middle seats and limited the number of customers on each flight since April 2020.
On Monday (February 8, 2021), Delta Air Lines announced an extension of their middle seat blocking policy through April 30, 2021, the only U.S. carrier offering guests additional space and peace of mind. Delta has been blocking middle seats and limiting the overall number of customers on each flight since April 2020. While studies have shown the risk of COVID-19 transmission while flying is extremely small, the extra room, not to mention full armrest access, will likely continue to appeal to travelers.
In today’s announcement, Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, Bill Lentsch, said,
“We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to tell us that more space provides more peace of mind. We’ll continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, while bringing back products and services in ways that instill trust in the health and safety of everyone on board – that will always be Delta’s priority.”
Additionally, Delta is taking further steps to reassure customers as they resume traveling in the coming months such as making it easier to understand testing requirements and to get tested, either through the purchase of an at-home test, or via a nearby in-person testing facility. The carrier has also created an interactive travel map to help customers understand the latest destination travel requirements or restrictions. Delta is streamlining travel through a digital concierge to manage bookings, test scheduling and automatic document verification all in one place on the Fly Delta app or on delta.com.
Delta is also deploying a dedicated team of ‘Clean Ambassadors’ to ensure a consistently safe and sanitized experience across over 55 airports and expanding rapid testing centers to Delta’s Minneapolis and Detroit hubs, complementing existing testing facilities at Atlanta, Boston, New York-JFK and Seattle. For added peace of mind, Delta Vacations is only selling international hotels and resorts that offer in-hotel testing for travel through April 2021. The carrier has also implemented over 100 layers of protection to ensure the health and safety of guests and team members through the comprehensive ‘Delta CareStandard’ program. Finally, Delta is refreshing over 300 new inflight entertainment options, including plans to bring high-speed onboard Wi-Fi this year.
Source: Delta Air Lines