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Delta will continue adding flights to maintain in-flight social distancing
Delta Air Lines will keep adding flight frequencies until at least July to maintain social distancing in the cabin.
It will continue to limit available seats in the main cabin at 60% and in business class at 50%, according to people familiar with discussions taking place at the airline.
It has so far said publically that these limits will last until the end of June.
Delta is banking on a recovery spurred by customers’ perception that the airline is taking passenger safety and comfort seriously.
"We announced a policy on seating capacity through June 30. Nothing has been decided beyond that but we are continuing to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary," Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said.
Delta CEO Ed Bastain recently said social distancing protocols could be an ‘opportunity for us to focus more on a more premium experience.’
Many airlines have said it is not financially sustainable to continue blocking the middle seat for the long term without a big jump in airfares.
Still, for now, it is not an issue as average loadings are still below 40%.
Delta and its rivals don’t expect the market to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2021 at the earliest.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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