One carrier guarantees an empty seat next to you – at a price
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Like other airlines, Delta is blocking middle seats from its inventory. (Note: If this photo were current, passengers would be wearing face masks.)
Photo: DeltaLike other airlines, Delta is blocking middle seats from its inventory. (Note: If this photo were current, passengers would be wearing face masks.)
Like other airlines, Delta is blocking middle seats from its inventory. (Note: If this photo were current, passengers would be wearing face masks.)
Like other airlines, Delta is blocking middle seats from its inventory. (Note: If this photo were current, passengers would be wearing face masks.)
Most airlines have taken steps in recent weeks to provide more in-flight “social distancing” for passengers by adopting a policy of keeping their middle seats empty. But those policies vary among airlines, they aren’t permanent and they aren’t a blanket assurance that every customer will have an empty seat next to him or her.
In the latest wrinkle, low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines has come out with an “empty middle seat” guarantee – but like most forms of insurance, it comes at a cost. The carrier said this week that all flights departing from May 8 through August 31 will have 18 “More Room” seats available for booking for a surcharge starting at $39 per passenger, per flight. The surcharge guarantees that customers will have an empty seat next to them. The “More Room” seats will also include the extra-legroom “Stretch” seats in the first three rows. The special seats can be reserved at any point from initial booking to check-in, subject to availability.
(Given Frontier’s extra-low base fares, consider this: If the two passengers on either side of the empty middle seat each pay a fee of $39 or more, that means the empty seat could well be producing more revenue than the airfare paid by either passenger.)
With passenger volume these days running 90-95 percent less than its pre-crisis levels, you might think airlines should have no problem keeping middle seats open. But keep in mind that most major airlines are currently operating schedules that are reduced by 70-80 percent from January/February levels. We haven’t seen any current load factor data from airlines in recent weeks, but based on passenger's in-flight videos posted on social media, some of those flights appear to be fairly full.
As an ultra-low-cost carrier, Frontier is no stranger to assessing separate fees for all kinds of passenger services and amenities, but it seems to be the first to do so for empty middle seats. Here’s a look at other carrier's current policies:
United said on its website that through May 31, it is limiting seat selection in all cabins “so customers won’t be able to select seats next to each other or middle seats where available. We’re also alternating window and aisle seats when seats are in pairs.” As May 31 approaches, United said it will “continue to evaluate how best to proceed given the fluidity of the current situation.”
Delta said last month that through June 30, it is blocking middle seats from the available inventory in Main Cabin (economy), Comfort+ and Premium Select classes on all flights. “Customers who prefer to be seated directly next to travel companions and family members or needing additional assistance should contact Reservations ahead of travel or talk to a Delta agent upon arriving at the gate,” Delta said. This week, Delta updated its policy. Besides blocking middle seats, the carrier will also block “select window and aisle seats” in all cabins on planes that have 1 x 2, 2 x 2 and 2 x 3 seating. “Seat blocks for narrow-body and regional jet aircraft will launch this week; blocks for the two-seat sections of widebody aircraft will be visible in the coming weeks,” Delta said.
Seat map for an Alaska Airlines flight showing middle seats unavailable for booking.
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At Alaska Airlines, all middle seats on larger aircraft and aisle seats on smaller ones are being blocked off through May 31, the carrier said. Families or other groups that want to sit together can make a request through the reservations department or at the airport. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate our efforts to provide extra space beyond May,” the airline said.
American says that through May 30 it is limiting the number of passengers per aircraft, and “as part of this limit, American will not assign 50% of main cabin middle seats or seats near flight attendant jump seats on every flight and will only use those middle seats when necessary.” American noted that its gate agents will reassign seats to create more customer distancing or to accommodate families that need to be seated together. “Once on board — as long as there aren’t any aircraft weight or balance restrictions — customers can move to another seat within their ticketed cabin subject to availability,” American said.
Southwest Airlines last weekend said the number of passengers per aircraft will be “reduced temporarily” so that customers can spread out, but Southwest’s traditional open seating policy will not change. “Customers may still pick their own seat, and Southwest will not be blocking seats or directing seating. In our open seating environment, families or those traveling together may sit together,” the carrier said on its website.
As Southwest CEO Gary Kelly explained during an interview on CBS last weekend: “We're not going to remove middle seats or prohibit people from sitting in middle seats. But at the same time, we won't book the airplanes full. So, you know, if you choose, all the middle seats can be open.” With passenger spacing, deep cleaning of aircraft cabins and HEPA filters cleaning the cabin air, “I don't think the risk on an airplane is any greater risk than anywhere else,” Kelly said.
JetBlue said it is limiting the number of seats available for sale on “most flights,” and did not give a cutoff date for that practice. But, it isn’t making any promises about middle seats. “Before each flight, JetBlue reviews seat assignments to ensure as much personal space as possible. In addition, rows near crewmember jump seats have been blocked off to create buffer zones for added crewmember and customer safety,” the carrier said.
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Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates!
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