United Airlines under fire for packed flights amid coronavirus pandemic
United pledged to block off middle seats on flights; travel expert Laura Begley Bloom reacts.
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United Airlines is going the extra mile to make customers feel comfortable during the coronavirus pandemic by informing them in advance if their flight is near "full capacity," and inviting them to rebook a new trip or receive a travel credit for the impacted itinerary.
The carrier is evidently making amends after being slammed on social media for failing to enforce social distancing in its cabins. Over the weekend, a passenger on a cross-country flight from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco tweeted a now-viral photo of his packed flight with every seat allegedly "full," even though United had previously assured him that the middle row would be blocked to create more room.
United announced the news on Monday and said that the new policy that will take effect next week, Reuters reports. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that the policy will be effective through June 30 and that the airline will do their “best” to contact customers about 24 hours in advance of their departure time if their flight is anticipated to be “closer to full capacity.”
From there, passengers can elect to rebook for a different flight or receive a travel credit. The Chicago-based carrier will also offer customers these options at the gate, if over 70 percent of other passengers have checked in.
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Dr. Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist and assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, sent Twitter into a tizzy on Saturday after alleging that “every seat” was occupied on his cross-country United flight on Saturday.
Weiss further alleged that, on April 30, the airline sent him an email assuring customers that the airline would be “automatically blocking middle seats to give you enough space on board,” according to screenshots he shared to social media.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Fox News that the new policy will be effective through June 30. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Weiss added that his fellow passengers were also “scared/shocked,” presumably for the same reason that the doctor had raised concerns.
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When reached for comment on Wednesday morning, a United spokesperson explained the airline’s increased efforts to promote onboard social distancing to keep customers and crew safe during the global health crisis.
“Travel demand has declined dramatically over the last few months and even though we have reduced our schedule by 90 percent, the vast majority of our flights (85 percent) are less than half full. However, because our schedule is so reduced, there are a small number of flights where our customers are finding planes fuller than they expect,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “In an effort to be as transparent as possible with our customers and give them more control over their travel plans, starting next week and continuing through June 30, we’ll allow customers on flights that are expected to be closer to full capacity to choose to rebook on a different flight or receive a travel credit.”
“To make it easier for our customers to plan, we’ll do our best to contact them about 24 hours before their departure time so they can decide whether to adjust their plans before they arrive at the airport – and we’ll provide this option at the gate, if more than 70 percent of customers have checked in.”
“As more cities and states begin to open up, we expect that more people will choose to travel,” they continued. “We’ve been focused on overhauling our onboard cleaning procedures, including the use of electrostatic sprayers and requiring customers and crew to wear masks on board so we can re-assure our customers that they can safely travel when they are ready to get back in the air.’
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More information about the carrier’s health and safety measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak is available on their website.
Fox News’ Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.