Delta’s Last Flight Blocking Middle Seats Signals End of Social Distancing
Airlines & Airports Delta Air Lines Rich Thomaselli May 02, 2021

The great social distancing experiment on airplanes is officially over.
Delta Air Lines has flown its final flight while blocking middle seats, according to the Washington Post, signaling the end of social distancing on airplanes that went into practice last year when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit.
Delta was the last airline to abandon the practice; middle seats on all flights were available for purchase on Delta as of Saturday, May 1.
“While Delta’s decision to block middle seats has given many customers a reason to choose Delta over the past year, the signature hospitality of our employees and the experiences they deliver to customers every day have also deepened their trust in our airline,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.
During an earnings call in mid-April, Bastian said the change would provide “a powerful tool for improving our financial performance.” While that might sound like hyperbole, do that math. In an average plane with a middle aisle, six seats to a row (three on each side of the aisle), and 32 total rows, that’s 64 seats blocked each flight. At an average cost per round trip domestic tickets costing around $340, you’re looking at $21,760 in lost revenue per flight.
“With vaccinations accelerating and travel interest rebounding sharply, it’s more likely that President Biden will dunk a basketball on live TV than airlines will reimpose middle-seat blocking,” Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, said in an email to the Post.
Sponsored Content
-
A Modern Luxury Resort in Punta Cana
Promoted by The Excellence Collection -
ALGV Travel Advisor Appreciation Month
Promoted by ALG Vacations -
Tropical Paradise in Cancun & Punta Cana
Promoted by The Excellence Collection -
For more information on Delta Air Lines
For more Airlines & Airports News
More by Rich Thomaselli
Comments
You may use your Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook information, including your name, photo & any other personal data you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on TravelPulse.com. Click here to learn more.
LOAD FACEBOOK COMMENTS