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How Long Will Airline Coronavirus Changes Be Around?
FlyerTalk Forums May 13, 2020
This question comes to us from the FlyerTalk forum:
So we can assume the airlines will use COVID to screw customers?
I see lots of airlines saying no carry-ons and no more free upgrades as a “safety measure.” Explain to me how upgrading FF poses a health risk exactly? This helps nothing but the airline’s bottom line. They should be cleaning every seat on the plane, and even if they NEEDED to know who was going to be where, they could close the upgrade window at t+12h or something. Beyond that, you can be sure if someone pays to upgrade 15 minutes before the flight they airline won’t balk. No meals on longhauls, no lounges, but don’t worry tickets will still be expensive! Just like all those “temporary” fees airlines institute that never go away.
What do you think?
@Ozflyer86: Cheaper? I suppose... Given that I never fly economy, I never consider prices in that sector. I do know that I have been monitoring business class prices from Lax to Sydney and prices are in the $6,000 range. I would hardly consider that cheap. Then again, I suppose it is cheaper when business class used to be priced at $14,000. Customers would be stupid to pay regular premium prices for degraded service. I refuse to pay thousands of dollars and do not get lounge or meals - i'e the full experience.
KSRW, as far as doing things not supported by science, the science jury is definitely still out as far as this virus goes, but increasingly it is showing to be a stronger airborne contagion than first thought. That makes a jet cabin a flying gas chamber regardless of the number of HEPA filters or air exchanges. Three minutes is probably 2.9 minutes too long if you are seated near an infected passenger -- and by near that likely means further than 6 feet, depending on the directional airflows.
airfares Australia to USA in peak season January summer school holidays have never ever been cheaper. In USD$ Just over $500 return & that's peak season !!!!! Apart from maybe wearing masks, think everything should return to some sort of normal in next 2 to 3 months.
We only do carryons for all trips - foreign and domestic. Sometimes check if coming back w. purchases. Often take a Jet Blue flite from FLL-SFO that lands at SFO about 10:30PM. Often it arrives late so if it lands at 11:15 I can still make last BART train to Okld. aat midnite. If I had to add 30 minutes to get luggage, wouldn't make it in time.
It's got to be hard trying to keep an airline afloat at these times, and I'm sure a lot of the decisions are financially motivated because if they don't do them, they will simply not be there any more. The CCP did a good job of F ing over the whole world.