DCAproducer

Funny that just a matter of weeks ago the discussions on FT centered around devaluations, things not like they used to be, lack of upgrades, etc.
It will be interesting to see if anything changes once operations get back to normal. Will the return to air travel be slow or fast? If it's slow, I see a lot of offers like DL did a decade ago making it easier to get Medallion status. Maybe even more aggressive FCM? Who knows at this point.

Revelate

Not sure that will happen soon.

The consequences of every airline reducing capacity is flights are fuller than one might expect even in today’s world. A lot of people are still ignoring the warnings, I can’t throw stones I had exactly this type of MR planned and I was going through with it till last night.

What I saw on VS though was strategic rescheduling and cancelling of flights which resulted in fuller aircraft. If I hadn’t gotten stuck with an additional 16 hour layover I probably would still have gone but I was planning to self quarantine anyway.

On the flip side with this forum I will undoubtedly have the ability to see when things are coming out of the current mess and get a few useful bookings in at least before things go to whatever the new normal is.

At some level with carriers potentially going under, I wouldn’t make any promises now to pax, we may have a lot less choice on the other side of this.

DawgmanOH

As FYI, and I know this is way OT for DL forum, but road to Hana is closed to insure that locals can get back in forth in an emergency and not because of people throwing rocks. However, people have certainly thrown rocks in the past. Way before the virus. But that is not why the road is closed right now:

https://www.khon2.com/coronavirus-2/...local-traffic/
https://mauinow.com/2020/03/18/hana-...urther-notice/
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...conomic-impact

SJC ORD LDR

To answer the original questions - I have stopped flying for now and there is no offer that Delta could make to get me in the air for the next couple months. They could give me money to fly first class and hand out quintuple MQMs and I'd still stay home. Being in a confined space with potentially infected people isn't worth it right now. It's not just the airline employees, you have had multiple airports with TSA employees who have COVID-19, including my local airport, SJC. You also have people at the eateries and shops to deal with as well.

Global Adventurer

I like to eat. So, this has been my number one issue. Eateries, Sky Club lounge and even eating on the plane. On my last flight a month ago, I wore a N95 the entire 16 hour flight, and refused most drinks and food, but kept all the snacks for the hotel. I did eat but it was quick and I felt as if I was exposing myself to germs. I felt completely uncomfortable taking off my mask even though I still kept my eye protection on. Yep, I like to enjoy my food, so traveling is out for me right now except minimal local traveling.

cfabar1

Nothing Delta could offer me right now would encourage me to fly. They could give me the trip for free. Where would I go? Anywhere to travel is closed down. Why would I want to be on this tube with all these people and their germs.

Delta’s problem is going to be when this is over.... people are going to be more germaphobic... permanently I believe. The things they will need to do to make people want to fly again are going to be expensive - more room between the seats, wider seats, more spacious feeling/less claustrophobic. Food products that are entirely pre-packaged in the SkyClub. It will be terribly expensive.

danielvdm

Honestly I doubt this. People will forget and move on. Half the country still isn't even taking this seriously anyway.

ElmhurstNick

This is shaping up to be my lowest travel year in 23 years. I simply don't trust the hotels. The situation with two pro sports teams staying at a luxury hotel, and people in the same room being infected. What chance do I have that the typical mid-limited chains I stay in are going to be properly sanitized for this threat?

The airplanes, I can take my chances with short early morning flights after Delta's new fogging equipment is used. But if I'm not going to feel comfortable staying in hotels then all I'm going to have are day trips to east coast clients (all of whom are prohibiting visitors) or flying up to see my dad (And his residential retirement complex is on lockdown).

I'd like to get to 30k MQM of actual flying this year to get me two years of Silver with credit card spend in both 2020 and 2021. It's not Platinum, but it will get me C+ on most CR9 flights out of RDU on Tue/Wed/Sat. I had 15k of flying in Q1, so a couple of day trips in Q3 and a normal Q4 (a transcon RT and a bunch of 500-700 mqm segments) will get me there.

J.Edward

Stumbled across this thread and was reminded of AA's AAirpass from the early 80's. Started a thread on the UA form (see link below) asking if a lifetime pass were offered, what would you consider it to be worth.

...and more realistically, if a temporary pass (think B6's all you can fly pass from a while ago), would you consider it.

For example, for $2,500 you could fly on DL in F anywhere in the lower 48 with a $99 per flight co-pay and 3 day AP. Or for $9,500 you could fly anywhere globally on DL in J with a $199 copay and 7 day AP...you get the idea. Planes will be empty when the network restarts and something like this seems like a clever way to get cash into the airline ASAP and burn off otherwise empty seats.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ghts-life.html

rogo

Delta could include a coronavirus vaccine or cure to get me to fly.

Nothing else will work.

GrayAnderson

Give me somewhere to go that is open and I'd consider it. I've taken the general tactic of isolating from anyone who would be disproportionately at risk from this thing...I hate to say it like this, but (much as I love them) it's easier to avoid Mom and Dad for a few months and just call regularly than it is to huddle in a corner for an indefinite period. And yes, it's the "indefinite period" bit that's at issue...I've used the analogy of an enthusiastic chorus director calling on the singers for fifteen encores "one more time" at a time (and noted that when I was in school, more than once a bunch of us stopped after the third or fourth encore).

To be clear, this doesn't mean I won't engage in risk mitigation and it doesn't mean I won't be calling my shots carefully...but one significant bout of social engagement (involving a relative handful of folks) every few weeks seems like a feasible course of action when combined with limiting my exposure otherwise. Right now, my "regular social contacts" list is about two people long. So I'll call those shots carefully and do my best not to overdo anything.

Could you get me out and doing mileage runs right now? Not really...but that's more not wanting to turn into an accidental super-spreader than anything.

richarddd

That's my current problem. I'd like to travel, but essentially nothing I have an interest in seeing is open. Until there is somewhere to go, there's nothing useful DL could offer.

Mr. Tickets

I think this is going to be an on-going situation. If the virus does slow down or go away this summer, it will likely return next Winter. There is no vaccination and won't likely have one for a year, even though they are testing things now. Also, it appears that you do not build up an immunity to the virus. I don't look for anything to be better for a year or more and then momentum may take a while to build. People need to start preparing for a long run with this. Worrying about airline status seems to be a little unimporant at this point in time.

Pretzelsandpeanuts

Flight to Nashville for work earlier this month, Ljubljana Slovenia (vacation, on Air France) was supposed to leave this coming Friday and SLC for work in April all cancelled. Not rebooking anything until I know when things will be back to “normal”

jonsail

With so many businesses being ordered to close and so many attractions being closed, e.g., Las Vegas casinos, Florida beaches, etc., it is going to take some sort of signal from the federal and state governments to encourage travel and the re-opening of "non-essential businesses." When that happens, I think there will be a big pent up demand for travel among those who didn't get crushed financially by the shut-downs. But for those who do get financially crushed by the shut-downs, there won't be much the airlines will be able to do to encourage air travel. We just may have a smaller market for air travel until the economy fully recovers and a whole lot of folks dig themselves out of financial hurt.