Originally Posted by zombietooth

In addition, multiple scientists have said that there can be no "effective" social distancing on an airplane, so the value of an empty middle is suspect.

Originally Posted by Kacee

That conclusion does not follow.

There are points during a flight where it is very difficult to social distance, e.g., when everyone gets up from their seats to retrieve their luggage and deplane. However, that does not negate the benefit of maintaining greater distance from other passengers while in flight. That's just simple physics. This is all about risk mitigation, not total elimination of risk. I personally will take every step I can to reduce risk of catching (or unknowingly transmitting) COVID-19, acknowledging that there is some risk any time I leave my house. This means I won't be flying UA anytime soon.

Originally Posted by emcampbe

Short of that, the best way to social distance on an airplane is to find a flight with lie-flats, and buy up front. Even that isn't really social distancing, but about the closest you can get to it on an airplane that isn't about 30% or less full.

Originally Posted by LRMErnst

Given that our other options are to drive, fly private, or not fly at all....I think that this is our fourth safest option.

Originally Posted by emcampbe

+1 - Completely agree. If it makes you feel better to have an empty middle (which I never would have anyway, since all my traveling is with family anyway), then great, but what happens when the aisle/window in the two rows in front of/behind you are full. Do you ignore that? Empty middle sounds nice, and I suppose on some level, having the middle empty (and 1 less person in your row) is better than not, it doesn't really make that much a health difference. I'm not a scientist, but I'd guess mask use from those around you is a much better way to keep safe than whether or not there is someone in the middle seat.
Also for those who haven’t had the pleasure of air travel during this event. Coach has truly become self loading cattle. Fa’s Often make a quick pass up and down the aisle not to be seen until landing. 1st has been reduced to what coach used to be. Add to that most UCs are closed you are lucky if you find one vendor open after security.

My guess is those traveling right now are in one of two camps: they either have to go on a trip, or they don't really care about social distancing. Anyone actually thinking about it for two seconds should realize that an empty middle while filling both window/aisle, not to mention window/aisle in the row directly in front/behind is not anywhere close to social distancing. In order to have that in the Y cabin, you'd need to sell only the window seats in every third row. Short of that, the best way to social distance on an airplane is to find a flight with lie-flats, and buy up front. Even that isn't really social distancing, but about the closest you can get to it on an airplane that isn't about 30% or less full.

Originally Posted by Dublin_rfk

I belong to the camp that has to fly (26 flights 10 of which were TCONs) and I believe that protecting myself is more effective than hoping that someone else practices self protection. With (very little additional) little effort all my TCONs have been in Polaris seating, thanks to pluspoints.

Originally Posted by goodeats21

And herein lies the rub. It is not everyone on the plane practicing "self protection" by wearing a mask. It is a joint/shared effort to protect everyone on the plane by reducing the level of exhalation virus by everyone wearing face coverings. And fewer people on the plane means less virus in the air. And further away (empty middle) means less virus close to me.

I have only flown one round trip post COVID. I took every precaution to protect myself (KN95 mask, safety glasses, disinfecting my seat, not eating/drinking). The rub is that all these efforts are much more effective when the entire group participates.

Takes a village, folks.

Originally Posted by Dublin_rfk

One does what one needs to do! And the village ain't what it used to be.
Thanks to my career choice this is far from my first rodeo and I’m not treating this like the zombie apocalypse. I’m out in it everyday. My daily go bag includes several mask types including a modified full face (and for personal use nothing less than a N95), gloves, 1st aid kit, and now thanks to current events a concealed carry permit taser. I’m more concerned about the violent environment around my customers than the virus.

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

We've got some travel later this week on a 739. UA had middle seats blocked but they seem to have dropped the blocks a day or so ago as others have noticed. This morning I looked to see if our CPUs have cleared (are they still holding CPUs until just before boarding?). That's when I noticed that our E+ seats had been changed. Instead of being in D and F we were in D and E. In fact, looking at the seatmap, there were a few rws where two passengers who were formerly in A and C or D and F were now next to each other. Have others seen this too? The seatmap is identical. I don't think this is due to an aircraft swap.

Originally Posted by goodeats21

And herein lies the rub. It is not everyone on the plane practicing "self protection" by wearing a mask. It is a joint/shared effort to protect everyone on the plane by reducing the level of exhalation virus by everyone wearing face coverings. And fewer people on the plane means less virus in the air. And further away (empty middle) means less virus close to me.

Originally Posted by goodeats21

And herein lies the rub. It is not everyone on the plane practicing "self protection" by wearing a mask. It is a joint/shared effort to protect everyone on the plane by reducing the level of exhalation virus by everyone wearing face coverings. And fewer people on the plane means less virus in the air. And further away (empty middle) means less virus close to me.

I have only flown one round trip post COVID. I took every precaution to protect myself (KN95 mask, safety glasses, disinfecting my seat, not eating/drinking). The rub is that all these efforts are much more effective when the entire group participates.

Takes a village, folks.

Originally Posted by AirbusFan2B

I’m a Plat on ORD-BRU on 06 Sep 2020 & get a “sorry, something went wrong. Please try again” all day long when trying to move my e+ seat to another e+ seat in a wide open cabin on a 787-10. What might be going on - Covid restriction imposed by UA - call it in?

Originally Posted by fumje

I can't tell for certain what they're doing, but I think this is only happening once the flight is booked over 70% capacity (or whatever the exact threshold is).

The seat map won't tell you what the actual load is, so seeing empty aisle/window doesn't mean they won't need the middles.