Originally Posted by cesco.g (Post 32316953)

UA to block seats as part of social distancing.

https://onemileatatime.com/united-ai...locking-seats/

Originally Posted by Halo117 (Post 32317008)

If UA won't practice what they preach about safety I will do it for them and cancel.

Originally Posted by PTahCha (Post 32317955)

With many of the flights downsized and first class already filled up, I'm wondering if they are going to start downgrading people? Or keep status quo and hand out masks?

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32318186)

Neither, although people can certainly downgrade themselves if they want, assuming there's space in Y. If somebody wants to wear a mask on the plane, I doubt that they'll stop them, but I also don't expect that they'll be handing them out (and I personally wouldn't fly any airline where a mask is mandated, but that's neither here nor there).

Originally Posted by PTahCha (Post 32317955)

With many of the flights downsized and first class already filled up, I'm wondering if they are going to start downgrading people? Or keep status quo and hand out masks?

Originally Posted by timfountain (Post 32318529)

Well, IMHO, you are not going to be flying for a long while! I truly expect that masks will become mandatory in public spaces and certainly on airplanes here in the US. It's inevitable...

Originally Posted by Halo117 (Post 32317008)

where did all those folks go....

Originally Posted by jhayes_1780 (Post 32318869)

I cant link the article, but FR says if they are legislated to do quarantine/social distance seating, then they will not fly until after those rules go away, the quote was something like: "we cant even cover costs at 66% capacity"

Originally Posted by Halo117 (Post 32319569)

What does that even mean? Did they mean load factors? If so that is a false assertion as load factors have no bearing on profitability. How many times have we heard that mantra on FT.

Originally Posted by timfountain (Post 32318529)

Well, IMHO, you are not going to be flying for a long while! I truly expect that masks will become mandatory in public spaces and certainly on airplanes here in the US. It's inevitable...

Originally Posted by Halo117 (Post 32319569)

What does that even mean? Did they mean load factors? If so that is a false assertion as load factors have no bearing on profitability. How many times have we heard that mantra on FT.

Originally Posted by Halo117 (Post 32319569)

My complaint is touting safety only to cram them in by consolidating flights to high load factors. This will be a problem going forward and no vaccine. Save the lip service and give me my snackbox.

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32329971)

Ran into an odd one tonight. Looking at flight #372 HNL-SFO for May 28. The seat map on the App shows 0 FC seats available for sale or assignment. The desk top version on ua.com shows 0 for sale but 11 available to assign. Called the 1K desk and they verified 0 for sale but saw the 11 available for assignment. The agent didn't know what to make of it. Is it possible this is the beginning of keeping seats open for social distancing? That would make sense, but the seats taken in FC all seem to be bunched (maybe assigned before social distancing went into effect). Thoughts? As a side note, there are a bunch of middle seats in Y that are open to assign.

Originally Posted by Dpetryszyn (Post 32330275)

Its most likely a flight they dont plan on operating unless they see passenger demand.

Lots of the EWR - SFO/LAX routes with multiple flights per day in May have atleast 1 of said flights showing 0 FC flights for sale. My guess is they dont want to overbook J.

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32330361)

Ordinarily, I might agree with you but not in this case. There is only 1 flight per day each way to/from Hawaii and the mainland now that UA got approval to discontinue service to all other islands..... this one. I'm leaning to social distancing meets UA IT.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32330372)

Do you already have a ticket on this flight, or are you looking to buy one?

UA is not planning to fly the plane half-empty, up front, If that's what you're thinking. The seat blocking could be anything, but the inventory being zeroed out is likely because they consolidated all of their Hawaiian passengers to one plane. It wouldn't surprise me if it were actually oversold up front, as they expect people to cancel. It's just that some people don't have seat assignments yet.

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32330412)

I'm currently ticketed on the flight in Y. The ideal for me would be for a light load and snag a row of 3 and stretch out away from other passengers.

Your explanations all make sense. I was just commenting that the App and ua.com seat maps for F are totally different. The App shows 0 seats to select in F while .com shows 11 seats available for selection. Neither has actual F seats available for sale. I've just never seen the seat maps differ between the App & .com

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32330415)

Yeah, I noticed that there are 11 seats blocked on ExpertFlyer if you select the F cabin, but if you select the J cabin, they're empty. I wonder if UA just mis-coded something, and the app is looking up the J seat map whereas the web is using F.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32330415)

Yeah, I noticed that there are 11 seats blocked on ExpertFlyer if you select the F cabin, but if you select the J cabin, they're empty. I wonder if UA just mis-coded something, and the app is looking up the J seat map whereas the web is using F.

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32336573)

If I read that right, once you get to the airport those seats can be assigned if a) a couple/family wants to sit together or b) they sell enough seats that those middle seats are needed.

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32336573)

the execution might be challenging in meeting real social distancing goals.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32336588)

Correct.


It's nothing but theater. The airlines cannot stay in business allocating 28 square feet* of airplane to every passenger. They're reticent to admit this in the current environment, so they're taking these measures as a marketing step. The only way to fly whilst adhering to the CDC distancing guidelines is private.

* 3 feet ✖️ πr²

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32336610)

Thanks jsloan, that was my feeling as well. UA needs every $ of revenue they can get right now, so they are not going to turn away a sale in the name of social distancing.

Originally Posted by Dyce (Post 32337258)

2 things here... United have drastically cut future capacity (May-June) based on current demand. This has resulted in:

1) prices going up - cash or miles
2) loads going up

for example, I’ve continued flying IAH-CMH-IAH during the past few weeks. This route is/was a direct flight 3+ times a day

initially flights were cancelling left, right and center and the flights that did operate had ~10-pax (normally served by a 175)

Eventually we were down to 1 flight most days with 17 passengers on my flight IAH-CMH on Monday.

For my next flight in May there are no direct flights and I’ve been routed through ORD with much higher load on the ORD-IAH flight

this is resulting / will result in less social distancing on planes where several ppl (of the 17 passengers on Monday I counted 5 without masks including a non rev pilot in FC) will have zero common courtesy & respect for others and not wear a face mask...

So, I’m going to start driving it... 17 hours in the car isn’t fun, but at less than $100 each way for gas, and no risk from being in a Petri dish plane of ~75% capacity, to me it’s a better choice.

i think ppl will start freaking out when the flights are over 50% full again (how comfortable would you be sitting next to someone without a mask occasionally coughing for 2 hours?).

i don’t blame the airlines for matching supply to demand, but I think the net result is eventually going to be detrimental to getting ppl flying again this summer.

i predict a LOT of ppl will resort to traditional family road trip vacations to visit relatives in other parts of the country this summer...

Originally Posted by AirbusFan2B (Post 32337300)

With wear and tear on the car, may be closer to $1,000 cost per trip. Depending on duration, a rental car may be better value.

I think we’ll soon have antibody tests. UA requiring masks now, I believe?

Originally Posted by bluedemon211 (Post 32336573)

With the drastic reduction in capacity (in many cases only 1 non-stop between cities where there used to be as many as 5-6) the odds are those seats will be needed.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32336588)

It's nothing but theater. The airlines cannot stay in business allocating 28 square feet* of airplane to every passenger.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32336638)

Even a blocked middle seat is only about 20" of space from the nearest passenger. To meet CDC guidelines, UA would need to block nearly 90% of their narrowbody inventory -- basically, you could put two people every three rows, although you might need to stagger them on the 76-seaters.

Originally Posted by goalie (Post 32339440)

Bolding mine: That’s assuming there is a meal ;)

Originally Posted by Weatherboy (Post 32339511)

United requires passengers wear masks effective May 4.

They haven't suggested food stops then.

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 32339596)

Well, it's gone from unthinkable to inevitable to announced: https://hub.united.com/united-corona...ght-attendants



Among US carriers, B6 started this, F9 followed, and UA, AA, and DL all appear to have followed suit today. No end date is listed.

Presented without further comment in an effort to avoid going OMNI.