IAH-OIL-TRASH

Where an infected person is sitting is key. Riding in a plane nowadays is like poker, one might opt for the safe play (lower density seating), but a bad deal in something you don't have control over (where an infected person ends up sitting) could make the smart move the loser anyway.

Stripe

These days it's a no brainer to pay up for F unless it's a flight that is either likely to be lightly loaded in Y or for which an upgrade is virtually certain. The biggest "danger" to me is at arrival, when you're crowded and jostling in the aisles and when folks are generally breathing more heavily than when seated quietly during the flight. A seat in F minimizes that, but Y+ would help too. Perhaps UA is more consistent in suggesting folks stay in their seats until the aisle ahead is clear, and its pax more compliant, but that is absolutely not the case on AA. Out of 4 flights I was on last weekend, all completely full, only one FA suggested folks stay seated. He was largely ignored. All flights had the usual post-arrival mess. And although you're certainly within six feet of others when seated in F, there are fewer folks within that radius. The perfect seat is a window in the last row of F, with the wall behind you (if there is a wall).

mcrw00

We’re going to mitigate that danger by not using overhead bins and being as close to the front of Y+ as possible.

WineCountryUA

Let's not fall into the OMNI topic -- "effectiveness of masks"

Let's stick discussion that UA specific and leave the more general air travel safety issue to threads like
Safest aircraft operation in COVID era: boarding back to front, empty middles, ...
Safety on a plane [merged thread]

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

onthesam

I can't say I completely agree with your analysis here (I've been traveling very regularly) -- it all sounds more like a guessing game to me than fact based reasoning.

-There very well may be crowding in the gate area and jetway regardless of when you board. You can indeed wait until the end to board but unless you wait until just before the door closes, and while theoretically there may be less people you come into contact with, you will still end up near many many people.

-Chances are they will not enforce y pax not using the F lav

-Straddling middle seat could get you reassigned (so please consider opposite aisles)

-The concern about F pax taking masks off to eat seems to disregard the probabilities: there's a higher density of Y pax, some of which will take their mask off or let it slip down for a variety of reasons.

I hate to say it (as a UA fan) but given your level of concern, another airline may be a better choice. I haven't seen a single united FA (admittedly, my travel has been mostly UX and not mainline) rouse someone sleeping to tell them to put their mask completely over their nose and mouth. I've seen this multiple times on WN.

daisyatl

I am a bit confused myself with it all. I had convinced myself that I would choose economy over business (if upgraded) if I would get a whole row in economy. But I have now had two trips where business was a lie flat and one coming up tomorrow. I am a sucker for the beds so convinced myself that business was ok even if someone next to me.

I have taken two trips this past month. And was tested about a week after each. Negative. Obviously that does not mean that flying is safe but I have convinced myself that business in lie flat or economy with a full row is ok for me. I don't think I would fly if seated next to someone but know plenty who have done it and are fine.

I know that was not helpful but I think we are all doing some math in our head. There is no way to really know.

prestonh

I don't understand any of this really. Domestic F gets 3 to 4 more inches of space to the side and about 5 inches of pitch. Inches. And this is in the context of 38 inches pitch and 21 inches width where social distance recommendation is 72 inches. Imo there is no way of maintaining distance on a plane under present conditions so the f vs y/y+ is irrelevant. Ymmv.

drvannostren

I cant recall where I saw it, might've been government of Canada site and public knowledge, may have been an internal work email, so I don't wanna give out TOO many details.

That said, I saw a seatmap from a flight that had a covid positive case. Basically what I took from it was that you really need to either be kinda next to the person, in contact with them via common areas and poor hygiene, or right around them. Now that doesn't necessarily tell you a ton, but I would say, this.

Your chances of actually catching covid WHILST on the plane are already low. HEPA filters, enhanced cleaning, masks, vigilance etc.

But if someone has covid on your flight, your chances are STILL low and lowered the further away you are from them.

It's not earth shattering news or anything, and I can't tell you where to sit. But, you'd have to be pretty damned unlucky to catch it due to a flight. THEN, you can delve down into will it actually be dangerous to you or anyone in your circle etc to further calm nerves.

My recommendation would be to sit in a corner of the plane. First row window, last row window in front of a bulk head in business. First row behind the bulkhead window in Y or dead last row window in Y. Personally if this was a big concern for me, I'd go for the front row Y bulkead window. Unless it's a 321, cuz then there's still a lav there right? Back row SHOULD be fine, but lavs are high traffic and the goal here is to avoid traffic as much as possible. So, if you close off one side of your body to exposure, and the front or back of you to exposure...you'd literally have to be sitting like RIGHT NEXT to a covid carrier to get it I'd think. If you use the lav, wash your hands well, use some sanitizer after and make sure you don't touch your mouth/face until you do sanitize...otherwise you're probably good to go.

Sitting in J with 2 big recliners, probably doesn't make much of a difference tbh, I think the biggest aid it would serve is that there's just less people in general. But if there's more food being served and more drinks, you're more likely to have droplets coming out and less mask usage. So any benefit is probably kinda negated. In Y, it would be nice if the middle seats were blocked, but that was never gonna last long. So the alternative is to try and create your own buffer zones. Lots of people don't wanna pay for E+, so if you snag that front row window and if you're with a partner, maybe put them in the aisle, you're most likely to have that middle seat open which your partner could then occupy, creating the buffer zone of the aisle seat and the aisle itself. Now your only concern would be people behind you, but as long as your not grabbing at your hair or headrest then immediately into your mouth...you shouldn't have any issues.

econ

It's not like risk is eliminated once you reach a 72" threshold, but even then, there are simply fewer potentially infected people within that radius in F than in Y/Y+ (assuming completely full flight).

prestonh

The op asked the question in the context of the difference in the ability to social distance between F and y+. Since all measurements are within the range all the cabin is doing is adding to the number of encroachments within the perimeter. Again I don't understand the logic. If there isn't the distance then it's not social distance anymore.

econ

If OPs question is merely whether 6 ft separation can be maintained throughout the entire trip as opposed to genuine interest in relative differences in presumed Covid risk between F & Y, then I agree there will be almost assuredly one or more people within that area at various points in their journey, very likely starting before OP sets foot on the aircraft.

vaguba

It's a probability game. New CDC study about a flight from london to hanoi where the index case sat in business class and got 16 people sick, 12 J passengers (out of 21) and 2 randoms in economy out of dozens. Being in the same cabin was the main risk factor. It's a probability game mostly, because the J cabin has less people the odds are better, but if someone is sitting on J that's superspreading you will get in trouble regardless.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/11/20-3299_article

UVU Wolverine

I would say someone in J is more likely to travel, therefore more likely to be potentially infected. Are the odds greater in J then despite the density? I’d wager a bet in that.