Airline and Airport News

If you plan on flying anytime soon, don’t act like a fool. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson has signed an order directing a harsher legal enforcement policy against unruly airline passengers. The move comes in the wake of recent episodes where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior, as well as cases in which some passengers refused to wear masks onboard a flight.

The move follows the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new set of standards for determining whether an airline was being unfair or deceptive in dealing with passengers. 

“Flying is the safest mode of transportation and I signed this order to keep it that way,” Dickson said.

Be prepared to write a check for $35,000 if you act up

Up to now, the FAA has had a more lenient way of addressing unruly-passenger incidents by using a mix of warnings, counseling, and civil penalties. Dickson said the kid gloves are off now. Effective immediately, the FAA is getting rid of the simple warning or required counseling. Instead, the agency will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who “assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.” 

If a passenger acts up in any fashion that crosses that warning line, they should be prepared to pay a fine of up to $35,000 and possibly spend time in prison on top of that. 

This policy will be in effect through March 30, 2021.

Don’t test the FAA

Dickson reminds the flying public that the FAA monitors and tracks all commercial passenger flights in real-time, and it has reporting mechanisms in place for crew members to identify any safety and security concerns that may arise in flight. 

“We have zero tolerance for threatening or violent behavior by passengers, and we will take the strongest possible enforcement action against any passenger who engages in it,” he said.

Airlines for America (A4A), an advocacy group representing the aviation industry, praised Dickson for the FAA’s assertiveness. 

“The safety and security of passengers and employees is always the top priority of the U.S. airline industry, and we welcome the FAA’s order to implement a more stringent policy regarding unruly passenger behavior,” A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said. “We cannot have any form of dangerous behavior that threatens the safety of passengers and crew members.”

Airlines continue to take a hard line against emotional support animals. Frontier Airlines is joining Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines in adopting new Department of Transportation (DOT) rules. 

The Denver-based carrier announced that it will no longer accept reservations for emotional support animals on any of its flights for all reservations booked on or after January 11, 2021, and for all flights departing on or after February 1, 2021

The DOT was getting gamed

The DOT said it was in a tough spot because the laundry list of concerns tied to emotional support animals raised by the airline industry, disabilities rights groups, and customers was growing out of control. Travelers have to bear some of the responsibility for why the DOT had to do what it did in closing all the loopholes its previous policy had left open to abuse.

“Airline employees will tell you that people with real disabilities present few problems in the airport environment,” the agency said. “Those abusing these policies are often easy to spot — their animals are often clearly pets and treated as such, are usually untrained for any service, the passenger often makes a big deal about it, and they generally stand out.”

“Those with real disabilities and real service animals benefit greatly from this change since it will reduce or eliminate those trying to appropriate their ADA benefit. Flight Attendants, too, undoubtedly see this as an improvement.”

Service dogs are still permitted

While it’s cutting off emotional support animals, Frontier will continue to transport service dogs specifically trained to support a qualified individual with a disability. The airline’s changes to its service animal policy are as follows:

• Paperwork. Customers traveling with a service dog must complete and submit the DOT’s Service Animal Air Transportation Form, attesting to the dog’s health, behavior, and training. For reservations booked more than 48 hours prior to travel, customers must submit the completed form no later than 48 hours prior to travel. For reservations booked less than 48 hours prior to travel, customers must submit the completed form in person to a Customer Service Agent upon arrival at the airport.

• What about animals other than dogs? For service animals booked prior to January 11, 2021, for travel through January 31, 2021, Frontier will transport dogs, cats, and miniature horses that have received training (including as a psychiatric service animal) to assist a qualified individual with a disability.

• Maximum number of animals allowed. Under the new policy, the maximum number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability is two.

• What happens if a service animal “acts up.” A trained service animal that engages in disruptive behavior or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others may be denied boarding.

• What about animals who don’t qualify? Animals who do not qualify as trained service animals may still be eligible to travel for a fee in accordance with Frontier’s Pet Policy.

Southwest Airlines kicked off 2021 with a huge fare sale that features $29 one-way fares -- $10-20 less than its previous promotional deals. It’s one of those if-you-want-it-act-now promotions because it only lasts through January 7, and it also only applies to certain markets, seats, and available days; a 21-day advance purchase is also required. 

The company avoided the subject of the coronavirus pandemic in its announcement, opting to focus more on spring travel when more people will have been immunized.

"Southwest is ready to take Customers to their favorite spring travel destinations," said Bill Tierney, Southwest Vice President of Marketing. "Whether it is hitting the slopes or soaking up the sun on the beach, Southwest is your ticket to the perfect getaway. With our legendary Hospitality, flexible policies, and low fares across our expanding network, we look forward to having our Customers onboard again when they are ready to get away."

Where will $29 get you?

The key to any of these deals is watching for trigger words and phrases like “as low as.” In Southwest-ese, its “as low as” includes $29 deals between:

• Atlanta and Raleigh/Durham

• Denver and Salt Lake City

• Phoenix and Palm Springs

• Boston and Baltimore/Washington

However, for $10 more -- $39 -- a one-way ticket between Dallas and New Orleans is available. Paying $89 will get someone from Nashville to Sarasota, and a $99 fare will be available for anyone traveling from San Diego to Hawaii. That last trip appears to be a particularly good deal. When ConsumerAffairs ran searches on Google Flights, most San Diego-Hawaii non-stop fares ranged from $124 to $159.

Southwest was very direct about its fare sale, saying there is “fine print galore.” And that there is. The biggest caveat is that the cheapest tickets are generally available for travel only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and for nonstop flights within the continental U.S. Sale fares for flights to Hawaii, Mexico and Puerto Rico are generally offered on more days of the week.

Australia’s Qantas Airlines threw some extra shrimp on the barbie on Monday, as it learned it’s been named the “world’s safest airline” once again. 

AirlineRatings.com editors applauded the 100-year old Qantas for amassing a record of firsts in both operations and safety. 

“The Australian airline has been a clear leader in the development of Future Air Navigation System; real-time monitoring of its engines across its fleet, the flight data recorder to monitor plane and later crew performance; automatic landings using Global Navigation Satellite System as well as precision approaches around mountains in the cloud using RNP (Required Navigation Performance),” said AirlineRatings Christine Forbes Smith. Smith noted that Qantas has been either first or second to roll out the 16 major safety enhancements introduced in the past 60 years.

The Top 20

In evaluating an airline’s safety, AirlineRatings.com took an exhaustive range of factors into account, including: airline’s crash and serious incident record, government audits, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age.

Here’s how the researchers ranked its who’s who:

1. Qantas

2. Qatar Airways

3. Air New Zealand

4. Singapore Airlines

5. Emirates

6. EVA Air

7. Etihad Airways

8. Alaska Airlines

9. Cathay Pacific Airways

10. British Airways

11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic

12. Hawaiian Airlines

13. Southwest Airlines

14. Delta Air Lines

15. American Airlines

16. SAS

17. Finnair

18. Lufthansa

19. KLM

20. United Airlines

Despite Qantas sitting atop the field and United bringing up the rear, AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas said that, in reality, there’s not as much disparity as it seems between #1 and #20.

“These airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft. In fact, there is very little between the top 20, they are all standouts,” Mr. Thomas said.

In the past, low-cost carriers have been excluded in the rankings. But in response to public interest, AirlineRatings.com editors decided to include them this time around. Their Top 10 safest & best low-cost airlines are as follows in alphabetical order: Air Arabia, Allegiant, easyjet, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet, and Wizz.

In a move to reflect recent changes to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) rules regarding emotional support animals on its flights, Alaska Airlines will no longer allow those pets to board. Effective January 11, 2021, Alaska will only transport service dogs, given their ability to perform tasks for an individual with a disability. 

The DOT’s recent changes come out more than 15,000 comments to the agency’s notice of proposed rulemaking. It said its final determination “addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on aircraft.” 

Welcome news

The emotional support animal issue has been a push-and-pull for nearly two years, with some major U.S. airlines -- including JetBlue, Delta, and Southwest -- either modifying or completely ditching their rules on what is and what isn’t a quantifiable “emotional support animal.”

At Alaska Airlines, the change brought a huge sigh of relief. 

"This regulatory change is welcome news, as it will help us reduce disturbances onboard, while continuing to accommodate our guests traveling with qualified service animals," said Ray Prentice, director of customer advocacy at Alaska Airlines.

The changes

As airlines start adhering to the new DOT policy, there will no doubt be some variation on the finer points, but every carrier will have to follow these basic requirements listed in the final rule:

• “Defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability;

• No longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal;

• Requires airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals;

• Allows airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s health, behavior and training, and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner;

• Allows airlines to require individuals traveling with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) up to 48 hours in advance of the date of travel if the passenger’s reservation was made prior to that time;

• Prohibits airlines from requiring passengers with a disability who are traveling with a service animal to physically check-in at the airport instead of using the online check-in process;  

• Allows airlines to require a person with a disability seeking to travel with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel;

• Allows airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to two service animals; 

• Allows airlines to require a service animal to fit within its handler’s foot space on the aircraft;

• Allows airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft;

• Continues to allow airlines to refuse transportation to service animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others; and

• Continues to prohibit airlines from refusing to transport a service animal solely based on breed.”

In Alaska’s revised policy, the airline will accept a maximum of two service dogs per guest in the cabin. That includes psychiatric service dogs, which the DOT now requires airlines to treat the same as other service animals. Alaska passengers will be required to complete a DOT form, which will be available on AlaskaAir.com beginning January 11, certifying that their animal is a legitimate service dog, is trained and vaccinated, and will behave appropriately during the journey. 

Other airlines will no doubt follow suit and make similar announcements in the following weeks. For consumers who have a service animal or have flown with an emotional support animal in the past and have hopes of doing it again sometime soon, it would be wise to contact the airline you plan to fly with directly to find out exactly what its policies are.

American Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to return the once ill-fated 737 MAX to service. Two years after all 737 MAX were grounded following two fatal crashes and after 20 months of a rigorous recertification process by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft made a safe return to the skies Tuesday via an American flight from Miami to New York City.

American Airlines Flight 718 left Miami on time and landed in New York ahead of schedule, then turned around and made another safe trip back to Miami Tuesday afternoon. 

Confidence restored

On top of what the FAA inspected, American said it also conducted an exhaustive process to ensure that every 737 MAX in the air is safe and that its pilots, flight attendants, team members, and customers are confident in the return of the aircraft.

Needless to say, Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, was ecstatic too. The company had moved toward dire straits since the MAX’ grounding, forcing it to ask lenders for $10 billion to help offset losses from MAX-related incidents and to fend off a $336 million lawsuit over its failure to complete 737 MAX orders.

Noticeable changes

The forced downtime was actually a blessing, in part, for Boeing. It says it was able to revisit the construction and layout of its 737 planes, which led to “new, more fuel-efficient engines and improved aerodynamics” that will reduce both fuel and emissions by 20 percent. In addition, the reconfigured plane can fly some 600 miles further than its predecessor. 

On the passenger side of the equation, fliers will enjoy a new interior replete with modern sculpted sidewalls, window reveals, LED lighting designed to enhance the sense of spaciousness, and larger pivoting overhead storage bins.

Boeing’s investment in retooling the MAX has already started to pay off. Just last week, Alaska Airlines announced that the carrier is buying 23 more 737-9 airplanes, building on its original order and options to acquire 120 aircraft in total. 

Still don’t want to set foot on a 737 MAX?

For travelers who are still skeptical about flying on a 737 MAX, American, for one, says it understands. 

“If a customer doesn’t want to fly on a 737 MAX aircraft, they won’t have to … in the immediate term, we’ll provide additional flexibility to ensure our customers can be easily re-accommodated if they prefer not to fly on the 737 MAX. And if their aircraft type ever changes to a 737 MAX, there is no end to the flexibility our customers will have,” the airline said in a release. 

For customers who prefer not to fly on a 737 MAX, they can:

• Rebook on the next available flight in the same cabin at no cost.

• Cancel their trip completely and receive travel credits redeemable with American Airlines.

• Change their itinerary within a 300-mile radius at no extra charge, but only if there is no alternative American Airlines flight available to get them to their destination.

Under the $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus agreement reached Sunday, U.S. airlines are scheduled to receive $15 billion in additional federal aid. The deal will also require airlines to call back more than 32,000 workers who were furloughed due to the financial strain of the pandemic. 

The nation’s passenger airlines were given $25 billion in aid under the CARES Act passed in March. Once that aid ran out and it became clear that additional federal support wouldn’t be approved fast enough, airlines made the decision to start furloughing employees.

The funds set aside for airlines in the second stimulus package would help keep airline workers employed until the end of March. The bill would also see that other struggling transportation sectors receive additional funding. It includes: 

• $1 billion for airline contractors;

• $2 billion for airports and concessionaires;

• $14 billion for transit;

• $10 billion for state highways;

• $1 billion for Amtrak; and

• $2 billion for private bus, school bus and ferry companies.

Travelers still not flying

Although many Americans are expected to travel this week, the airline industry has said it’s still feeling the effects of the pandemic. Flight bookings have declined due to the increase in new infections during the fall and winter, and new travel restrictions haven’t helped either.

A survey found that 66 percent of people who plan to travel this week plan to do so using their own vehicle so they can avoid crowded airports.

United Airlines and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have put a plan into place to launch what the airline calls “the airline industry's most comprehensive contact information collection program for public health follow-up and contact tracing.”

The initiative is very straightforward: During a United passenger’s check-in procedure, they will be given the option to voluntarily provide their contact information (email, phone number, and the address they’re traveling to) -- details that the CDC previously had difficulty obtaining in real-time. Travelers can opt in and participate via United's mobile app, at united.com, or at the airport.

"Contact tracing is a fundamental component of the nation's public health response strategy for controlling the spread of communicable diseases of public health concern," said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield. "Collection of contact information from air travelers will greatly improve the timeliness and completeness of information for COVID-19 public health follow-up and contact tracing."

United’s idea follows Delta’s contact tracing program announced on December 3 for international travelers returning to the U.S.

The phased-in approach

This initiative won’t start everywhere at once. The program will roll out in phases beginning this week with the voluntary collection of information for all international arrivals. In the weeks ahead, the airline will phase in domestic and international outbound departures. 

"Initiatives like testing and contact tracing will play a significant role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 until a vaccine is widely available," said United's Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist. "United continues to take a leadership role in both areas and is proud to support the CDC by doing our part to help them safeguard public health and safety."

Travel industry finally gets what it’s been begging for

Travel industry groups have been begging the Trump administration for months to produce a COVID-19 testing plan that would eliminate the patchwork of confusing state-to-state quarantines and travel bans while giving the re-opening of travel a fighting chance.

The American Society of Travel Advisors, Airlines for America, Travelers United, U.S. Travel Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with 15 others, wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf asking for a unified national plan way back in October.  

The groups were very direct about the value of contact tracing, saying the government should “eliminate the need for blanket restrictions and traveler quarantines by implementing comprehensive, cost-effective pre-departure testing procedures and contact tracing protocols … that are medically-based, affordable, dependable, scalable, privacy-oriented, and fit into the passenger journey with as little disruption as possible.”

Southwest Airlines is not one to wait for the pandemic to be done and gone. On Wednesday, it announced that it’s adding another two destinations, now making 12 new cities it’s decided to add on this year.

The newest landing spots for the discount fare carrier are Santa Barbara and Fresno. Those additions now give Southwest coverage at 13 California airports from Sacramento all the way south to San Diego.

"Our arrival in the Heart of California, both on the Central Coast and in the Central Valley, will round out nearly four decades of investment in our California Customers and communities," said Southwest Airlines Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Vice President Andrew Watterson.

"While other airlines seem to fall in and out of love with the state, we're focused on increasing the reach of our low fares and flexible policies in places where we expect them to make a difference."

Southwest’s shot was no doubt directed at American, JetBlue, and Allegiant, which all pulled out of various California destinations earlier this year. Southwest didn’t give an exact start for service to Santa Barbara and Fresno, leaving it at sometime in “the second quarter of 2021.”

Going where the pandemic isn’t

In an announcement, Kevin Meikle, Director of Aviation for Fresno Yosemite International Airport, let the cat out of the bag about Southwest’s possible reason for adding Fresno -- a gateway to nearby national parks.

"For years residents and businesses throughout Central California have expressed a desire for Southwest service and connectivity to their vast network of destinations and renowned customer service," Meikle said. 

"Southwest will expand the Central Valley's air transportation gateway to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and we look forward to our new partnership with Southwest and their arrival in the spring."

Southwest’s idea isn’t necessarily novel. In July, United Airlines figured out that people are more inclined to travel to outdoorsy places like national parks than they are to a city teeming with potential COVID-19 cases. In United’s case, it focused on adding open-air spaces like Aspen, Colorado; Bozeman, Montana; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

With the coronavirus vaccine about to shine some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, Delta Air Lines is reframing some of its typical restrictions in hopes of attracting millions of Americans who are more than ready to get out and travel again.

Topping the list of changes is an extension to an existing waiver that promises no change fees for all tickets purchased through March 30, 2021, for travel at any time to anywhere in the world. According to a Delta spokesperson, that includes Basic Economy fares, “which typically can’t be changed or canceled.” Delta is hoping that the modification will make it easier for travelers to book their 2021 spring break or summer vacation.

The other change Delta is making is to permanently eliminate change fees for international travel originating from North America -- including flights operated by joint venture and codeshare partners (Air France, KLM, et al) -- effective immediately. 

While this sounds like great news, there is one important note that wanderlusting consumers should make -- namely, that “permanently” isn’t exactly permanent in the general sense. Delta clarified to ConsumerAffairs that Basic Economy fares for international flights are excluded from this change after March 30.

“No year has better demonstrated the value of flexibility than this one,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Our approach has always been to put people first, which is why we’re extending our current change fee waiver and making lasting changes to our practices, so customers have the trust and confidence they need long after the pandemic ends.”

Pay attention to the details on every flight

The COVID-19 pandemic has put airlines on an emotional rollercoaster as carriers look for ways to keep their planes in the air and passengers in seats. American, Southwest, JetBlue, and countless other airlines all took steps to be as consumer-sensitive as possible.

Delta’s latest move is likely to prod its competitors to do the same if not more. However, as ConsumerAffairs noted in the caveat about change fees for Delta’s Basic Economy fares, the devil is in the details. 

Anyone looking to purchase a ticket for future flights that look like great deals should always click on the “more details” or “other fees may apply” links in a reservation before clicking on the “book now” button. If there is still confusion, the next best option is to email the airline and ask for clarification. And, by all means, keep a copy of the airline’s response in case something goes wrong.

To boost customer bookings, American Airlines has announced that it will offer customers $129 at-home COVID-19 tests. 

The tests, which will be provided by LetsGetChecked, are intended to help travelers avoid quarantines in the places they are going. Some states -- including New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts -- require incoming travelers to quarantine for up to two weeks upon arrival. 

LetsGetChecked offers at-home nasal swab tests that promise results in under 48 hours. The program will go live starting Wednesday for flights leaving Saturday. American Airlines said the pre-flight coronavirus test it’s offering focuses on domestic travel. 

Airlines have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer demand for flights has remained far below normal levels due to travelers’ fears about contracting the virus, as well as quarantine requirements in the U.S. and abroad. 

Airlines and airports offering testing

In October, United Airlines started offering COVID-19 tests to consumers traveling to Hawaii destinations. The airline’s CEO said at the time that United is “committed to innovating to help customers continue to travel where they want to go in a way that is safe.” 

A number of airports currently have testing requirements in place to mitigate the spread of the virus. In the coming weeks, the following airports are also expected to start offering COVID-19 testing: 

• California. San Diego International Airport (SAN)

• Colorado. Denver International Airport (DEN) 

• Florida. Fort Lauderdale; Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 

• Illinois. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD); Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) 

• Maryland. Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) 

• New York. Albany International Airport (ALB)

Southwest Airlines has done its best to hold steady through the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s finally thrown up its first caution flag. On Thursday, the airline warned 6,800 employees that they may be furloughed in the spring. 

According to CNN, potential furloughs would affect 2,551 ground crew members, 1,176 customer service agents, 1,500 flight attendants, and 1,221 pilots. Southwest said the employees are safe for now, but if the other shoe does indeed drop, the cuts would take place on March 15 or April 1. In October, the company’s CEO Gary Kelly essentially forecasted the furloughs when he said “we will all need to sacrifice more,” adding that company leaders are taking a 10 percent pay cut in the year ahead. 

If the threat becomes real, it will be the first time Southwest has had to resort to layoffs to stay afloat -- and no one can’t say it didn’t try to avoid that outcome. Over the last six weeks, ConsumerAffairs counted five major discounted airfare promotions that the airline offered consumers to try and recapture some of the $2.75 billion it lost during the pandemic. 

Holding out hope

An internal memo to Southwest employees stated that the airline is open to cutting a deal with union groups to avoid the nearly 7,000 furloughs. “We are not closing the door -- we'll continue negotiations if union representatives want to continue working toward reaching mutually agreeable solutions,” it read.

Two of Southwest's major unions fired right back, objecting to the company's planned furloughs and saying that union leadership will continue to fight to save jobs.

"While this development is not completely surprising, it is incredibly disappointing to our pilots and their families," said Captain Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA). He also said the union "remains committed to finding solutions that will dissuade the company from taking any further steps towards furloughs."

The Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents Southwest flight attendants, thinks the airline is crying wolf when it’s actually flush with billions in reserves. 

"Southwest Airlines has approximately $15 billion in cash on hand and is predicted to be the first airline to emerge in making money for its shareholders," said Dan Akins, airline economist and an advisor to the TWU. The union claims that it’s offered the airline a variety of cost savings proposals and that thousands of Southwest flight attendants even offered to take extra unpaid leave in order to save their jobs.

As airlines continue their quest of giving travelers ways to feel comfortable enough to fly in the new pandemic normal, Delta Air Lines on Wednesday announced that it’s rolling out the first contract tracing program for passengers returning to the U.S.

Delta is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in this effort, along with the airline’s nine global airline partners -- AeroMexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Eastern, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Australia. It will also work closely with government agencies, health officials, and aviation authorities to offer safer travel at every point in a traveler’s international journey.

The program begins on December 15, and participation is open to foreign nationals and/or U.S. passport holders traveling to the United States as their final destination.

Easy and completely voluntary

Keeping things as simple as possible, Delta says that the process will only require sharing five pieces of information -- passengers’ full name, email address, stateside address, primary phone, and secondary phone. Once a passenger fills out their form, Delta will securely forward that personal information to the Customs and Border Protection office, which, in turn, will pass it along to the CDC.

When a traveler has tested positive for the coronavirus, those five pieces of information allow Delta to expedite the process of informing the CDC and passengers who were in close proximity with a confirmed case. Currently, Delta provides the CDC with a passenger manifest that identifies all customers seated two seats around the confirmed case, This information is then transmitted to the appropriate local health departments for follow-up, with each department taking responsibility for passengers in their own jurisdiction..

One important note: the program is completely voluntary, but Delta hopes all travelers will realize its value and take part. 

“Independent studies have shown that the many layers of protection Delta has already put in place are effectively minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and contact tracing adds one more important layer to our efforts to ensure safety throughout travel,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. “We want customers to feel safe when they return to travel, and this voluntary program is another way we can provide additional reassurance to customers and employees alike.”  

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has established a new set of standards for determining whether an airline was being unfair or deceptive in dealing with passengers. On the surface, that sounds great for the consumer, but consumer advocacy groups disagree, saying the new standards will actually make it more difficult to curtail bad behavior and create new protections going forward.

According to the Washington Post’s coverage of the policy update, the airline industry was behind the requested change. Chief among its complaints was that the Trump administration had enacted consumer protection rules which made it more difficult for airlines to do business, so the industry reportedly asked the government to pull back on those reins a bit. 

Early in 2018, airlines asked for industry-wide rule changes as part of Trump’s deregulation push, putting more than 30 flyer-oriented protections and regulations on the chopping block. This included certain regulations created under the Obama administration, such as a DOT requirement that airlines publish the entire cost of tickets, including fees and taxes; give passengers a full 24 hours to cancel a ticket after booking; and take additional steps to protect consumers from delayed or oversold flights.

“Critical” or “Disappointing”

Airlines for America, which represents the major carriers and championed the rule changes, applauded federal officials for taking action. “This reform is a critical step forward in ensuring a data-driven regulatory process, which will produce widespread and lasting benefits for air travelers, airlines and the economy,” Katherine Estep, an Airlines for America spokeswoman, told the Post.

However, the National Consumers League isn’t buying that. “The DOT’s decision, at the height of a pandemic, to kneecap its ability to protect millions of travelers from airline industry abuses is deeply disappointing. That the Department decided to do so on the Friday after Thanksgiving highlights that they hope this terrible decision will be forgotten by Monday,” said John Breyault, the League’s vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud. 

“It should be clear to every member of the flying public that current DOT leadership is focused squarely on doing the airline industry’s bidding between now and January 20.”

The incoming Biden administration could seek to reverse the rule change, but it may have things it considers more important on its to-do list, and changing a rule like this doesn’t exactly come at the snap of a finger. The Biden transition team did not respond to a request for comment from the Post, but Breyault said his organization has had positive conversations with the president-elect’s team about consumer protection issues.

Delta Air Line pilots should be happy going into the Thanksgiving weekend. On Wednesday, they voted yes on a cost-cutting deal designed to avoid more than 1,700 furloughs until 2022. 

But the pilots also had some skin in the game, agreeing to accept up to a five percent cut in hours. In addition, any pilot that would have been furloughed by the airline at the end of the month is guaranteed to receive partial pay of 30 hours a month and will not have to fly.

Other Delta employees had caught a break earlier this year, saving tens of thousands from the unemployment line. Still, other airlines such as JetBlue and United had earlier cut deals with their pilots to escape some level of furlough. When all the coronavirus-led job losses are added up, U.S. airlines have cut more than 70,000 jobs this year, all in an effort to keep carriers from completely going belly-up. 

Delta says it’s grateful

Things like furloughs and shedding jobs to make ends meet is painful for everyone involved. Delta’s chief of operations, John Laughter, expressed his gratitude in a note to pilots, saying that the company is “grateful to keep all our pilots actively employed and provide stability for you and your families.”

Laughter also warned about potential challenges that the latest spikes in coronavirus infections might create for both the airline and its workers.

“Our recovery will be uneven -- as evident by the recent increase in COVID rates which are affecting our bookings for the holiday season,” Laughter wrote. “But there is still much to be thankful for, and by working together we continue to maintain and grow a loyal customer base that feels confident choosing Delta time and again for our safety, reliability and service.”

The rollercoaster ride of the COVID-19 pandemic is tough enough for the average Joe, but it’s even more of an up-and-down existence for businesses, especially airlines.

Just three days after United Airlines appeared to feel good about testing a program that guaranteed passengers that the crew tested negative before departure, the company is now moaning that the spike in positive COVID-19 cases is starting to impact air travel once again.

According to a report from CNN, United warned in a filing Thursday morning that it has witnessed a drop in bookings and, concurrently, a rise in canceled reservations. It blames these two developments on the increased infection rates across the country.

Back to the chopping block

The potential outcome of what United is witnessing could lead to even bigger cuts to its fourth quarter schedule, far beyond the planned cut of 55 percent. To try and save themselves from bleeding any more red ink, seven major U.S. airlines (including United) lobbied Congress on Thursday for a new cash infusion to help keep them afloat.

United was the first major U.S. airline to pare back its domestic schedule in early spring when the initial stateside outbreak first started affecting air travel. Delta and American quickly followed suit. 

United didn’t mention job cuts in its filing, but it’s proven that it’s not shy about taking a knife to those, either.

Other airlines feel the heat

Speaking of American, it, too, mentioned a downturn in recent bookings. However, it did not tie that dip to a rise in reservations being canceled. Vasu Raja, American Airlines chief revenue officer, told investors at a conference on Tuesday that his airline also has "definitely seen a flattening of ticket sales."

"It's been nowhere near to the kind of negative effects we saw either in July or in the March-April period," he said. "But now we're at a place where we can absolutely anticipate it and plan a network ... around that. We've seen it."

In a report sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week, Southwest said it has experienced a “deceleration in improving revenue trends for November and December 2020 in recent weeks.” 

“While the Company expected the election to impact trends, it is unclear whether the softness in booking trends is also a direct result of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. As such, the Company remains cautious in this uncertain revenue environment,” the company said.

Seven of the U.S.’ biggest airlines are begging Congress for another bailout, claiming the $25 billion payroll assistance they received earlier in the government’s COVID-19 rescue mission is not enough to get them through the end of the year.

The letter to congressional leaders was sent by lobbying group Airlines for America (A4A) on behalf of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. 

No help could lead to more cuts

Airline executives claim that they’ve done all they can to curtail furloughs, reductions in workforce, and cuts to service, but they say there could be an even greater slashing of jobs and services unless Capitol Hill writes some new checks for the industry.

Then, there’s the situation with a coronavirus vaccine. Airline officials say they think their companies will play an important role in the distribution process.

“As the nation looks forward and takes on the logistical challenges of distributing a vaccine, it will be important to ensure there are sufficient certified employees and planes in service necessary for adequate capacity to complete the task,” the letter said.

'We respectfully ask that you come together and extend the successful PSP (payroll support programs) this year so that we can continue to support our critical aviation workforce and infrastructure. Your leadership is needed before the close of the 116th Congress so that this bipartisan and incredibly effective COVID-relief measure can continue to save American jobs and allow us to continue our significant role in the health of our US economy.”

Will push come to shove?

When the first round of checks were sent, some U.S. senators thought they were large enough to help airlines stay alive without having to resort to job cuts. However, airlines wrestled with the strings attached to receiving the aid -- namely, that they would need to keep a certain level of workers employed. 

Later, when Delta and JetBlue decided to reduce employee hours to cope with their loss of revenue, lawmakers were quick to say they would be violating the goal of the Payroll Support Program. More than a dozen U.S. senators fired off letters to airline CEOs pushing for an immediate end to the “potentially illegal” action. 

In late September, as the airline’s commitment to the payroll support program came to an end and airlines threatened to make even more cuts, congressional leaders took another swing at an additional infusion of cash, but it went nowhere, despite President Trump’s support.

“Time already ran out for U.S. airlines and many of our employees, yet there is a glimmer of hope that our leaders in Washington will act and save these jobs before it’s too late to turn back the clock,” A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said at the time.

“Some U.S. airlines may be able to reinstate employees if they receive direct payroll assistance from the federal government soon, but that becomes increasingly challenging with each passing day. Extending the Payroll Support Program is a critical step for preserving jobs, rebuilding the travel industry and restoring the economic health of our country.”

As they say, fasten your seatbelt. This turbulence is likely to continue.

There’s cause for celebration at Boeing. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has rescinded the order that halted commercial operations of Boeing 737-8s and 737-9s -- aka the 737 MAX -- after the jets were involved in two fatal crashes. 

The FAA’s move gives all airlines under the FAA's authority to take whatever steps necessary to resume service using the aircraft and gives Boeing the all-clear to deliver those planes to buyers.

What the FAA will be watching for

In the traveler’s best interests, the FAA thoroughly examined the 737 MAX from cockpit to rudder to look for anything that could prove troublesome and cause another crash -- like the structural cracks it found on 38 of Boeing’s 737 NG jets. 

The agency’s new Airworthiness Directive spells out the requirements that must be met before U.S. carriers can resume service with their 737 MAX’, including installing software enhancements, completing wire separation modifications, pilot training, and accomplishing thorough de-preservation activities that will ensure the airplanes are ready for service.

"The FAA's directive is an important milestone," said Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We will continue to work with regulators around the world and our customers to return the airplane back into service worldwide."

Boeing’s commitment going forward

Needless to say, Boeing does not want to go through another 20-month period where it can’t sell one of its best-selling jets and certainly can’t afford to lose more billions of dollars in sales cancellations or put its employees at risk of losing their jobs like this setback caused. 

To set itself up for success going forward, the company has realigned its org chart by merging more than 50,000 engineers into a single organization that includes a new Product & Services Safety unit, intended to unify safety responsibilities across the company.

It’s also empowered those engineers to identify, diagnose, and resolve issues with a higher level of transparency and immediacy.

Southwest commits to rigorous testing

Southwest Airlines -- one of two major domestic carriers using the 737 MAX --  likes what it’s seen from the FAA so far. Alan Kasher, Southwest’s Pilot and Senior Vice President of Air Operations, said that “with these changes we believe the MAX is now amongst the most reviewed and tested commercial aircraft in the world.”

Further up the corporate ladder, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that his company wants to thoroughly test out the the 737 MAX before risking the safety of a single passenger. The executive has committed to flying on the MAX before Southwest returns the aircraft to service — and he promises the same for many other Southwest Leaders.

“Before we return the aircraft to customer service, however, every active Southwest Pilot will complete additional FAA-required flight training in one of our nine 737 MAX simulators and will complete additional FAA-required computer-based training covering MAX procedures,” Kelly said.

“Southwest will also require active Pilots to re-take our original 737 MAX 8 computer-based differences training as a refresher to complement the FAA-required training. Additionally, Southwest will conduct multiple readiness flights on each of our 34 MAX aircraft and complete thousands of hours of work, inspections, and the software updates before any of our Customers board a Southwest 737 MAX.”

The once unfriendly skies of the COVID-19 pandemic are now producing an improvement in on-time performance. However, getting a refund from an airline continues to be a major hassle for travelers, according to the latest metrics from the Department of Transportation (DOT).

In monitoring 10 airlines -- Allegiant, Delta, Southwest, American, United, Spirit, JetBlue, Alaska, Frontier, and Hawaiian -- the ups and downs shook out like this:

Arrivals

Highest on-time arrival rates:

1.    Southwest Airlines – 94.5 percent and a near 15-point improvement from the previous year

2.    Alaska Airlines Network – 92.5 percent 

3.    Hawaiian Airlines Network – 91.7 percent 

Lowest on-time arrival rates:

1.    JetBlue Airways – 85.4 percent 

2.    Allegiant Air – 85.5 percent 

3.    Frontier Airlines – 87.0 percent 

Cancellations

In July 2020, reporting marketing carriers canceled 0.8 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, a higher rate than 0.4 percent in June 2020 but a lower rate than 2.1 percent  a year before (July 2019). 

Lowest canceled flight rates: 

1.    Spirit Airlines – 0.1 percent 

2.    American Airlines Network – 0.6 percent 

3.    Southwest Airlines – 0.7 percent 

Highest cancellation rates:

1.    Hawaiian Airlines Network – 4.1 percent 

2.    Frontier Airlines – 3.2 percent 

3.    JetBlue Airways – 2.8 percent 

Complaints 

In July 2020, the DOT received 11,117 complaints about airline service from consumers -- up an unbelievable 493.2 percent from the total of 1,874 filed in July 2019, but down 30.3 percent from the 15,946 received in June 2020. Of the 11,117 complaints received in July 2020, 10,257 concerned refunds.

The bad boys of the complaint world turned out to be United (850 total with 93.8 percent of those regarding refunds), Frontier (795 total with 72.4 percent regarding refunds), and American (615 total with 81.9 percent regarding refunds). 

Bad news aside, every airline should get a little credit for being efficient with handling luggage. Overall, baggage-related complaints were down from 11.8 percent in July 2019 to 0.5 percent in July 2020.

Mishandling of wheelchairs

Travelers usually don’t take into consideration things like how efficient an airline is when it comes to things like mishandling assistive devices like wheelchairs. But with the pandemic already producing enough stress as it is, every little thing that goes wrong only adds to a traveler’s stress levels.

In July 2020, airlines reported mishandling a rate of 1.17 percent mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, a tick better than a year ago, but still something a traveler who needs assistance should be aware of.

While Southwest scored well in the on-time category and American in the cancelled flights segment, neither fared well in the wheelchair/scooter breakout. American (and its subsidiaries) mishandled 150 wheelchair/scooter requests, and Southwest was a distant second at 31. The airline with the best record in this category was Hawaiian, who bungled zero wheelchair/scooter requests.

Other metrics

In the animal department, it looks like all the problems related to animals have completely vanished. Whether it was the DOT’s recent involvement or the airlines just paying more attention, who knows. However, there were zero animal-related complaints in the latest DOT statistics, and for travelers with pets, that’s a welcome change.

Also down were the complaints about discrimination -- possibly a result of a House committee calling out airlines about the matter. Discrimination complaints fell from 11 in July 2019 to only five in 2020. Of those, one regarded race, three regarded national origin, and one regarded religion. The DOT says that all complaints alleging discrimination are investigated by the Department to determine if there has been a violation(s) of the passenger’s civil rights.

A new joint study from aircraft manufacturer Boeing and the University of Arizona shows that cleaning tools and techniques effectively destroy the virus that causes COVID-19.

The significance of that silver lining could go a long way in giving travelers the confidence to take back to the skies and set some of their clouded fears about the health safety of an airplane aside.

As part of its Confident Travel Initiative (CTI) -- an effort to support customers and enhance the safety and well-being of passengers and crews during the COVID-19 pandemic -- the tests were performed on a real but unoccupied Boeing airplane against a live virus called MS2. The University of Arizona’s Department of Environmental Sciences then compared those results to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 

With a forecasted spike in coronavirus cases and cold weather -- an environment COVID spreads easily in -- upon many of us, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is getting renewed interest.

Why MS2 and not the actual COVID virus?

Using MS2 instead of an actual COVID-19 virus might be a head-scratcher to the non-scientists among us, but according to the scientists involved in the study, MS2 served two purposes.

First, it is safe and harmless to humans. Secondly, it’s more difficult to kill than SARS-CoV-2. Scientific and industry studies have used the MS2 virus for years, but until now, never in an airplane cabin. 

“While these cleaning solutions had been tested in other environments, an airplane behaves differently. It was critical for us to evaluate and confirm the chemicals and techniques we recommend for our customers’ use are effective and battle-tested,” said Mike Delaney, who leads Boeing's CTI efforts. “By working with the University of Arizona, we were able to employ their world-renowned expertise in virology to do exactly that.”

Everything from overhead bins to arm rests tested

The MS2 virus was strategically placed on high-touch points throughout the aircraft’s cabin in areas that fliers are most likely to come in contact with -- seat tray tables, arm rests, seat cushions, the bathroom, overhead bins, and the galley. 

Technicians then disinfected each area with various products and technologies in two separate ways -- manual wiping and also with an electrostatic sprayer like United Airlines employs.

The tests also measured how well Boeing’s own ultraviolet wand and antimicrobial coatings worked. Antimicrobials are long-lasting coatings that destroy germs and viruses on surfaces and American Airlines was given the OK to use that method by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year.

The final analysis

After Boeing did its part, the University of Arizona then performed a post-infection analysis on each high-touch area to determine effectiveness. The final results were a mix of various levels of effectiveness, but Boeing claims that “ultimately all the recommended products, methods and technologies successfully destroyed the MS2 virus.”

Boeing said while the first test showed impressive results, it’s not going to stop there. In a statement, the company said it will continue to work with the University of Arizona to test recommended cleaning methods against SARS-CoV-2 and other similar viruses so they could further validate their effectiveness.

Now there are three major U.S. airlines that have decided to resume sales of tickets for middle seats amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

The newest addition is Southwest Airlines, joining its competitors American Airlines and United Airlines. Delta Air Lines’ blocking out of the middle seat will stay in place at least through January 6, 2021.

For nervous Thanksgiving travelers, there is a modicum of good news inside Southwest’s new policy -- the new change won’t go into effect until December 1.

Safety remains a top priority

In Southwest’s Third Quarter 2020 announcement, Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, said that the carrier’s top priority remains the safety of its employees and customers. 

Still, Kelly is fully aware that the negative effects of the pandemic persists and the airline is doing what it can to “prudently adjust our available seat miles (ASMs, or capacity), while pursuing further revenue and cost opportunities.”

Specifically, on the company’s change of mind regarding the practice of keeping middle seats open, “bridged us from the early days of the pandemic, when we had little knowledge about the behavior of the virus, to now,” Kelly said. 

Kelly thinks things have changed because the airline now has “science-based findings from trusted medical and aviation organizations,” which is sufficient evidence that it can move toward selling all available seats. The science-based findings he pointed to come from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Stanford University School of Medicine, who both arrived at the same conclusion -- that the “risk of breathing COVID-19 particles on an airplane is virtually non-existent, with the combination of air filtration and face covering requirements.”

The final decision is up to the customer, or is it?

Nonetheless, Southwest is giving its customers a choice. He said Southwest is pairing the change with what he called “enhanced flexibility” that allows for customers on fuller flights to rebook to another flight, if they so desire. 

Southwest’s satisfaction rating during the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a bit of a hit from ConsumerAffairs reviewers, particularly in the area of vouchers and flight credit. 

“Every other vendor involved in our vacation plans was accommodating and understanding as this pandemic is affecting us all. Southwest Airlines offered NO option or deviation from their normal policy and gave us flight credits equally divided between each passenger, with an expiration date,” complained Bryan from Greenfield, Indiana. 

Rebecca of Scottsdale, Arizona, also aired her negative experience. “(Southwest Airlines) reached out and said (a voucher) would be, NO ISSUE AT ALL - and within three days they would e-mail me the new number with an extension of six months time due to covid restrictions - GREAT! Right? - No. They then sent nothing, went radio silent,” she wrote.

United Airlines is keeping its foot on the safe-to-fly accelerator with the trial of a “COVID passport.” 

The airline announced on Wednesday that it plans to try out a digital health pass as part of a pilot program that it hopes will speed up a safer opening of its international routes’ borders, as well as get more travelers feeling confident about global travel.

The move follows the airline’s recent move of giving passengers rapid COVID-19 tests. Cathay Pacific is also reported to be engaging with a set of volunteers to test this on certain flights in its route network. 

Say hello to CommonPass

United’s effort will use the backbone of the CommonPass system, “a secure and verifiable way to document” a traveler’s health status as they move from country to country. The advantage that CommonPass will bring United is that it cuts time and red tape in having to prove a passenger’s wellbeing. Not only can the system work for airlines and immigration screening, but airports and other travel industry stakeholders as well.

In United’s first trial with CommonPass on Wednesday, volunteer passengers on a flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Newark Liberty in New Jersey who had taken a coronavirus test from a certified lab at least 72 hours prior to traveling, logged those results on the CommonPass app on their smartphones.

Those passengers were also asked to use the app for other screening measures like a health declaration the country they’re flying into might require. Once a passenger has completed all the necessary data, the app creates a unique code that United staffers and border officials can scan and verify.

United’s also going the extra mile to make sure its efforts are observed and chronicled. It says that both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be waiting for passengers when the flight lands at Newark.

Not a silver bullet

Thomas Crampton, chief marketing and communications officer for the Commons Project, told MarketWatch that many of the required COVID-19 test results are shared on printed paper from unestablished labs and written in languages foreign to the people in charge of inspecting and verifying the results. 

“Today we demonstrate that you can document COVID status in a certified manner across international borders in a privacy-preserving manner,” Crampton said.

But one analyst is skeptical about posturing the CommonPass app as a silver bullet -- at least for now. Sandy Morris, equity analyst at Jefferies, said neither COVID testing nor vaccines are a perfect solution. 

“However, the combination of rapid testing, vaccines and the CommonPass digital health pass could offer a way forward,” Morris said. “The open question is how fast a digital solution like CommonPass can be deployed. Our guess is it will be rapid.”

CommonPass said that if its trials work out as they hope, it will go for full scale deployment of the framework at the beginning of 2021 with more airlines and more international routes. 

There’s some hopeful news for the aviation industry in light of all the joy the pandemic has taken out of its life. Over the weekend (October 16-18), more travelers flew in the U.S. than at any other time since March 17.  

How many is more? The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened a million passengers at domestic airport checkpoints. On top of that, it also screened 6.1 million passengers at checkpoints nationwide from October 12 through October 18, which is a weekly high since mid-March.

TSA reminds fliers of new changes

To the millions of travelers who haven’t boarded a plane prior to the pandemic, flying has a whole bunch of new requirements. These include “significant TSA checkpoint modifications,” according to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. 

The modifications Farbstein refers to are mostly added safety measures like passengers screening their own boarding passes and a reduction in the number of security lanes. Some other things to be mindful of include:

Hand sanitizer. Until further notice, the TSA is allowing travelers to bring hand sanitizer up to 12oz in their carry-on bags. “Just remember to remove the larger container from your bag and place it in a separate bin for screening,” the agency says, adding that fliers should “keep in mind that all other liquids, gels and aerosols brought to a checkpoint continue to be allowed at the limit of 3.4oz or less and carried in a single quart-sized bag.”

Expired Driver’s License and REAL ID extension. Because of the pandemic, some people were unable to renew their driver's license or state-issued ID if it expired on or after March 1, 2020. In those cases, the TSA will accept expired driver’s licenses or state-issued ID a year after expiration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline to October 1, 2021. For specific information about the REAL ID deadline, the TSA has a dedicated website for travelers to reference.

Pre-moistened sanitized wipes. Another area the TSA is showing some flexibility in is the size restrictions on pre-moistened wipes inside carry-on bags. For the moment, “large tub, small tub, or in a baggie, pre-moistened wipes are allowed in carry-on bags without any size restrictions or packing requirements,” the TSA says. 

For a complete list of all changes that might affect a flight, check-in, security, or carry-on items, the TSA keeps an updated list that covers everything any flier needs to know. It’s available here.

The pandemic continues to lay waste to the commercial aviation industry. 

On Wednesday, Delta Air Lines pressed pause on flights to another 16 cities across America, putting the airline in the unlucky position of suspending more flights in more cities and for far longer than its direct competitors. Earlier this year, Delta said its planned reduction would impact 10-15 percent of its U.S. flights.

While Delta doesn’t want to leave any consumer without a way to get someplace, it has no choice but to be frugal in the COVID-19 environment. Also on Wednesday, the company announced a quarterly pre-tax loss of $2.6 billion -- a decline of 79 percent on 63 percent lower capacity when compared to the previous year -- and another $4.0 billion of items directly related to the impact of coronavirus, including early retirement programs for Delta employees.

Impacted cities

The cities that Delta has not set plans to return to are:

• Akron-Canton, Ohio (CAK)

• Aspen, Colorado (ASE)

• Bangor, Maine (BGR)

• Erie, Pennsylvania (ERI)

• Flint, Michigan (FNT)

• Fort Smith, Arkansas (FSM)

• Lincoln, Nebraska (LNK)

• Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT)

• New Bern, North Carolina (EWN)

• Newburgh/Stewart, New York (SWF)

• Newport News/Williamsburg, Virginia (PHF)

• Peoria, Illinois (PIA)

• Santa Barbara, California (SBA)

• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania (AVP)

• Williston, North Dakota (XWA)

• Worcester, Massachusetts (ORH)

How long will these flights be suspended?

According to The Points Guy, Delta could resume flights to any of these 16 cities whenever it likes, but no changes are likely for at least a month because that’s how long the airline takes to finalize its monthly schedules. For example, if Delta were to restart service to Lincoln, Nebraska on October 14, travelers could possibly see service resume to Lincoln by December.

Despite the suspensions, Delta CEO Ed Bastian feels encouraged by what he’s seeing. 

“While our September quarter results demonstrate the magnitude of the pandemic on our business, we have been encouraged as more customers travel and we are seeing a path of progressive improvement in our revenues, financial results and daily cash burn,” he said. “The actions we are taking now to take care of our people, simplify our fleet, improve the customer experience, and strengthen our brand will allow Delta to accelerate into a post-COVID recovery.”

Recovery likely to take time

Airlines have been working the sanitation angle for months to try to get travelers to believe that air travel is safe during the pandemic. While some travelers have held onto some of their doubts, a technical bulletin from the faculty at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health might be able to change that perception.

The bulletin -- “Air Cabin Cleaning and Disinfection” -- says that the disinfecting and ventilation efforts that carriers such as Southwest, Delta, United, American, and others have made are effective “when administered properly…on surfaces.” 

Focusing on high-risk areas

Sanitization and ventilation initiatives aren’t an end-all or be-all by themselves, but Harvard officials said that coupling them with individual risk reduction like frequent hand-washing, use of sanitizers, and wearing masks works as a multi-layered strategy that, “taken together, offer(s) significant protection against respiratory infections including COVID-19.”

Nonetheless, the bulletin doesn’t discount the fact that COVID-19 can be transmitted from person-to-person via respiratory particles in a normal setting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says these droplets have the potential to hang in the air for hours.

In trying to separate particles that would stay on surfaces at home or in the workplace from those on a plane, the report says that aircraft lavatories are the most problematic areas because they’re high-frequency touch areas and touched by the greatest number of people.

In comments about the study, Delta Air Lines said that it is already on the case. 

“While in the air, flight attendants regularly make sure lavatories are clean, tidy, fully stocked with supplies and ready for customers,” the airline noted. It also said it’s in the early stages of installing hand sanitizer stations near the boarding portal and the lavatory.

While all airlines that ConsumerAffairs has tracked during the pandemic have some type of systematic cleaning in place, only Delta appears to be cleaning lavatories during a flight. 

Southwest, United, and American do not specifically list in-flight lavatory cleaning as a sanitary measure, but a New York Times report says that Southwest “deep cleans” its aircraft for 6-7 hours every night. The publication also notes that United deploys electrostatic spraying before “most flights.” Airlines tend to replicate nuances that their competitors do, so it’s possible that others will follow in Delta’s footsteps.

Southwest Airlines says it will ask its workers to take pay cuts in order to avoid losing their job due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  

On Monday, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told employees that he needs them to take a 10 percent pay cut to avoid furloughs in 2021. In an interview with CNBC, he said the action would help save the airline around $500 million a year -- “real money,” as Kelly described it. 

Like other airlines, Southwest is struggling to weather the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for flights remains significantly lower than before the pandemic. Kelly told employees that airline revenue is down 70 percent from a year ago.

“We will all need to sacrifice more,” he said, adding that company leaders are taking a 10 percent pay cut in the year ahead. Kelly himself has taken reduced pay since March and has agreed not to take a salary next year. 

"For our union contract employees, I promised you I would let you know if and when we decide to approach your union representatives for concessions," said Kelly, according to a memo seen by CNN. "Because of the inaction of the federal government, and the ongoing losses, that time has arrived."

Kelly said the airline “simply cannot afford to continue with the conditions required to maintain full pay and employment."

Federal aid needed

Airlines and labor unions are hoping that the White House will approve $25 billion in additional federal aid to support airline worker payrolls. Kelly told employees that he’s aiming to have cost-saving agreements in place with labor unions by January 1. Furloughs will be a “last resort,” he said. 

Pay could be restored to normal if Congress approves additional payroll support for carriers, he added. 

“If we’re so fortunate to have the federal government act and extend the PSP through next March as has been proposed, then all these pay-cut efforts will be discontinued or reversed,” said Kelly.

After being grounded since March 2019, Boeing’s 737 MAX jets underwent a test flight by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson. 

Dickson, a former commercial pilot, flew the aircraft on Wednesday during a test flight in Seattle. He said the revisions to the flight control system made in the wake of the two fatal crashes gave him confidence in its airworthiness.  

"I liked what I saw," Dickson told reporters in a news conference after the flight. "I completed a number of test profiles today to examine the functionality of the aircraft and I liked what I saw, so it responded well.” 

He added that the test flight didn’t have anything to do with the FAA’s official recertification process, which is still underway. But Dickson gave the jet an overall positive review after flying it for several hours and taking it through a number of different scenarios. 

"I did two landings and also some air work maneuvers over about a two-hour period... and I felt prepared,” he said. I think most importantly, I felt that the training prepared me to be very comfortable.” 

Addressing safety issues 

Boeing’s 737 MAX has been grounded for about a year and half following two crashes that occured within five months of each other, killing a total of 346 people. 

Both crashes were caused, in part, by a faulty automated flight control system, called MCAS. Following the crashes, Boeing made changes to MCAS and expanded pilots' training to include simulator time before they can fly the plane. 

Dickson has assured the public that the plane won’t be allowed to resume service until it has undergone rigorous FAA testing. The aircraft will also need to be safe enough to earn his own personal seal of approval.

"I made a promise I would fly the 737 Max and that I wouldn't sign off on its return until I was comfortable putting my family on it," he said. "It was important to experience the training and the handling of the aircraft."

Not rushing recertification process

The FAA has released a list of changes that must be made in order for the aircraft to be recertified to fly. Dickson has said the process cannot and will not be rushed, but at this point, it appears to be close to wrapping up. 

"The FAA continues to take a thorough and deliberate approach in our review of Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 Max, he said. "The FAA will not approve the plane to return to passenger service until I'm satisfied that we've adequately addressed all of the known safety issues."

The moment the clock struck midnight on October 1, both American Airlines and United Airlines initiated the furloughing of more than 32,000 employees after talks for a hopeful COVID-19 aid package fell apart in Washington. 

The October 1 pivot point was the agreed-to end date for $25 billion in payroll grants that were established under the CARES Act. Most of the largest U.S. carriers -- American, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit, JetBlue, Alaska -- had applied for those aid packages.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker told his workers that the airline “will begin the difficult process of furloughing 19,000 of our hardworking and dedicated colleagues” -- an amount that’s nearly 14 percent of the airline’s pre-COVID-19 staff. 

Is all hope lost?

In the months following the government handing out those grants, airlines did just about everything they could to cut costs and salaries to try and make ends meet. But consumers were still nervous about using air travel, and cranking up the ventilation and taking out middle seats simply didn’t reverse that gut check. 

The end result was big, fat, and in red ink. Passenger loads were down by 75 percent over the summer and industry-wide revenue losses climbed to more than $400 billion.

COVID-19’s ad infinitum expiration date continues to loom large. Airline executives have said a return to normal may not happen for years and that the hit the aviation industry has taken is more serious than after 9/11.

All hope may not be lost, however. Both United and American say that if a stimulus package makes it through Congress, they are ready and willing to reverse course. Neither said how long they could keep that promise alive, though. PSA Airlines, an American-owned regional carrier, told pilots that if Washington doesn’t approve another stimulus package by Sunday, October 4, “the furloughs will still occur,” according to a company memo seen by CNBC.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it has closed loans to seven major passenger airlines as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The seven carriers are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, and United Airlines. 

Officials say it’s likely that the initial loan amounts the airlines applied for in its pool of $25 billion will be increased because some major airlines may opt to secure financing in the private market instead of through the Treasury Department. 

“The payroll support and loan programs created by the CARES Act have saved a large number of aviation industry jobs, and kept workers employed and connected to their health care, during an unprecedented time,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin.  

“We are pleased to conclude loans that will support this critical industry while ensuring appropriate taxpayer compensation. We call on Congress to extend the Payroll Support Program so we can continue to support aviation industry workers as our economy reopens and we continue on the path to recovery.”

The eleventh hour

A key element of the CARES loan package -- particularly for airlines -- is a commitment to maintain employee levels through the end of September. Now that the commitment is in its eleventh hour, both airlines and employees are waiting for word of a COVID-19 relief package extension.

“This is no time for governments to walk away,” Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). “The industry is grateful to those governments that have already provided support, but new job-saving measures are needed -- including financial measures that do not add to overstressed balance sheets.”

United Airlines announced on Monday that it’s come up with a plan that will allow it to avoid having to furlough thousands of employees. 

Under an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association, United will reduce flying schedules and maintain pay rates as it seeks to weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, the carrier planned to furlough 2,850 pilots after its federal aid ran out. The furloughs were set to take effect on Thursday. 

United and other airlines have said the lack of new federal support has made it necessary to enact cost-cutting measures, like furloughs. While United has reached an agreement that it will allow it to avoid some furloughs, the airline is still planning to cut nearly 13,000 jobs beginning in October. 

The airline’s pilots’ union said the deal will allow United to stay afloat until flying demand returns. However, United executives have said they don’t expect to fully recover until a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is widely available.

The furloughs that United is still planning would affect flight attendants, mechanics, and other union employees. In an effort to make it easier to bounce back once demand returns, pilots -- who have to go through a lengthier training process -- will be kept on during the health crisis. 

“Our members understood that in order to protect pilot jobs, we needed to approve this agreement,” said Todd Insler, chairman of the union’s United Airlines council.

With an end-all and be-all of the COVID-19 pandemic still undetermined, Southwest Airlines is renewing its vow to support the well-being and comfort of both its customers and employees by continuing to limit the amount of seats sold on every flight to allow middle seats to remain open.

People flying together as family and friends still have the option of sitting together and will be allowed to occupy a middle seat if they like.

Health-conscious Thanksgiving holiday travelers will be happy to know that the airline’s commitment will last through Nov. 30. As part of its COVID-19 plan, the airline will continue to require face masks to be worn at all times. It will also enforce physical distancing measures in airports and onboard aircraft and rigorously clean its facilities and aircraft every single day.

Southwest updates what travelers can expect 

• Face Coverings Required: All airline employees and any passenger over the age of two are required to wear a covering over their mouth and nose from the moment they board the plane until they’re out of the gate area when they land. All travelers are required to a) acknowledge an awareness of the carrier's face covering policy; and b) wear a face covering. If a passenger doesn’t have a mask, Southwest will have them available at the airport and onboard to ensure compliance with the policy.
• Customer Health Declaration: All travelers are required to confirm they do not have symptoms of COVID-19; nor have they been diagnosed with, or exposed to, COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to travel; and that they do not have a fever at travel time.
• Physical Distancing in Airports: If you haven’t flown Southwest lately, boarding a Southwest flight in the COVID-19 heyday, the process may be new to you. To allow for distancing, the airline boards in smaller groups of 10 and only on one side of the boarding poles in the gate areas. In addition, the airline has installed Plexiglas at ticketing and gate counters and baggage service offices to further insure protection during in-person transactions and interactions.

For a complete rundown of Southwest’s updates and policy changes, you can find them here.

Delta Air Lines has been busy this week. On Monday, the carrier found a creative way to finance operations for the near future by securing loans by exchanging frequent flier rewards. Its workers caught a break on Tuesday, saving tens of thousands from the unemployment line. 

In a memo to staff, Delta CEO Ed Bastian reported that thanks to shorter work schedules and other cost-saving measures more than 40,000 employees agreed to accept, the furlough wolf is away from the carrier’s door for the time being.

Bastian said that a 25 percent reduction in work hours for its ground-based employees also played a significant role in protecting jobs. The airline still plans to furlough close to 2,000 pilots as of October 1, but the company said it is working around the clock to cut the best deal possible with the pilots union.

Delta’s new focus

Bastian laid out the company’s new priorities in the memo. He said Delta wants to protect workers’ health, safety, and jobs; preserve the company’s liquidity and cash balance to get it through the crisis; and position the carrier for success in the future.

“The work our teams have done to ensure a safe environment on our planes, at the airport and in our workspaces is nothing short of remarkable. We have also made great strides to protect Delta jobs amid an unprecedented drop in our revenues,” Bastian wrote.

“We had an enormous response to the enhanced early retirement and departure packages that were offered this summer, with 20 percent of our people choosing voluntary exits,” Bastian said. “While it is difficult to see so many of our colleagues leave, every one of those departures helped save Delta jobs.”

Bastian said Delta’s flight attendants and ground-based frontline employees in the U.S. will likely avoid involuntary furloughs, but they’ll be performing some new tasks. Flight attendants will support the airline’s catering processes and take part in its rotating month-on, month-off Fly On/Off program. Ground workers will also take on new responsibilities such as wheelchair handling, plane refueling, and cargo handling. 

Delta Air Lines is going to use its frequent-flier SkyMiles program to secure $6.5 billion in cash so it can make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.

While it seems like an unusual use of collateral, Delta isn’t the first airline to take this route. In recent months, United Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue all announced plans to do the same.

Delta has been brutally honest about its financial situation. Officials stated that the company was sitting on about $16 billion in cash but burning through somewhere in the neighborhood of $27 million a day. At that rate, its coffers would be bare in less than two years. 

Airlines and banks both win

It’s not only a good deal for the airlines, which can quickly net billions of dollars, but also for banks that can turn the miles into perks for their own credit card customers.

Frequent-flyer programs “are really the golden goose of the airlines. They’re the reason why North American airlines have historically...only had about 20 percent of global capacity but half of global airline profit,” said Morningstar equity analyst Burkett Huey in an interview with the Financial Times.

Huey went on to say that the miles-for-money swap is one of the most aggressive moves he’s seen so far.

Staving off the warning that it broadcast in July, United Airlines and its 13,000-strong pilots’ union have reportedly reached an agreement to avoid furloughs of nearly 3,000 pilots.

In August, the airline said it was on track to furlough or completely lay off 2,850 pilots by October 1, when the federal aid that protected those jobs was set to expire. 

“Any potential mitigation must achieve our goals: stop planned furloughs, stop displacements, and include long-term permanent gains for any short-term, fully recoverable modifications,” Todd Insler, chairman of the United Airlines chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), told union members in a note on Tuesday, according to CNBC.

Neither United or the union have provided details of the agreement, including how much time they’re going to give it or how it would give the airline sufficient working capital to keep the lid on furloughs. The agreement needs to be approved by union members and leaders.

United said in a statement that it’s still committed to reducing the number of involuntary furloughs. Company officials said they were “happy we were able to reach an agreement in principle with ALPA that can potentially save pilot jobs.”  

Holding out hope

With airlines’ hopes for a quick recovery dashed for the foreseeable future, airline labor unions are still nudging lawmakers to approve an additional $25 billion in aid that could keep jobs in place through the end of March 2021.

In a recent letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, the ALPA reminded those leaders that they need to follow through on the promises they've made.

“We are heartened by public statements by government leaders about a COVID-19 economic relief package such as ‘We’ll be helping the airlines’ and affirming that ‘a bipartisan agreement still should be reached’ as well as committing to ‘save the lives and livelihoods of the American people.’” wrote Capt. Joseph G. DePete, President Air Line Pilots Association, and Sara Nelson International President Association of Flight Attendants. 

“We appreciate these sentiments and urge you to return to the negotiating table to translate these words into action— action that will save jobs and ensure that the United States remains the world’s aviation economic engine.”

Boeing said Tuesday that a trio of production flaws discovered over the past year could delay deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner, the aircraft the company has been developing as an alternative to its embattled 737 MAX. 

The latest flaw, found in February and disclosed on Tuesday, involves the 787’s horizontal stabilizer (also known as the tail). Boeing said that during the fabrication process, some of the parts were “clamped with greater force than specified, which could result in improper gap verification and shimming,” Reuters reported. 

The issue could make it necessary for officials to inspect roughly 900 of the jets, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday that it “is investigating manufacturing flaws affecting certain Boeing 787 jetliners. The agency continues to engage with Boeing.”

Boeing has been attempting to revive its business and win back public support following two deadly crashes that led to the carrier’s 737 MAX being grounded globally. The company has set out to posit its 787 Dreamliner as its primary “cash cow” in the wake of the crashes, since consumers will likely remain hesitant to board Boeing’s 737 MAX jet for some time.

The FAA said on Monday that it was also investigating two other issues in some of the carrier’s 787 Dreamliner’s, in addition to the tail flaw. FAA officials said it’s too soon to tell if these flaws will warrant new inspections. 

United Airlines said Wednesday that it plans to furlough 16,000 jobs due to low air travel demand and a lack of new federal aid. 

In a memo to employees, the airline said that its “heart-wrenching” decision to cut jobs will come ahead of the expiration of payroll restrictions tied to a federal bailout set to end October 1. Congress has been working on another coronavirus relief package, but it doesn’t currently appear to include anything for airlines. 

The airline said it "cannot continue with staffing levels that significantly exceed the schedule we fly” and that it doesn’t expect things to return to any level of normal “until a vaccine is developed and widely administered.” 

An extension of the CARES Act “would be the one thing that would prevent involuntary furloughs on October 1 and hopefully delay any potential impact on employees until early 2021," the memo said.

Struggling to stay afloat

The cuts will shave nearly 17 percent off the airline’s workforce. However, United noted that the figure is significantly less than it thought it would have to cut back in July. The lowered total was made possible by the thousands of volunteers who accepted buyouts, early retirement packages, and other forms of temporary leaves or reduced schedules. 

United and other airlines are currently trying to win back public support. In the absence of a vaccine, United CEO Scott Kirby said air travel demand this year will likely top out at just half of what it was in 2019. 

United recently announced that it would permanently scrap a $200 ticket-change fee for passengers. Shortly after the airline made its announcement, Delta, American, and Alaska Airlines announced that they would also be doing away with the $200 fee. 

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines have joined United Airlines in the change fee waiver dance line.

Delta and American's policies are pretty much a carbon copy of United’s -- eliminating the $200 change fee on domestic tickets. But there are exceptions travelers should look for before popping the cork.

Caveats among airlines

Delta is permanently scrapping change fees for tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in Delta’s First Class, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin. However, Basic Economy tickets are not exempt from a change fee.

Like Delta, American’s fee waiver also includes all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It also tacks on Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada as fee waived destinations. American also waives change fees in the Main Cabin, Premium Economy, Business Class, and First Class, but it does not waive the change fees in Basic Economy.

Unlike other airlines, American’s fee waiver is not permanent. When ConsumerAffairs contacted American to see if there was an end date on the waiver program, we were told that unless the airline extends the waiver, Basic Economy fares that are purchased starting on January 1, 2021, will not be changeable.

Like Delta, Alaska Airlines’ says its change is permanent. Its new change-fee policy applies to all tickets except for Saver fares. As far as destinations are concerned, Alaska has included every place it flies both domestically and internationally.

What’s the catch?

Is this a too-good-to-be-true maneuver, or are the airlines going to start showing some long-forgotten consumer love? 

“In this case, there’s probably not (a catch),” Skift’s Brian Sumers said. “Airlines are hurting, and they need to win public support and attract new business. They’re not likely to waste the goodwill they generated this week and turn around and institute a new fee on something else next month. They will stick with passenger-friendly policies for a while.”

Sumers goes on to predict that the airlines will eventually find other revenue-making angles once they pay back the U.S. government for the bailout loans. “Still, they likely will be smarter about what they implement, perhaps adding new fees passengers understand and respect,” he said.

United Airlines announced on Sunday that it will be doing away with ticket-change fees for good. 

The monetary penalty for changing a ticket for travel within the U.S. previously cost $200. The fee is now going away permanently as the airline strives to enact more flexible policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial crisis stemming from it.

“Following previous tough times, airlines made difficult decisions to survive, sometimes at the expense of customer service,” said United CEO Scott Kirby in a news release. “United Airlines won’t be following that same playbook as we come out of this crisis. Instead, we’re taking a completely different approach – and looking at new ways to serve our customers better.”

Rival Southwest Airlines has already opted not to charge consumers ticket-change fees. United's move will likely push Delta Air Lines and American Airlines to scrap their change fees as well. 

In January, United will also be allowing travelers who want to depart earlier or later on the same day as their scheduled flight to fly standby without paying the $75 same-day change fee. 

Travelers slowly coming back to airlines

Air travel has rebounded slightly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still well below normal levels. Earlier this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released data showing that over 831,000 travelers were processed at security checkpoints on one Sunday in August.

While that was the highest number the agency had recorded since mid-March, the figures were still well-below normal levels. On the same Sunday last year, the TSA estimated that over 2.6 million people went through airport security.  

If other airlines follow United and Southwest’s lead in doing away with ticket-change costs, the airline industry as a whole stands to lose about $2.8 billion in ticket-change and cancellation fees, according to the Department of Transportation. 

Boeing has uncovered an issue in the manufacturing process of its successful widebody 787 Dreamliner. 

An early diagnosis suggests that the problem stems from two distinct manufacturing issues in the join of certain 787 aftbody fuselage sections. That, in combination, “result(s) in a condition that does not meet our design standards," the company said in a statement. 

Company officials said a thorough review is being conducted to get to the base cause of the problem. For the time being, eight of the planes will be grounded for inspection and repair. 

Production of the 787 Dreamliner slowed considerably since the pandemic began, primarily because there was little travel being done internationally. Long-haul flights have typically been where the aircraft shines due to its comfort and fuel efficiency.  

Boeing’s problems continue

The 787 Dreamliner was temporarily grounded in 2013 when its lithium batteries created fires, and a whistleblower brought up potential safety issues with the plane just last year.

But Boeing’s problems extend much further than this latest issue. The FAA recently outlined proposed changes to Boeing jets following two fatal crashes involving the company’s 737 MAX jets.

The company declined to name the three airlines that own the 787s grounded for inspections. However, aviation news site The Air Current cites a source familiar with the situation as pegging United, Air Canada, and Singapore Airlines as the owners of the eight grounded planes. Spokespeople for Singapore and United confirmed Air Current’s information.

If Congress can’t come through with an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program soon, tens of thousands of airline employees could see themselves without a job come October 1.

The first flare went up on Tuesday at the headquarters of American Airlines when the company announced that it will cut 19,000 employees from its payroll when the federal aid that protected those jobs expires. 

The 19,000 American employees include 17,500 flight attendants, pilots, and mechanics, plus 1,500 administration and management jobs. All told -- when combined with pink slips American handed out earlier and the 39,000 employees who opted for voluntary leave or early retirement -- American’s total workforce is about 41 percent smaller than the total workforce it had at the onset of the pandemic

“We have come to you many times throughout the pandemic, often with sobering updates on a world none of us could have imagined,” wrote American Airlines CEO Doug Parker along with the company’s president, Robert Isom, in a note to its staff announcing the cuts. 

Expect other airlines to follow suit

American isn’t the only airline trying to keep itself afloat. On Monday, Delta Air Lines also announced that it will have to furlough 2,000 pilots if it can’t get some relief from its labor union.

In June, United Airlines did its best to get ahead of the situation by coming to terms with the pilots union over early retirements and voluntary furloughs.

Southwest -- which has enough money in the bank to survive the pandemic for at least two years -- said it doesn’t foresee cutting jobs in 2020 because a fourth of its workers have signed up for either a buyout package or voluntary leave. 

Holding out for hope

While the $25 billion in payroll support the CARES Act provided U.S. airlines evaporates on October 1, there’s some hope that there could be an extension of that support.

A couple of weeks ago, 16 Republican senators wrote a letter urging Congress to consider a “clean extension” of the payroll support for airline employees who were included in the CARES package. There are reports that the rallying cry has also received support from some Democrats as well.

The age-old axiom of “no good deed goes unpunished'' has come true for American Airlines. The company was able to get an emergency authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a new antimicrobial product designed to protect against COVID-19 on aircraft surfaces. 

The good news is that the product -- SurfaceWise2 -- has been proven to last up to seven days and is the longest-lasting surface protectant that has earned the EPA’s blessing. The bad news is that while it protects against transmission on surfaces like tray tables, the coronavirus is widely believed to spread predominantly through close contact between people.

The emergency authorization is currently limited to the state of Texas, with the state permitting American Airlines airport facilities and planes to use the disinfectant at specific locations. 

Personal hygiene still rules the day

While the EPA stated that SurfaceWise2 may help “address the current national emergency” and “increase consumer confidence,” it also noted that the disinfectant is not a substitute for proper cleaning practices.

“This product is not a replacement for routine cleaning and disinfection with products from EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. EPA recommends that facilities continue to follow the cleaning and disinfection recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the agency wrote.

The agency went on to remind people that a sanitizer by itself is not the be-all and end-all for COVID-19.

“Please note that according to the CDC, while ‘it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes,’ the virus is thought to spread mainly through close contact between individuals.”

Officials say that the approved emergency use is only good for a year. As new data emerges, it’s possible that the agency may alter the approval of the product’s emergency use.

Delta Air Lines has carefully been plotting a full return to the skies. Earlier this week, it announced that it was testing every single one of its employees for COVID-19 to ensure that its flights were safe. 

On Thursday, it announced that it plans to start selling additional seats on its flights. While more passengers will be coming onboard, the company says it is keeping its promise about blocking the middle-seat to lessen the possibility of any spread of coronavirus between passengers.

The cap on the number of seats sold and blocking out the middle seat will stay in place at least through January 6, 2021.

Safety remains the priority

In a news release, the airline positioned itself against its competitors, saying it is “your choice for safer space.” 

“Medical experts, including our own partners at Emory Healthcare, agree – more distance on board makes a difference,” said Bill Lentsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer. 

“We believe that taking care of our customers and employees and restoring confidence in the safety of air travel is more important right now than filling up every seat on a plane. We’ll continue taking a thoughtful, layered approach ensuring customers know to expect the highest standard of care as they prepare for their holiday travels.”

Delta’s proactive and flexible plans

Delta is making a bid to be the most cautious of the major airlines when it comes to pandemic-related prevention efforts. Its latest announcement continues that cautionary tone, and the company said that it realizes that flexibility is more important than ever. 

Plotting out its next steps for health-conscious fliers and people or families who might be flying together come holiday time, Delta’s policy on middle seats will work like this:

• For customers in parties of 1-2: Middle seats will be blocked for safety.

• For customers in parties of 3 or more: Middle seats will appear as available for booking, to allow families and travel companions to select seats together.

As far as capacity is concerned, Delta says that passengers can expect Delta to do the following through October 31:

• Limit the number of customers on board all aircraft – with or without middle seats.

• Limit the First Class cabin to half capacity to further ensure more space between customers. However, on regional jets in 1x2 configurations, the First Class cabin will be capped at 67 percent.

• Block one aisle of seats on aircraft without middle seats.

On routes where its planes begin to fill, Delta says it will continue to look for opportunities to upsize to a larger aircraft type or, if necessary, add more flights.

The only area that will be offered at full capacity (effective October 1) is the Delta One cabin, which is available on long-haul international flights and in select long-haul domestic markets. Its argument for doing that is that the seats in Delta One are already well-distanced because of the configuration of the cabin and the design of the seats (such as being able to turn into a bed). 

Despite all the ups and downs the airline industry has faced recently, JetBlue has decided to offer consumers a little perk. The airline and Goldman Sachs are joining forces to allow travelers to use MarcusPay -- Goldman Sachs’ instant credit, buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) plan -- to pay for retail purchases over time at the point-of-sale.

The new arrangement expands on an earlier deal to provide MarcusPay as a BNPL option for JetBlue Vacations packages of hotels and airfare. JetBlue customers can apply for a MarcusPay loan from the payment page on jetblue.com or at jetbluevacations.com. It will also be available in the coming weeks on the JetBlue mobile app.

How it works

MarcusPay can be used for trips that cost between $750 and $10,000. There are several available loan options for customers, and there’s no upfront deposit required. There are also no fees that come with the loan, and the interest rate will be fixed. Neither JetBlue or Goldman Sachs published a rate specific to this program, but MarcusPay’s current APRs run from from 10.99 percent to 25.99 percent with a payoff option of 12 or 18 months. 

While the interest rates aren’t exactly prize winners, JetBlue and Goldman Sachs think that removing some of the hassle and added cost of planning a vacation will play well in the uncertain financial environment brought on by the pandemic.

“MarcusPay gives customers a smart alternative to financing large purchases,” said Elisabeth Kozack, head of Consumer Lending Partnerships at Marcus by Goldman Sachs. “JetBlue is a terrific partner for MarcusPay. They remain focused on delivering against their customers’ needs and providing transparency, which helps them deliver a differentiated customer experience for travelers.”

BNPL plays well in the coronavirus crisis

Not that the pandemic needs thanking, but the fact of the matter is that U.S. consumer spending has been in a tailspin since COVID-19 came to town. However, PYMTS Buy Now Pay Later Tracker indicates that BNPL options could be a way to get consumers spending money again. 

“The concept (of BNPL) is to not only make transactions affordable, but seamless,” explained PYMTS.

“These arrangements can also allow customers to purchase more or costlier items than they could otherwise, thereby helping merchants. Shoppers can feel more at ease, too, replacing a broken refrigerator or washing machine that conked out right after a consumer lost a job.” 

Travel restrictions between China and the U.S. are being eased, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). 

On Tuesday, the agency announced that four Chinese airlines will be able to increase air traffic to the U.S. to a total of eight weekly round-trip flights. The decision matches allowances given to United Airlines and Delta Air Lines after each of the carriers qualified for additional U.S. flights going to China earlier this month. 

In its announcement, the DOT implied that it would continue to move in step with Chinese officials so that air carriers from each country have an equal number of flights going between the two nations.

“The Order...indicates our willingness to further revisit our action should the Chinese aviation authorities adjust their policies to bring about the necessary improved situation for U.S. carriers in which both they and the Chinese carriers could fully exercise their bilateral rights,” the agency stated.

Delta increases prevention efforts

International flights have begun to slowly come back over the last couple of months as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, travelers are still required to follow certain safety precautions depending on the airline they choose to use.

Delta Air Lines -- one of the carriers that has flights going to China -- recently intensified its requirements for both passengers and employees to mitigate COVID-19 infections. Fortunately, the company says its efforts have paid off.

“The infection rate among our customer-facing employees is below the national average and shows that our Delta CareStandard measures are working,” said Joanne Smith, Delta’s executive vice president and chief people officer. 

“While we're encouraged by our results, we know we can’t afford to let up now. Health experts agree that a multi-layered approach – one that includes testing, symptom-checking, mask-wearing, environmental cleaning and physical distancing – is the greatest inhibitor to spreading COVID-19 and will play a critical role in keeping our people safe in the weeks and months ahead.”

While other airlines are canceling routes and pulling back on sanitization efforts, Delta Air Lines continues to trudge forward with anti-coronavirus moves to keep both employees and customers healthy and safe onboard. 

Adding to its enforcement of facial coverings for all passengers, requiring travelers to certify that their health is in tip-top shape, and mandating that if a passenger can’t wear mask that they take a COVID-19 test, the airline is now testing nearly 100 percent of the airline’s workforce for the coronavirus by the end of the August. About half of Delta’s active employees have been tested so far.

“Our customers want to know that the people caring for them while traveling are healthy,” said Joanne Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. “Providing COVID-19 testing for all of our people is an important action we can take to keep employees, their families and our customers safe, increasing confidence in travel while doing our part to slow and stop the spread of the virus.”

If a Delta employee tests positive

Delta argues that testing its entire 75,000-strong employee roster will reduce exposure to others and ensure that asymptomatic individuals have time to recover at home. To pull this off, Delta has brought in the Mayo Clinic to help develop a strategy based on tailored risk assessments. 

To help create a healthier workplace long-term and curb the rate of infection, the Mayo Clinic will also review and evaluate Delta’s health and safety practices on everything from infection prevention measures to workforce risk assessments. If one of Delta’s employees tests positive for COVID-19, they will be required to isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days while receiving full pay. 

For employees who have been exposed to others with COVID-19 but have not tested positive, they are required to remain out of the workplace for 14 days from the date of exposure. They will also receive full pay protection. 

Delta is also offering employees the option of being tested for COVID-19 antibodies at all of its major U.S. hubs and at more than 2,000 Quest Diagnostic locations nationwide – free of charge.

Delta’s efforts are paying off

While the rest of the world has been waiting for a vaccine or the launch of the newly approved quick-to-administer saliva test, Delta has been working hard to make sure anything a customer touches that’s related to the airline is as safe as possible. That effort seems to be paying off.

“The infection rate among our customer-facing employees is below the national average and shows that our Delta CareStandard measures are working,” Smith said. “While we're encouraged by our results, we know we can’t afford to let up now. Health experts agree that a multi-layered approach – one that includes testing, symptom-checking, mask-wearing, environmental cleaning and physical distancing – are the greatest inhibitors to spreading COVID-19 and will play a critical role in keeping our people safe in the weeks and months ahead.”

American Airlines is said to be considering a reduction in flights to as many as 30 smaller U.S. cities if a federal requirement to continue those flights expires at the end of September. 

Citing an airline official familiar with the matter, the New York Post reports that American only agreed to keep serving those smaller cities because it was an essential condition in receiving $5.8 billion in coronavirus aid. However, American is keeping mum on if this is a chess move designed to put added pressure on Congress and the White House to give airlines another $25 billion for labor costs and salaries. 

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the American Airlines official did not specify exactly which cities might lose service. However, according to the Post, the changes could appear in schedules as early as next week.

Airlines banked on a rebound that never fully happened

After taking a 95 percent tumble in April, air travel in the U.S. has rebounded a bit but is still a far cry from 2019. As an example, there were 590,749 travelers who went through a TSA checkpoint on Wednesday compared to 2,391,906 who were screened on the same day a year ago, according to TSA data.

As global business confidence started to rebound in May, the airlines’ outlook started to look hopeful. “Given the historical relationship between business sentiment and air passenger volumes, this rebound would normally bode well for the air travel outlook,” wrote economists at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 

“However, these are far from normal times; limited corporate travel budgets, the increased use of online conferencing, continued international travel restrictions and ongoing health (and duty of care) concerns all contribute to a weakened relationship between business confidence and air travel at present.”

Airlines follow consumer sentiment

The IATA went on to say that it really comes down to consumer sentiment. If that factor remains subdued, airlines will have to concern themselves about rising unemployment and the continuity of government support programs in the months ahead.

Airlines aren’t sitting around waiting for the $419 billion in total revenue they’ve lost to magically appear. Both airlines and their affiliated labor unions are lobbying for another chunk of relief funds to get them through April 2021. They reportedly have half of the House of Representatives on their side, including more than 20 Republicans, and at least a dozen Republicans in the Senate. President Trump also recognizes the airlines’ pain. 

“Obviously the airline business is not doing very well,” he said when asked about the issue at a news briefing last week. “I would be certainly in favor. We can’t lose our transportation system.”

The nation’s airports saw a surge in foot traffic over the weekend. 

Data published by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shows that over 831,000 travelers were processed at security checkpoints on Sunday. That’s the highest number that the agency has tracked since March 17, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While the bump in traffic is surely good news for airline companies, it’s important to note that these figures are still well below normal levels. On the same Sunday in 2019, the TSA estimates that over 2.6 million travelers went through security. 

Traffic numbers continue rising

Airport traffic numbers certainly aren’t anywhere close to approaching pre-pandemic levels, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for some optimism. After all, these numbers have been steadily climbing for several months. 

In a report released today, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) says that the number of U.S. airline passengers rose by 93 percent month-over-month in June. That means the number of passengers nearly doubled. 

“The large airlines carried 16.3 million passengers in June 2020 (preliminary), up from 8.4 million passengers on all U.S. airlines in May 2020 and up from 3 million in April 2020, which was the lowest monthly total in BTS records dating back to 1974,” the agency said. 

If the TSA security checkpoint numbers are any indication, those numbers will only improve for the month of July. While there were no days in June in which checkpoint visits exceeded 700,000, the agency’s report shows there were 16 of those days in the month that followed. So far in August, 7 out of 9 days for which the agency has data have surpassed the 700,000 mark. 

COVID-19 has brought the first airline to its knees. Virgin Atlantic has filed for bankruptcy in the United States as it does everything in its power to put the finishing touches on a $1.5 billion plan that it hopes will rescue it from the coronavirus calamity.

The UK-based company filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. Chapter 15 allows cooperation between the U.S. and foreign courts, sheltering the U.S. assets of foreign companies that are undergoing restructuring proceedings in their home country. The airline also filed a similar claim in the UK and has penciled in August 15 for a meeting with creditors to vote on the restructuring plan.

Not exactly a surprise

In publicly discussing its post-COVID future in early May, Virgin was blunt about its situation, saying, “Our path forward must change. To emerge from this crisis, against an uncertain backdrop, the airline must radically adapt, so that it can continue to thrive, while always keeping its people and customers at the heart of everything it does.”

At the time, the airline said it would make shifts in aircraft, airports, the number of employees, and destinations so that once the crisis subsided it could regain its footing.

“We have weathered many storms since our first flight 36 years ago, but none has been as devastating as COVID-19 and the associated loss of life and livelihood for so many,” Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic commented. 

“However, to safeguard our future and emerge a sustainably profitable business, now is the time for further action to reduce our costs, preserve cash and to protect as many jobs as possible. It is crucial that we return to profitability in 2021.”

A full recovery won’t come any time soon

The numbers -- not just for Virgin Atlantic but for every airline -- are hard to fathom. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest number crunching says its members are $419 billion in the hole, with 7.5 million flights cancelled, and consumer demand is down 54 percent.

IATA estimates that things might not return to normal until 2023, possibly as late as 2024. An IATA survey showed that 66 percent of travelers are likely to travel less in the post-pandemic world and 64 percent said they’re completely postponing travel until both travel and economic factors improve for -- not only for themselves, but for the economy at large.

The whole airline industry’s response to the coronavirus pandemic continues to get more interesting. On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines announced tighter requirements for face coverings and now, Southwest Airlines seems to be leaning the other way. 

In a memo obtained by USA Today, Southwest said it will no longer be disinfecting armrests and seat belts between flights, opting to disinfect only high-touch areas like lavatories and tray tables.

The reasons

When ConsumerAffairs contacted Southwest for the reasons behind this move, its chief rationale was that optimizing staffing and cleaning processes is necessary because the available time between flights is getting tighter as its schedule reverts back to normal. 

“This approach is one more process evolution during the pandemic designed to support our multi-layered cleaning program that occurs throughout the day,” the airline said.

Southwest went on to say that bathrooms and tray tables are the primary focus because the airline is set “on cleaning as many high-touch areas as possible during the allotted turns … while shifting other areas to be disinfected during our overnight cleaning process, when Southwest Teams spend six to seven hours per aircraft cleaning all interior surfaces.”

However, in a bit of DIY sanitization for germ-conscious fliers, Southwest said that if customers want to wipe down armrests and seat belts, all they have to do is ask and they will be given sanitizing wipes to disinfect their space.

All other health safety precautions stay the same

Southwest will continue the majority of its COVID-related procedures for the near future, like employing face coverings, a reduction in the number of available seats, physical distancing, and boarding passengers in smaller groups. In particular, Southwest wants travelers to know that it’s still doing enhanced overnight cleaning, “when Southwest Teams spend six to seven hours per aircraft cleaning all interior surfaces.” Those precautions are reported to stay in place until October.

According to Travel + Leisure, the airline is also going high-tech to check the health readiness of passengers. It announced that it’s doing a beta test of thermal cameras at select airports to check passengers' temperatures.

“As always, Southwest will monitor Customer and Employee feedback as we adapt to the new normal in air travel, while ensuring we keep safety as our top priority,” is how Southwest wrapped up its response to ConsumerAffairs. 

In the most rigorous coronavirus-related move ConsumerAffairs has seen an airline make, Delta Air Lines is taking its face coverings mandate up a notch -- a very stringent notch at that. 

While the airline had mandated masks as a requisite to board its flights and wear one while in-flight, passengers are now required to wear a face covering during check-in, while walking through jet bridges, in the boarding gate area, and for any traveler who visits Delta’s Sky Clubs lounges.

However, there’s one wrinkle in Delta’s updated face covering policy that most travelers aren’t aware of -- the fact that not every mask meets the airline’s requirement.

“Any mask with an exhaust valve is not approved as an acceptable face mask for customers traveling on any Delta operated flight,” the airline stated.

And it’s not just Delta who thinks this way. Health care experts do, too. “A face mask with an exhalation valve doesn’t help protect others,” cautions Kentucky-based Norton Healthcare. “The valve makes it easier for you to exhale, but it also lets your germs out into the air. When it comes to protecting others, a mask with an exhalation valve is like not wearing one at all.”

Delta lays down the law

Delta is trying to be as flexible as possible and says that travelers with “unique mask requirements” are encouraged to bring the appropriate face covering that best meets their needs. 

Conversely, customers with underlying conditions that unequivocally prevent the wearing of a face covering or mask are “strongly encouraged” to rethink their travel plans or should arrive at least an hour earlier than usual and complete a ‘Clearance-to-Fly’ process prior to departure. 

Delta is telling travelers that its rules take precedence over other exemptions detailed by various city or state governments. It also adds that it will be cracking down on passengers who try to get around the rule by falsely claiming a disability or health condition that prevents the wearing of a mask.

“Mask exemptions ... do not exempt customers from any requirements that may be imposed by governments, including local, state or foreign countries, (at the origin or destination) or from requirements on other airlines,” Delta warned. “Any false claims of a disability or health condition to obtain an exemption from wearing a mask or face covering may result in the suspension of travel privileges on any Delta flight for the duration of the mask/face covering requirement.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a report outlining the steps Boeing will need to take in order for the planes to be deemed airworthy. 

On Monday, the FAA released a “preliminary summary” of what it believes are the appropriate next steps to address lingering safety issues. The agency noted that the document is “subject to revision and updating as the FAA completes additional steps in the process of reviewing the Boeing 737 MAX for return to service.” 

Based on its 18-month review of the plane and the issues that contributed to two fatal crashes in 2019, the FAA is asking for revamped software for the aircraft’s flight control computer and displays. 

The agency is also asking for a revised manual for flight crew, new wiring for the plane's horizontal stabilizers, complete tests of each plane's angle-of-attack sensor system, and operational test flights to ensure the plane’s safety. 

Still months away from returning to the air

The FAA’s proposed changes were detailed in a 96-page summary, which the public will have 45 days to comment on before Boeing is officially directed to make the changes. The plane’s return to the skies likely wouldn’t come for a few months after the comment period. 

The FAA said its report was based on the input of “40 engineers, inspectors, pilots, and technical support staff,” more than 60,000 hours of “review, certification testing, and evaluation of pertinent documents,” and 50 hours of its own testing. More than 4,000 hours of Boeing’s flight and simulator tests were analyzed and three days of flight tests were recently completed in the Seattle, Washington area, according to the FAA. 

No more than two weeks after United Airlines reportedly had come to terms with a pilots union over early retirements and voluntary furloughs, it said that it may have spoken too soon. The company now says there may be more furloughs on the way given the bleak future of travelers returning to the not-so-friendly skies.

Earlier this month, United told a third of its staff -- about 36,000 employees -- that their job security was iffy at best. Earlier this week, the airline prodded its employees a little further toward considering either voluntary leave or a buyout, extending the deadline for those options into August. Originally, United had plans to furlough about a third of its pilots before 2021. However, that forecast has also changed. 

“We may need to furlough more pilots in 2020, and in 2021, than originally planned,” Bryan Quigley, United’s senior vice president of flight operations, said in a note to employees.

Will Congress step in again?

Congress has been working on another coronavirus relief package, but there doesn’t seem to be anything in that deal for the airlines. CNBC reports that more than 200 lawmakers and airline labor unions are pushing Congress to grant an extra $32 billion in payroll support so that the airline industry can protect jobs at least through the end of March 2021.

“It is clear that Congress must act to extend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act which has helped to prevent widespread layoffs of aviation workers to date,” insisted Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA).

Airlines haven’t formally asked Congress for additional aid. CNBC reports that executives at both American and United are “walking a fine line on the issue,” but both airlines back the unions’ efforts. In United’s case, Quigley said additional aid or cost-cutting agreements with unions could mitigate furloughs.

Boeing has gone through the wringer over safety issues related to its 737 MAX aircraft, but now some of its other 737 models have raised eyebrows at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

On Friday, FAA officials released an Airworthiness Directive for approximately 2,000 Boeing 737 aircraft that have been put in storage during the coronavirus pandemic. The reason? Officials say that the planes may have experienced corrosion while sitting idle and that they may be prone to engine failure. 

The directive covers certain older Boeing aircraft that have not been operated within the last seven days or more. Airlines that have these older 737 planes in their fleet are being asked to check for corrosion on engine valves.

Boeing admitted that the planes indicated by the FAA “can be more susceptible to corrosion” because they have been used infrequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FAA’s directive may have been prompted by an Alaska Airlines report about an engine shutdown that occurred on one of its Boeing aircraft earlier this month. CNBC reports that the airline told the FAA that it experienced the issue on one of its flights from Seattle to Austin on July 15. The engine shutdown led to a safe emergency landing.

Another day, another move by an airline trying to regain consumer trust in the middle of the pandemic.

Out of Chicago comes news from United Airlines that it is maximizing the air flow volume during boarding and deplaning in its mainline aircraft to try and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The airline says the process is scheduled to start July 27 and will be on top of its current deployment of HEPA filters, air conditioning, and pressurization systems that already recirculate the air every 2-3 minutes.

Cleaner air than you’d get anywhere else

United says the enhanced process will remove 99.97 percent of “viruses and bacteria” and make the air quality “significantly cleaner than what people typically experience in restaurants, grocery stores, schools or even some hospitals.”

"We know the environment on an aircraft is safe and because the air flow is designed to minimize the transmission of disease, the earlier we maximize air flow over our HEPA filtration system, the better for our crew and our customers," said Scott Kirby, United's chief executive officer. 

United has gone to great lengths to check every single health and safety box it can to try and make travelers comfortable and confident their trip will be coronavirus-free. The airline has a lot riding on those efforts, especially after it misread the tea leaves and announced it was returning to the air at triple its schedule, only to see the pandemic reverse course.

The airline partnered with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic to improve cleaning procedures. It’s also requiring passengers to complete a pre-boarding checklist, wear a face covering, and board back-to-front and deplane five rows at a time. The airline says it’s also “taking steps” to reduce the overall number of people on board and separate customers “wherever possible.” That last promise comes on the heels of bad press over leaked photos of packed flights.

Protecting travelers

Kirby isn’t giving up on his hopes that the airline will be able to provide a safe experience for its customers.

"The quality of the air, combined with a strict mask policy and regularly disinfected surfaces, are the building blocks towards preventing the spread of COVID-19 on an airplane,” he said.

“We expect that air travel is not likely to get back to normal until we're closer to a widely administered vaccine – so we're in this for the long haul. And I am going to keep encouraging our team to explore and implement new ideas, new technologies, new policies and new procedures that better protect our customers and employees."

As airlines try to gain a profitable footing in the middle of the COVID-19 conundrum, United Airlines is following in American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue’s footsteps by cutting a deal with its 13,000-strong pilots union on furloughs and early retirement packages.

Full details have yet to be published, but in a note sent to the pilots by the union and viewed by CNBC, the next step is the ratification of the plan, which could come as soon as next week.

The move is of particular value to United given its aggressive posture of tripling its daily departures. Having fewer paychecks to write can go a long way. The likely scenario is that United and the union will carbon copy much of what the airlines signed off on. As an example, Delta’s deal included partial pay for three years or age 65 (whichever comes first).

“Unfortunately, this may not be the full extent of the furloughs, and we must be prepared for more based on the Company’s plan to be 30 percent smaller next summer,” Capt. Todd Insler, chairman of the United chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, wrote to members on Thursday.

A juggling act

Both airlines and airline employees are looking at a fish-or-cut-bait deadline of September 30 -- the date they agreed on to keep employees on the payroll, not furlough, or reduce the hourly pay scale. The agreement was the airline industry’s half of the bargain under the Payroll Support Program, which has helped keep them in business during the pandemic.

When the airlines signed off on that promise, the country’s way out of the coronavirus outbreak was starting to look promising, but that’s all changed.

CNBC reports that Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told his staff in a company memo that the July Fourth weekend was a paltry 20 percent of the passenger load it flew last year. While United is gung-ho about scheduling new flights, Bastian says he’s hesitant about Delta expanding its schedule.

“And while we’re adding back about 1,000 flights systemwide this month, we’re still operating just about 30 percent of our normal July schedule,” Bastian said. “The continued growth of the virus through the Sun Belt, coupled with quarantine restrictions being implemented in large markets in the northern part of the country, give us renewed caution about further schedule additions at this time.”

On Thursday, the Treasury Department said it has agreed on terms for coronavirus loans with five major U.S. airlines. The loans were part of a $25 billion emergency loan program established by Congress in March. 

The airlines that have signed letters of intent for the loan terms are American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Sky West Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. 

“We are pleased that major air carriers intend to use this important program and for Treasury to use its authority under the CARES Act to provide much-needed financial assistance, while ensuring appropriate taxpayer compensation,” Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. “Conversations with other airlines continue, and we look forward to finalizing agreements as soon as possible.”

Airlines that borrow money will have to maintain employment levels and limit employee compensation, dividends, and share repurchases to qualify for the CARES Act loans. Carriers will have until September 30 to decide whether to take the loan.

The airline industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and consumers still aren’t particularly confident about resuming air travel. Despite dampened demand for plane tickets, airlines are gradually increasing numbers of available seats and assuring customers that they have enhanced their health and safety procedures. 

JetBlue and a pilots union have reached a deal to sidestep any involuntary furloughs until at least May 2021.

In a memo seen by CNBC, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)’s JetBlue chapter signed off on a letter of agreement  that “protects all JetBlue pilots from involuntary furlough -- under any circumstances -- until May 1, 2021.”

There’s never a perfect time for a tete-a-tete with a union, especially with airlines trying to find their way out of the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Just two weeks ago, JetBlue said it was adding 30 new domestic routes to serve customers in markets where leisure and travel for visiting friends and relatives were showing some signs of strength. 

The essence of the deal

In the memo, the pilots’ union and the airline shook hands on some “short-term changes” but added an asterisk on an “earlier snapback if demand for flying recovers.” The memo also made the point that there aren’t any planned changes to the collective bargaining agreement that governs pay rates or “significant modifications” to work rules.

“Airline pilots have been on the front lines of this public-health crisis and were part of the first wave of those directly impacted by the associated economic fallout,” the union said in a statement to CNBC.

ConsumerAffairs reached out to JetBlue for comment but had not received any by press time.

Other airlines may face similar situations

In mid-April, U.S.-based airlines accepted billions in coronavirus aid in a bid to keep workers afloat with the intent of avoiding involuntary furloughs. The deadline for that promise will come September 30. It’s like that a large number of layoffs will also occur at that time. 

American Airlines told employees earlier this week that it anticipates having 8,000 more flight attendants than it needs come fall -- almost a third of its 2019 levels.

Delta Air Lines also warned its pilots about possible furloughs and urged any pilot eligible to take an early retirement package to give it serious consideration.

In spite of the upward trend of COVID-19 infections making the skies anything but friendly, United Airlines is going all-in by tripling the size of its August schedule compared to its daily departures in June, adding nearly 25,000 domestic and international flights compared to July. The company says it has plans to fly 40 percent of its overall schedule in August versus the previous year.

The airline thinks that travelers are regaining their confidence about traveling, at least enough to visit getaway destinations that embrace social distancing and friends and family who have been playing it safe and staying out of harm’s way. 

"We're taking the same data-driven, realistic approach to growing our schedule as we did in drawing it down at the start of the pandemic," said Ankit Gupta, United's vice president of Domestic Network Planning. 

"Demand is coming back slowly and we're building in enough capacity to stay ahead of the number of people traveling. And we're adding in flights to places we know customers want to travel to, like outdoor recreation destinations where social distancing is easier but doing so in a way that's flexible and allows us to adjust should that demand change."

The updated routes

Much of United’s 350 additional daily flights starting in August will pass through its hubs -- Chicago, Denver, and Houston -- but the airline will also put a spin on getting to the great outdoors where the coronavirus is less likely to lurk.

Mountain and national park destinations will be the main recipient of that spin. Aspen, Colorado; Bangor, Maine; Bozeman, Montana; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming will all be getting more inbound flights. Internationally, United's August schedule will include a return to Tahiti and additional flights to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Mexico. 

United says it’s adding more flights to Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, and Zurich, but that wish may have already met its match with the European Union keeping its borders closed to U.S.-based travelers.

Here are the highlights of United’s reworked schedule, come August:

• An additional 600 daily flights to more than 200 airports across the U.S.

• Expanding flights at 147 U.S. airports

• Increasing connectivity in United's mid-continental hubs, including Chicago, Denver, and Houston

• Doubling the number of flights out of New York/Newark

• Gassing up and putting about 90 aircraft back into service

• Increasing service between Hawaii and all of its hubs

A complete list of United’s schedule changes is available here.

Safety is still a priority

Yes, passenger revenue is important to United, but it can ill afford to risk the health and safety of its passengers. Just like every other airline, United has had to make adjustments and keep improving on its promise to keep travelers safe. 

For the foreseeable future, United has a checklist that every passenger has to complete before they’ll be let on a flight. Chief among its requirements is that all passengers -- including crew members -- have to wear a face covering. If they don’t, then they may not be allowed to board.

Boeing’s 737 MAX jets, which have been grounded for more than a year, are set to undergo three-days’ worth of key test flights starting June 29. 

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that pilots and test crew members will run through a series of “methodically scripted” scenarios designed to intentionally push the reprogrammed MCAS stall-prevention software to its limits.

The MCAS software was found to be a factor in the two fatal 737 MAX crashes that occurred just five months apart. The tests will focus on ensuring that the changes have sufficiently increased the safety and reliability of the software. 

Federal Aviation Administration officials told Reuters that the tests “will include a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to enable the agency to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards.”

If the initial round of testing doesn’t reveal any issues, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson will board the plane to personally verify its safety before issuing approval. The FAA would then need to approve new pilot training procedures and might not allow the 737 Max to resume passenger flights until September.

While it’s possible that the aircraft could be cleared to resume operations before the end of the year, the recertification process has historically been long and beset with delays.

“Based on how many problems have been uncovered, I would be stunned if the flight tests are ‘one and done,’” a source told the publication. 

American Airlines announced Friday that it will sell tickets for every seat on its planes beginning July 1. Previously, the airline was filling its aircraft up to 85 percent capacity in an effort to promote social distancing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

"As more people continue to travel, customers may notice that flights are booked to capacity starting July 1," American Airlines said in a press release. 

The airline said it has enhanced its cleaning procedures and will require passengers to wear face coverings while on board. The company previously said it would deny boarding to customers who don’t comply with the rule. 

American will be asking travelers whether they have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 in the past two weeks. Online and airport check-in kiosks will include a symptom checklist. The company said it will notify customers if their flight will be full and allow them to switch to less crowded flights at no extra cost through September 30. 

“Our customers trust us to make every aspect of their journey safe. We won’t let them down,” said Alison Taylor, American’s chief customer officer, in a statement. “We will continue to refine and update our practices based on the latest information from health authorities and our own Travel Health Advisory Panel.”

Other airlines are taking a more cautious approach to resuming normal operations. Southwest, Alaska, Delta, and JetBlue still have restrictions on passenger capacity. Many airlines are also suspending alcoholic beverage service in response to the pandemic. 

On Monday, Delta Air Lines announced that it will resume flights between Seattle and Shanghai on June 25 following a suspension of nearly four months due to COVID-19 concerns. 

The airline said a flight between Seattle and Shanghai-Pudong, China (through Seoul-Incheon, South Korea) will operate twice a week. 

“With a mission to connect the world, Delta is committed to getting our customers to their destinations safely and confidently, especially at this critical time. We are implementing unprecedented health and safety measures and practices, so customers are assured of ease and safety at all points of their journey,” Wong Hong, Delta's president of Greater China and Singapore, said in a statement on Monday. 

New health measures

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Delta will require all passengers to wear face coverings both in the airport and while in the cabin. The airline said it will also be sanitizing all aircraft, changing its boarding process from back to front, and requesting that customers bring their own food and beverages to minimize contact with employees.

Additionally, Delta won’t be selling tickets for middle seats and will limit its passenger capacity to 60 percent capacity in the main cabin to promote social distancing. Delta added that it’s “constantly updating best practices and improving the new standard of care based on expert medical advice and the feedback of customers.”

The restarting of Delta’s service between the U.S. in China comes a week after the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that airlines could continue four flights per week between the two countries. 

The DOT said it will “continue to press for the full restoration of passenger air travel between the United States and China,” in part to allow Chinese students impacted by the flight shortage to fly home. 

“As the Chinese government allows more flights by U.S. carriers, we will reciprocate,” the agency added. 

Delta is the first airline to resume flights to China. United Airlines is expected to restart flights to the country soon.

Did you ever think there would come a time when airlines would require every passenger to wear a mask AND stop selling alcohol? Welcome to the new norm, folks.

One by one, airlines have been drawing new lines in the sand with new coronavirus-related restrictions. For example, United Airlines issued a comprehensive list of mandates last week that included confirmation from passengers that they have not had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks before the flight they're boarding.

Thanks to Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing the leading domestic carriers, airlines will no longer be doing their own thing when it comes to face coverings.

In an all-in move, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines have all agreed on a sweeping, uniform, health mask policy.

Revoked flying privileges

A4A says its entire membership will be “vigorously” enforcing face-covering policies for both passengers and crew. By “vigorously,” the organization means that face coverings will have to cover both the nose and mouth, not just hanging from the ear on an as-needed basis. 

Here’s what airlines and travelers will be expected to do.

• Preflight Communications: Each airline will inform its individual face-covering policy in all communications with customers (e.g., email and reservation confirmations), which may require passengers to tick a box saying they acknowledge the specific rules during the check-in process.

• Onboard Announcements: Aboard each flight, crew members will announce details regarding their airline’s face covering policy, including the consequences passengers could face for not adhering to the policy.

• Consequences for Noncompliance: Rather than a uniform punishment, each carrier will be expected to create the appropriate consequences for passengers who are found to be in noncompliance with the airline’s face covering policy. A4A says the airlines have broad powers in this regard -- “up to and including suspension of flying privileges on that airline.”

American Airlines, for one, says its line on masks is hard and fast; the company says it will deny boarding to customers who don’t comply. Adding an extra dare, American says it may also deny future travel for customers who refuse to wear a face covering. 

Dry flights

While consumers turned to alcohol to relieve stress caused by COVID-19 and produced a sales boom, the airlines have decided to put their alcoholic beverages under lock and key for the near future, despite what profit might be had.

U.S. airlines like Delta, Southwest, and American, along with European carriers including Easyjet and KLM, and Asia-centric Virgin Australia, are all suspending either some or part of their alcoholic beverage service in response to the coronavirus. If a cocktail is a must, some airlines will have them available in First Class and/or on long-haul international flights. 

The changes may sound drastic, but the airlines can’t run the risk of the added interaction between passengers and crew members. Passengers should also be prepared for limitations on other beverages. As an example, Southwest Airlines and Virgin Australia are serving water only for the time being.

Place your shoes and belt in the tray… take out your laptop and turn it on… and take a self-administered health assessment.

Yep, that's where the post-pandemic travel world may be headed. United Airlines raised the bar on health and safety on Wednesday by becoming the first major U.S. airline to ask passengers to complete a health self-assessment during their check-in process. 

“I promise…”

Partnering with the Cleveland Clinic, United's "Ready-to-Fly" checklist asks travelers to verify that they have not experienced COVID-19-related symptoms in the 14 days before boarding their outbound flight. The checklist is an add-on to the airline’s previously announced Clean Plus initiative.

"As people are returning to their daily activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, their health and safety – as well as the health and safety of others - should continue to be top-of-mind," said Dr. James Merlino, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Cleveland Clinic.

"Our health experts are pleased to play a role in helping people travel more safely and we worked closely with United to develop a health self-assessment for its customers to better ensure precautions are taken before beginning their journey."

United’s new checklist

Following guidelines set forth by the Cleveland Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO), United's Ready-to-Fly checklist requires each passenger to electronically or verbally commit to several details before receiving a boarding pass. Those include:

• Confirming that they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last three weeks or experienced any of the typical symptoms in the past two weeks;

• Confirming they have not been denied boarding by another airline due to medical screening for infectious disease in the last two weeks; and

• Confirming that they have not had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks before the flight they're boarding.

Follow the rules or reschedule

United's checklist also ensures fliers are committed to the airline's other safety measures, like wearing a face covering -- a new mandate for anyone (passengers and crew) flying on United. 

United says that customers who don't meet these requirements and choose not to travel can reschedule their flights. However, its statement on the change did not say whether a passenger who can’t or won’t verify their health will be kept from boarding.

Expect other airlines to follow suit

United's not the lone ranger in this move. Alaska Airlines has also instituted a pre-travel and wellness agreement much akin to United's, and other airlines may follow suit. 

The tipping point, as you can imagine, is where safety and economics collide. For example, Delta Air Lines has put a cap on passenger loads and blocked off middle seats to maximize social distancing; United's move allows for more passengers who vow that their fellow fliers are out of harm's way.

As airlines find their way out of the pandemic-driven detour, industry executives are again calling for changes to help travelers feel good about flying.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Washington Post, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes predicted that some of the old ways of doing things won’t work in the new normal.  

Hayes said airlines will find it difficult to resume their previous practices for change and cancellation fees when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

Change fees may be going away

At the top of Hayes’ predictions is a rethinking of how airlines sell ticketed products.

“It’s not going to be acceptable, I don’t think, for somebody who is unwell to feel that they are being made to fly,” Hayes speculated. “And so, I think airlines are going to have to think about how they monetize their fare structure, how they create products that give people the ability to change flights more easily than in the past.” 

To Hayes’ point about fare structure, one thing he thinks should be tossed out is the as-much-as $200 change fees, much like they did during the COVID-19 outbreak and Hurricane Florence. That change would surely be a blow to airlines. In 2019, the major U.S. carriers took in nearly $3 billion in reservation and cancellation fees according to the Department of Transportation -- $195 million for the Hayes-run JetBlue alone.

Low fares could become the norm

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly predicts that at the end of the industry’s pandemic recovery, consumers will see low airfares as the norm. Speaking in his weekly video update to employees, Kelly laid out his vision in no uncertain terms.

“We’ll compete hard for customers, understanding it will be a brutal, low-fare environment as there are far more airline seats, and there will be for some time, than there are customers,” he said.

“Our low-cost philosophy, strategy and structure will serve us very well. We’ll continue to offer low fares with no change fees, no bag fees and a safe environment when our customers are ready to fly."

Consumers should expect a lot of variables

One aviation consultant agrees that getting to that win-win spot where both the airlines and the consumers are happy will be a rollercoaster ride.

In comments made to the Dallas Morning News, David Banmiller predicts two things: one, that airlines will be inclined to fill up seats to substantiate the monstrous overhead costs of getting a plane in the air and passengers from point-to-point. And, secondly, much of the rebound will be dependent on how aggressive airlines will get in fighting for routes they compete with others for.

“Fares will be all over the place,” Banmiller said. 

ConsumerAffairs is already seeing Banmiller’s predictions come true. In a sample Google Flights search for a roundtrip from Austin (AUS) to New York LaGuardia (LGA) leaving on June 18 and returning on June 22, we found airfares as low as $293 and as high as $697.

Airline stocks have rallied on Wall Street this week on growing optimism that the country is beginning to reopen and travel is about to resume. But the rising stock prices don’t reveal the economic damage to commercial air travel that’s already been done.

American Airlines has announced it is cutting 30 percent of its management and administrative staff in an effort to stem the flow of red ink. A company memo obtained by CNBC said the airline will also begin offering buyouts to flight attendants and other frontline personnel in June.

“We must plan for operating a smaller airline for the foreseeable future,” Elise Eberwein, one of the airline’s executive vice presidents, wrote in a letter to employees Wednesday.

American has plenty of company in that situation because the entire industry has been turned upside down by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Consumers stopped flying well before the government issued travel restrictions. By late April, U.S. passenger traffic had fallen 90 percent.

In the last decade, the airline industry has clawed its way back to profitability by maximizing routes -- flying planes in which every seat was sold -- and charging fees for things that were once included in the price of a ticket. Those days seem to be over.

Half-empty planes

In the era of social distancing -- which no one expects to end anytime soon -- American and its competitors will likely fly half-empty planes, even when consumers begin traveling again. In an announcement made Wednesday, American said it would continue t