The airline is the last US carrier to continue limiting capacity to allow for more social distancing in flight
Early in the pandemic, the carrier was among the first to limit capacity and block booking middle seats, a practice it has had in place since April last year.
When asked on the airline’s fourth quarter earnings call with analysts about when a decision might be made on unblocking middle seats, CEO Ed Bastian said, “When demand returns, that will inform our decision around what to do with the middle seats.”
The latest extension of the policy reflects that cautious approach, according to Bill Lentsch, chief customer experience officer. “We’ll continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, while bringing back products and services in ways that instill trust in the health and safety of everyone on board – that will always be Delta’s priority,” Lentsch said.
Details on Delta’s seat blocking policy can be found here.