Which Airlines Are Blocking Middle Seats During Holiday Travel?

If you’re traveling by plane for the holidays this year, your top concern should be reducing your risk of catching and spreading the coronavirus. Of course, the most significant way to reduce risk is by not flying. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put it, travel “increases your chances of getting and spreading” COVID-19. But if you must, you should know what you’re getting into. Science is precise that face masks and social distancing reduce infectionU.S.nd. All U.S. airlines have policies requiring travelers to wear masks on board.

But are airlines still blocking off the middle seats on each plane?

After the pandemic began, three of the nation’s four biggest carriers ― American, Delta, and Southwest ― initially agreed to leave the middle seats empty so passengers could sit at a distance. A working paper out of MIT argued this practice makes a difference: Assuming that every seat is sold. Every passenger is wearing a mask. Professor and aviation expert Arnold Barnett said that the probability of getting COVID-19 from a nearby passenger on a flight of average duration drops from 1 in 4,300 when middle seats are sold to 1 in 7,700 when they are left empty. However, some airlines have since updated their policies, and others have never stopped selling middle seats. Below, see which carriers are blocking them off and how other safety measures differ.

Middle seats
American Airlines no longer blocks off the middle seat and allows planes to fly compA.A.tely complete. A.A. says it will instead alert passengers when their flights are getting packed during the check-in process, giving them a chance to switch, free of charge, if their flight is eligible.

Face masks
Only children under two years old are exempt from wearing a face mask, and if you decline to wear one, “you may be denied boarding and future travA.A.’sn American,” A.A.’s COVID-19 policy states. Face shields are not an acceptable substitute for a mask, and masks may not have exhaust valves or vents.

Snacks
For flights under 900 miles, in-flight water, canned drinks, and juice are by request only, and no snacks, alcohol, or food are available in the Main Cabin, though you can bring your snacks, for flights above 900 miles, complimentary pretzels, cookies, and bottled water will be open in the Main Cabin and First Class.

Face masks
In October, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in an internal memo that 460 people had been added to Delta’s no-fly list for refusing to follow its mask requirement. Only “children under two and young children who cannot maintain a face covering are exempt,” Delta states. If you have a medical condition that doesn’t allow wearing a mask, you must complete a “Clearance-to-Fly” process before departure.

Snacks
U.S.ack selection is available in all U.S. domestic and international flights to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Central America. Still, meal pre-select and exceptional meal service are temporarily suspended. YYou can still bring your own snack and nonalcoholic beverage. You can only take off your mask while eating and drinking, but you are expected to put it back on immediately afterward.

Middle seats
JetBlue said it would keep flights under 70% complete through December 1, 2020. This means some seats will be blocked, but it is not guaranteed to include the middle seat next to you. From December 2, 2020, to January 7, 2021, JetBlue will bump capacity to 85% of available seats, then resume selling all available seats on January 8, 2021.

Face masks
Only children under 2 are exempt from JetBlue’s face-covering requirement.

Snacks
Iced drinks, alcohol, and hot beverages have been suspended, but you can still get a free snack and bottled water delivered in a pre-sealed bag in Main Cabin.

Middle seats
The airline’s CEO announced that Southwest would stop blocking middle seats after December 1. The airline’s blog says Southwest will notify customers two to three days before travel if their flight is booked to a capacity where middle seats will likely be occupied. Customers will be given the option to change flights at no charge if another is available that is less full.

Masks
You must wear a face mask. Bandanas, face shields, and neck gaiters do not count, and Southwest has removed non-compliant passengers. Children under 2 are exempt from the mask policy; medical excuses are not accepted.

Snacks
In-flight beverage and snack services are possible on flights over 200 miles, but snack and beverage services are indefinitely suspended on all others.

Middle seats
United Airlines does not commit to blocking off middle seats but says it will notify customers when “their flight is fairly full” to allow them to change it.

Face masks
You must wear face-covering on the plane and at the airport. If you refuse, you “may be refused travel and banned from flying United at least while the mask requirement is in place,” the airline states.

Snacks
United says you can bring your snack, but the food is unavailable in Economy for flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes or in First Class for flights under an hour. For flights between an hour and 2 hours and 20 minutes, passengers in First Class receive an “all-in-one” bag with a wrapped sanitizing wipe, bottled water, and two snacks. That option is available for Economy in 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer flights.