As the airline industry shows signs of recovery, it’s having new effects on plans and procedures put in place at the height of the pandemic. In the case of Delta Airlines, that’s two changes this week, one on postponed trips and one on filling planes.
Delta has been the last of the major airlines to block its middle seats for social distancing; the other major airlines abandoned that several months ago, and Delta made good publicity and some new loyalties out of holding on longer. As of May 1st, it will offer 100% of its seats for sale. Its decision is based on studies indicating that the risk of inflight transmission is low as long as masks are in place, and the fact that so many of its passengers will be vaccinated by then.
For those who had trips cancelled or postponed over the past year, Delta has the good news: your tickets or vouchers that were dated to expire anytime in 2021 are now extended through December 31, 2022. That’s helpful for people who are not ready to travel again and those who have to wait longer before they have vacation time again.
And it’s good news for Delta, too: numbers of airlines, including Delta, have reported hours-long customer service queues caused by people trying to use vouchers before they expire. So, now it will be almost like Delta’s old slogan: “Delta is ready when you are!”
