Delta to Continue to Block Middle Seats Through At Least April

By Paul Riegler on 8 February 2021
  • Share

Delta aircraft at JFK

Delta announced plans to continue blocking middle seats in coach on its mainline aircraft through April 30, 2021.

The Atlanta-based carrier first introduced social distance-friendly seating last April as the coronavirus began to cripple the travel industry.  It had previously planned to block middle seats only until March 30, 2021.

The move makes Delta the only U.S. airline to block middle seats.

JetBlue Airways began to fill every seat on its aircraft last month, while Southwest Airlines ended caps on capacity at the end of last year. Both American and United airlines ended seat blocks last summer.

The blocking of middle seats is more psychological than a means of lowering the rate of infection during flights, the airline implied, saying  passengers believe that “more space provides more peace of mind.”

“We recognize some customers are still learning to live with this virus and desire extra space for their peace of mind,” said Bill Lentsch, the airline’s chief customer officer late last year.

Delta had previously said that “reducing the overall number of customers on every aircraft” was one of the most important steps the airline could take to make travel safe.

In August of last year, Delta said it would begin to sell additional seats in its Delta One business-class cabins and domestic first-class cabins.  This action means that these premium cabins could be completely full going forward while coach remains no more than 75% full.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

Accura News