Seat Blocking, Mask Policies, Flight Flexibility, & More: Everything You Need To Know About US Airlines’ COVID Policies

One of the questions I’m sure many people are having is regarding what policies airlines have in respect to COVID. As airlines are starting to fly more again and the world starts to slowly open up, more people are starting to fly again, both for leisure and urgent reasons, and some airlines have also had quite dynamic policies regarding a variety of aspects of safety and travel during the age of the pandemic. Some airlines have vastly different restrictions and philosophies regarding safety and refunds in relation to COVID-19, which is why I figure that it is likely useful to have a master guide which has information about each US airline in a variety of different aspects about travel in the pandemic, such as their seating policies, mask policies, and cancellation and refund policies. For those of you who have to/want to fly in the imminent future, I hope this article will help point out some of the differences in airlines’ COVID-19 safety and flexibility policies.

Airline Seating Policies

Within the US, airlines have had vastly different policies from each other in regards to blocking middle seats. Some airlines are blocking all middle seats on all flights, such as Delta Air Lines, while others, such as United, aren’t blocking any seats; United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, justified the policy by stating that there is no such thing as social distancing onboard, so blocking middle seats doesn’t help much, calling it merely a PR strategy. There’s still somewhat of a debate on whether all middle seats should be blocked, though it does seem to reduce transmission by at least some amount, and even if it is merely a PR strategy, blocking middle seats does make a lot of passengers feel more at ease. So, listed below are each of the major US airlines’ seat blocking policies:

• American Airlines: American Airlines is currently not blocking middle seats or limiting the number of seats sold onboard their flights.
• Delta Air Lines: Delta is currently blocking all middle seats on-board their aircraft, meaning that you’ll never be seated directly next to another person. However, they do allow groups of three or more to sit next to each other, including in the middle seat. Additionally, Delta has limited capacity to 60% in economy class, Delta Comfort+, and Delta Premium Select on all aircraft, to 50% in Delta One (namely their international 757-200s) and domestic First Class (meaning that in each pair of two seats, only one is sold), and to 75% in Delta One on twin-jet aircraft on all flights except those to China (though you wouldn’t have anyone sitting next to you anyways).

• United Airlines: United is currently not blocking middle seats on its flights and is not limiting flight loads, though it has pledged to contact customers if there is a high load factor onboard one of their flights.
• Southwest Airlines: Due to Southwest’s free seating policy, Southwest is currently limiting aircraft capacity to 66% until August 31 (though you can sit together in middle seats if you’d like–you just always have the option to have an empty middle seat), though I think it’s likely that it will carry on until a later date.
• Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines is limiting the number of seats (I believe they are blocking middle seats on most aircraft where it is possible) available onboard their aircraft through at least October 31, 2020, though gate agents also reserve the right to move passengers around to create more space or move families closer together.
• JetBlue: JetBlue has one of the most generous seat blocking policies, as they currently are blocking all middle seats (onboard their A320 series aircraft) which have a 3-3 configuration and are blocking all aisle seats onboard their E190s, which are in a 2-2 configuration, with the exception being passengers traveling together (though I don’t see why you’d do that, as you’d get an entire row to yourself, if traveling with a companion).
• Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines is currently not limiting the number of seats sold, so middle seats are still sold. However, they currently are blocking the selection of middle seats online.
• Frontier Airlines: Frontier seems to be blocking some seats, though there doesn’t seem to be a hard and set seat-blocking policy.
• Allegiant Air: Allegiant Air states that “customers are encouraged not to book the middle seat, unless it’s to ensure families can sit together.” So while it doesn’t seem that they’re explicitly blocking middle seats, they do encourage it, and they are sending out messages to customers on all flights which have more than 65% of seats sold, providing flexible options to those passengers to change flights.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaiian Airlines is currently blocking all middle seats onboard all of their aircraft, though passengers traveling together who wish to sit together in a middle seat may contact an airport or gate agent to seat them together in a middle seat.
• Sun Country Airlines: Sun Country doesn’t appear to have any policy in which middle seats are blocked or limited.

Airline Mask Policies

All US airlines require face masks onboard, both from passengers and crew, though there is of course some discrepancy among their policies. Additionally, some airlines also have policies which allow the airline to ban (socially unconscious) passengers who refuse to wear a mask. So, listed below are each of the major US airlines’ mask policies:

• American Airlines: All passengers on American Airlines are required to wear face masks or coverings at all times during their travel experience, and employees are additionally required to wear face masks. The only exemption is for children under two years old; passengers with a medical exemption requiring them not to wear a face mask may not fly with American (the rationale behind this is so that it can be a blanket rule–far too many passengers have claimed they had a medical exemption so that they didn’t have to wear a mask but really didn’t). Face masks can be removed to eat or drink, and failure to wear a mask can result in being banned from American Airlines at least until the pandemic is over.
• Delta Air Lines: All customers traveling on Delta are required to wear face masks, and face shields may also be worn, though they are not mandatory, and the same is true with employees. They must be worn at check-in, at the gate area, on the jetway, and onboard, unless one is eating or drinking. Mask exemptions include for passengers under the age of two and for passengers with a health condition requiring them not wear a mask. Failure to wear a mask can result in being banned by Delta Air Lines for an indefinite period of time, a practice which has occurred and is not just an empty threat.
• United Airlines: United Airlines currently requires that all passengers (over the age of 2) and cabin crew wear face coverings onboard all flights along with at all airports at check-in, unless a passenger has a medical exemption, at United Clubs, at gates, and at the baggage claim. Failure to wear a mask can result in being temporarily banned by the airline.

• Southwest Airlines: All passengers and employees over the age of two must wear face coverings with Southwest, from check-in to boarding to onboard the flight to at the baggage claim. Passengers may take face masks off while eating or drinking, and verifiable medical exemptions do still apply, unlike on some other airlines.
• Alaska Airlines: All passengers (and crew) over the age of two must wear a face mask or face covering while flying onboard Alaska Airlines, including before boarding at the gate, though Alaska does provide them to passengers who forgot them. There are no medical exemptions possible on Alaska Airlines, meaning that you can’t fly them if you cannot wear a mask or refuse to. Alaska also reserves the right to ban passengers who refuse to wear masks.
• JetBlue: All passengers (and crew), besides those under the age of two must wear a face mask at all times during their travel experience with JetBlue (besides when eating or drinking); JetBlue is one of the airlines that doesn’t have medical exemptions, as it has proven to be too much of a loophole for those who don’t want to wear masks.
• Spirit Airlines: All passengers (and crew, obviously) over the age of two are required to wear face masks or coverings on all flights. Like many other airlines, there now are no medical exemptions.
• Frontier Airlines: Frontier Airlines requires all passengers and crew to wear masks at all times throughout the Frontier Airlines travel experience. Like many other airlines, the only exception is for passengers under the age of two.
• Allegiant Air: All passengers over the age of two must wear face coverings at all times while traveling unless eating or drinking. However, Allegiant does allow passengers with medical exemptions to not have to wear a face mask, however they must provide documentation to the gate agent with a doctor’s note.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaiian requires all passengers (and obviously all staff), besides young children and passengers with a medical condition, though there does seem to be some ambiguity, as they don’t specify what qualifies as young, and they also don’t seem to require a doctor’s note.
• Sun Country Airlines: Sun County Airlines requires all passengers (and all staff) to wear face masks or face coverings while at the airport and during the flight. No exemptions are specified, so I’d assume that only extremely young children are exempt from this policy.

Health, Safety, and Cleaning Policies

Health and safety is quite obviously a very important part in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 between passengers, which makes airlines’ cleaning and safety policies onboard and at the airport so important. Firstly, what’s common among all US airlines is that all mainline jets on all US airlines have hospital quality HEPA filters, which filter air throughout the cabin every two-to-four minutes, making airlines much safer than spaces roughly the same size where people are within the same vicinity of each other (though, notably, some 50-seaters–like the E145 and CRJ200–do not have HEPA filters). So, listed below are each of the major US airlines’ safety and cleaning (at the airport and onboard) policies:

• American Airlines: At select airports, American has touch-less check-in, in which passengers can scan their boarding pass to print their baggage tags. Plexiglass shields, in addition to extra hand sanitization stations, have been installed at check-in counters, along with at American Airlines Admirals Clubs and at boarding gates. American Airlines Admirals Clubs are also currently only serving packaged food and drinks. Onboard, on most flights over 900 miles, passengers receive sanitizing wipes or gels at boarding. In terms of service, on flights less than 900 miles, only water, juice, and and drinks are available on request only, and snacks are only served in First Class. On flights between 900 and 2,199 miles, complimentary snacks (though only a bag of pretzels or Biscoff cookies) are given out to all passengers at boarding, and drinks are only available on request, while in first class, passengers additionally receive a fruit and cheese plate on mainline flights. On flights over 2,200 miles, in economy class, meals are only served on long-haul international flights, with the same amenities being made available as on shorter flights. However, on flights over 2,200 miles in business class, passengers additionally receive full meals, albeit only on one tray. Between flights, aircraft are thoroughly cleaned with an emphasis on high-touch areas (think armrests, seatbelts, IFE screens, overhead bin handles, etc.), while an electrostatic is used between many flights. HEPA filters are featured onboard all flights, besides those on 50-seater aircraft (i.e. CRJ-200s, E145s).
• Delta Air Lines: Delta has implemented a variety of health and safety procedures. At the airport, plexiglass shields have been installed as a division between you and the check-in agent, Delta SkyClubs only have packaged snacks, seats have been blocked at SkyClubs and in the departure area, and hand sanitizer stations have been installed at boarding gates and at Delta SkyClubs. On-board, aircraft are sprayed with an electrostatic spray before each flight, overhead bins are sanitized, seats and armrests are cleaned between each flight, passengers receive care kits while boarding each flight, including wipes and face masks, and Delta has reduced service to mostly packaged items domestically.
• United Airlines: As part of their CleanPlus initiative, United has many health precautions in place. At the airport, these include using disinfectant sprays at gates, having touch-less check-in at certain airports, implementing temperature checks, having (though it’s still in the early stages) UV lights to clean surfaces, boarding fewer customers at a time, implementing social distancing at the gate, and, along with implementing the prior policies, having plexiglass dividers and only having pre-packaged food at United Clubs. On-board, precautions include having HEPA filters onboard all United planes, providing passengers with hand sanitizer wipes and snack bags while boarding (the latter only on select flights), and sanitizing aircraft between all flights (including high touch areas).
• Southwest Airlines: Southwest has slightly modified their unique boarding procedure through only boarding ten passengers at once on one side of the boarding poles at a time; family boarding has not been changed. HEPA filters are used onboard all aircraft, and aircraft are cleaned, including high touch spaces, between each flight, and they are also deep cleaned at night. Only water and a snack mix are served on flights, though only on those greater than 250 miles.
• Alaska Airlines: Before arriving at the airport, passengers are expected to fill out a health form. At the airport, passengers can print their baggage tags before the flight, and there is signage in the check-in areas as well as at the gate to promote social distancing. Additionally, Alaska currently boards from back to front in order to lessen crowding in the aircraft. Onboard, all aircraft have HEPA filters, hand sanitizer is available to passengers, and aircraft are sprayed with an electrostatic disinfectant between all flights, in addition to having high touch surfaces being cleaned. The meal service has also been reduced.
• JetBlue: As part of check-in, passengers must complete a health form. JetBlue currently provides touch-less check-in, where passengers can print their boarding tags just by putting their phone up to the check-in monitor. Boarding is also currently implemented in a back-to-front manner. Onboard, service only consists of a pre-sealed snack and a water bottle in economy class. All aircraft are also equipped with HEPA filters, and passenger cabins are also sprayed with an electrostatic disinfectant before each flight. JetBlue is also trialling a Honeywell UV disinfectant system, to be used between some flights, as an extra level of precaution.
• Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines does not feature a touch-less check-in process, though one is encouraged to use self check-in and bag drop. At the gate area, there is hand sanitizer, and passengers are allowed to scan their own boarding passes. Spirit Airlines has also increased cleaning in between flights with use of disinfectants.
• Frontier Airlines: Frontier doesn’t seem to have the same types of technology at airports that other airlines do, such as touch-less check-in/bag drop. At the airport, Frontier encourages social distancing and temperature screenings take place. Onboard, all service is suspended besides water bottles for purchase, and Frontier doesn’t seem to hand out hygiene kits (with wipes, sanitizer, etc.) like many other airlines do. However, like most airlines, planes are cleaned thoroughly between all flights with an emphasis on high touch points, with deeper cleanings overnight. All aircraft are also equipped with HEPA filters.
• Allegiant Air: At check-in, Allegiant Air requires passengers fill out a health form, and social distancing is encouraged, though they don’t seem to have touch-less check-in at some airports, like some other airlines do. Onboard, passengers are provided with a sanitary kit with a single use face mask and two wipes, something which not many ULCCs are doing. Allegiant hasn’t massively changed their onboard service, with most items off of their buy-on-board menu still being available, though they only come through the cabin once now to sell items. Allegiant also advertises that all of their flights are nonstop (they don’t allow for connecting flights because of their business model), so that means less time spent onboard and at the airport. Between all flights, Allegiant cleans their aircraft with a disinfectant, especially at high touch areas, and they also advertise that they treat aircraft with an antimicrobial protectant every two weeks.

• Hawaiian Airlines: At the airport, Hawaiian Airlines has put in place markers to encourage social distancing, and high-touch areas are cleaned regularly. During boarding, after boarding First Class and passengers with special assistance, Hawaiian boards from back to front in the economy class section and asks passengers to stay seated until their row is called to board. Hawaiian has also closed all of their airport lounges. Onboard, passengers are provided with a sanitizing wipe and a free bottle of water. Beverage service has reduced and are not poured anymore. In economy class, meal service has been eliminated in addition to pillows and blankets, though first class passengers still receive meals, albeit on a single tray. Transpacific aircraft are disinfected after every flight, along with being sprayed with an electrostatic spray on flights out of Honolulu, while inter-island flights are cleaned only after flights into Honolulu and are disinfected, including with an electrostatic spray, nightly. HEPA filters are additionally available on all aircraft besides their Boeing 717s, which are only used on inter-island flights, most of which aren’t any longer than 30 minutes.
• Sun Country Airlines: Before flying, passengers are required to fill out a health from and agreement. Sun Country doesn’t seem to provide hand sanitizer or wipes to all passengers while boarding like other airlines do, though they do have extra sanitizer onboard available and at the gate. Currently, all service onboard is suspended, including food and drinks. Aircraft are thoroughly cleaned with an emphasis on high-touch areas, with a disinfectants between most flights in Minneapolis (their home airport) and with a layover of more than two hours. Additionally, all aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters.

Airline Change and Cancellation Policies

While perhaps this was more important at the start of the pandemic, airlines’ cancellation and refund policies still are important to the consumer now, as there are now so many more variables in travel, meaning that it’s much more likely that one may have to cancel a flight. So, listed below are each of the major US airlines’ cancellation and refund policies:

• American Airlines: Currently on American Airlines, for all tickets (yes, even Basic Economy), passengers may cancel or change their flights without any cancellation or change fees. However, if changing to a more expensive ticket, you will have to pay the difference in money.
• Delta Air Lines: Delta currently allows passengers to cancel their flights for no extra charge, though they do not offer refunds for most tickets; you simply would receive an “eCredit” which you are able to use on any other future Delta Air Lines flight. Delta is also waiving all change fees (for up to a year beyond the date you booked it) for all flights through August 31, 2020, though my guess is that it’s likely that it will once again be extended.
• United Airlines: All change fees are currently waived for flights booked from March 2, 2020 until flights until the end of the year, though the policy expires on August 31and it’s possible that it’ll be extended. Passengers may also request refunds or future flight credit, depending on fare class, though I don’t believe that Basic Economy tickets are eligible for refunds.
• Southwest Airlines: Currently, there are no change fees on Southwest Airlines, while all fares except Wanna Get Away fares (which can only be applied for future travel credit) are fully refundable.

• Alaska Airlines: There are no cancellation or change fees for all flights on Alaska Airlines for all flights booked before September 8, 2020.
• JetBlue: JetBlue is currently waiving all change and cancellation fees for all flights booked until October 15, 2020, which I would say is very generous.
• Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines is currently waiving all change and cancellation fees for all flights booked by August 31, 2020.
• Frontier Airlines: Through at least September 8, 2020, passengers are allowed to change their ticket once free of charge or cancel their ticket free of charge and receive credit for future flights. However, if you change your ticket to a more expensive flight, you will have to pay the difference between the two tickets.
• Allegiant Air: For an ultra-low-cost-carrier, Allegiant has a very generous cancellation and change policy, allowing passengers to change or cancel their flight at no cost, though refunds are not provided–only vouchers are.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaiian currently allows passengers to cancel all of their flights without a cancellation fee, and the price of the ticket can be used for a voucher which is valid for two years. Change fees are also currently waived.
• Sun Country Airlines: Customers may currently cancel their flights free of change and receive a voucher which can be used for Sun Country flights for up to one year.

Conclusion

Some airlines do have much more rigorous safety procedures than others. I would personally say that the best airlines right now, from a safety and from a flight flexibility perspective would have to be Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines. Meanwhile, I would say that among the ultra-low-cost-carriers (Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, and Sun Country), Allegiant probably has the most extensive and safe plan. Overall, I do hope that this article helped point out some of the contrasts between airlines’ plans in relation to flying during COVID-19 and maybe even helped you determine which airline you would feel most comfortable flying.

Which airline do you think has the best plan for flying during COVID-19?