JetBlue Airways follows rivals in ending era of blocked seats

Bloomberg

JetBlue Airways Corp is joining rivals in opening all previously blocked seats, citing increased evidence that cabins are safer from the spread of coronavirus even as US caseloads surge.
The airline will make all seats available for sale starting from January 8, JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said in a memo to employees. The decision follows a similar move by Southwest Airlines Co, which will sell the entire cabin after November. Delta Air Lines Inc and Alaska Air Group Inc plan to bar some seats through at least January 6.
Carriers have moved away from keeping some seats off limits — which had been intended to reassure passengers by allowing more social distancing — as travel demand has increased and cabin cleaning has improved. JetBlue said recent studies, including by Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health and the US Defense Department, have shown that the chance of coronavirus transmission on board “is extremely low,” aided by hospital-grade air filters.
“Our phased approach has offered a thoughtful path forward while giving us the time needed to understand the science and stay true to our No. 1 priority — safety,” Geraghty said.
US coronavirus infections and hospitalisations have surged to record levels in the last week. But airlines, which are losing millions of dollars a day as travel remains depressed by the coronavirus and changing travel restrictions, have said it wouldn’t be financially feasible to hold open seats indefinitely.
American Airlines Group Inc resumed selling all middle seats on July 1, ending a policy of blocking half of them “when possible.”