JetBlue extends coronavirus empty middle seats to July
Airline reveals its multilayered ‘Safety form the Ground Up’ program for COVID-19
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JetBlue is extending its blocked middle row seating policy through the Fourth of July weekend so individual travelers will feel safe while they board its aircraft during the coronavirus pandemic.
This extension is connected to the airline’s multilayered “Safety from the Ground Up” program, which is set to roll out temperature monitoring for crew members and electrostatic aircraft fogging next month, according to a Wednesday press release.
CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS SEND JETBLUE TO FIRST-QUARTER LOSS
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBLU | JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP. | 6.15 | +0.11 | +1.82% |
“As communities start to reopen and with summer travel kicking off this weekend, more people are beginning to fly and we want them to feel safe on JetBlue,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s president and chief operating officer. “Our program layers together a series of protections throughout the entire travel journey, which work together to help keep everyone safe and well.”
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To adhere to CDC-recommended social distancing guidelines, JetBlue is ensuring customers who have not requested to be seated near a companion will not be seated directly next to someone they don’t know.
Middle row seats will be blocked on its Airbus and Embraer 190 aircraft. JetBlue will also block aisle seats. However, customers who are traveling together will be allowed to use middle and aisle seats, which is why JetBlue is also requiring passengers to wear face coverings onboard.
A Jetblue Airways Airbus A320 taking off Feb. 17, 2016, from the Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida.
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The seat distancing program will be in place through at least July 6.
Other procedures that have been put in place to combat COVID-19 include fewer touchpoints, such as touchless check-in and boarding through the JetBlue mobile app and self-boarding gates; back-to-front boarding process so customers can minimize passing through the aisle; pre-sealed snack and beverage bags and pre-packaged fresh meals as well as remote control seatback screens on select planes from customer smartphones.
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JetBlue has implemented enhanced cleaning protocols for cabin air and surfaces with disinfectant and equipment approved for killing coronavirus. Kiosks and counters are being sanitized more frequently in airport terminals while increased aircraft cleaning is being done before every flight and overnight — with a focus on high-touch areas. Electrostatic sprayers will be used to fog the inside of JetBlue aircraft, which is set to roll out soon, according to the release.
Hand sanitizer is being provided throughout terminals along with disinfectant wipes upon request for passengers. Air on flights is being filtered with hospital-grade HEPA air filters, which changes cabin air completely about every three minutes.