Southwest, Alaska Airlines Extend Open Middle Seat Policy
by Jessica Montevago
Southwest, along with Alaska Airlines, announced that its open middle seat policy will continue through November. Photo: Shutterstock.com.
Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines will both leave middle seats open on its flights through Nov. 30, covering the Thanksgiving holiday.
Alaska Air Group made the announcement Monday, after Southwest Airlines said last week that it was extending the blocking of its middle seat through Nov. 30. The air carrier said it is also extending its flexible policy for all new ticket purchases through Dec. 31.
Southwest has been operating flights with middle seats open throughout the summer and has added thousands of flights to in-demand destinations to provide extra seats for on-board physical distancing amid COVID-19.
“As we transition into autumn and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday season, we want Southwest customers to have the confidence of knowing that middle seats will remain open through Nov. 30 to accommodate their fall travel plans,” said Ryan Green, Southwest’s chief marketing officer.
Delta Air Lines last month said it would limit capacity on flights through Jan. 6, covering the entire holiday travel period.
“We believe that taking care of our customers and employees and restoring confidence in the safety of air travel is more important right now than filling up every seat on a plane,” Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch said in a statement. “We’ll continue taking a thoughtful, layered approach ensuring customers know to expect the highest standard of care as they prepare for their holiday travels.”
JetBlue’s policy is set to expire Oct. 15. Other major airlines have already started selling the middle seat again.
