A possible 4 hour boarding process and other ways air travel could change

The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the airline industry with the most widespread impacts since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in which all flights in the U.S. were grounded. An unprecedented swift and deep drop in the number of people who are flying is forcing airlines to scale back the number of flights. OAG, the world’s leading provider of flight data information, finds the number of scheduled flights is now down by an estimated 70% compared to this time last year. JetBlue is one airline that is feeling the pinch from the downturn in passengers due to coronavirus. In a request filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation in late April. The New York-based carrier reports its flights in the U.S. are now averaging just 12 passengers. The airline is asking to suspend service to 16 cities through September 20th in a move to avoid layoffs among its 23,000 employees. A JetBlue rep says they’ll monitor market conditions to determine a date for resuming the flights. It might be quite some time before airlines see the passenger load a bit closer to the pre-coronavirus days. A survey from the International Air Transport Association finds 40% of recent travelers to wait at least six months after COVID-19 is fully contained. That could be well into 2021. The survey also finds that 69% of recent travelers indicated they could delay a return to air travel until their personal financial situation stabilizes. Millions of Americans are searching for jobs as new unemployment numbers continue to skyrocket week after week. Every passenger who decides to fly during the coronavirus pandemic may be met with a long list of changes before they even step foot on the flight. One analyst says these changes, all in an effort to keep passengers and airline crews safe, could stretch the already dreadful boarding process to a staggering 4 hours! Talk about going nowhere fast. 

Safe and sanitized travel

A new report, “The Rise of Sanitised Travel” from SimpliFlying, a global airline marketing strategy firm, finds there are ways to safely streamline the boarding process. The firm focused on waiting at the gate before the flight to sitting down in a sanitized seat. Here are the 7 ways the airport and boarding experiences may change: 

1- Arriving at the airport

Once arriving at the airport, SimpliFlying suggests counter agents conduct temperature checks for passengers. If they are not running a fever, passengers will be given a mask and gloves to wear at the airport and on the flight. Passengers will be required to use a digital boarding pass and can leave checked luggage at the counter to be sanitized.

2- Security screening

When arriving at the security checkpoint, passengers will be required to keep their masks and gloves on. SimpliFlying suggests airports upgrade security cameras to those that can see through the face coverings. Each carry-on bag and tray will be sanitized. The clean bag will be tagged letting the gate agent know it has been screened. 

3- Touchless vending machines in boarding area

It’s a safe bet the in-flight snacks and meals will be dropped to limit contact and the potential spread of COVID-19. Passengers will likely have to grab a prepacked, sealed meal to prevent viruses from getting in the food. Touchless vending machines in the boarding area would let passengers pick fresh food before the flight. They could pay for this using Apple or Samsung pay options, making the experience truly 100% touchless. 

4- Individual notifications for boarding

American Airlines and Delta are among the airlines sending individual notifications for boarding before the coronavirus pandemic hit. SimpliFlying expects this trend to expand to other airlines. This will be beneficial to the new boarding process as it would cut down on the amount of people gathering in the boarding area. Only those passengers who have received their notification would be allowed to board at that time. 

5- New priority boarding group: essential travelers

The start of the boarding process is catered to the airline’s valued customers with a certain status. They’re able to board first so they can get comfy in their seats before the flight takes off. However, this may change to accommodate a new class of travelers: essential travelers. The new boarding group of essential travelers would focus on people who are required to travel. These travelers would be required to get an essential travel certificate from their company. 

6- Final checks at boarding gate

SimpliFlying suggests passengers undergo a temperature check at the boarding gate before getting on the flight. Any passenger with an abnormal temperature would be denied boarding. Once passengers get the all clear to board the plane, they would scan their digital boarding pass so they would not come in contact with a surface or airline employee. 

7- High-tech disinfecting jet bridge

Passengers typically pack the jet bridge as they wait for the person in front of them to board the plane and get settled. This is one thing that simply can't continue in the coronavirus age bringing us social distancing requirements. The jet bridge could double as a disinfecting tunnel, ensuring every single passenger stepping on the plane has been properly disinfected and is not carrying anything other than their luggage on the flight. You can now imagine why this beginning-to-end for each individual passenger would take up to four hours to complete. While there is no timeframe for if and when these suggestions could go into effect, we’re already seeing more immediate guidelines for air passengers.

Wearing masks on flights

By now, many of us have become experts on the importance of wearing face masks as we venture outdoors or shopping trips at essential stores. The guidance of wearing face masks is now expanding to air travel. United, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, American, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines are all now requiring passengers to wear face masks while traveling. 

Social distancing on flights

Before coronavirus brought air travel to a virtual grinding halt, many passengers felt like sardines crammed into a can with little wiggle room and in close contact with strangers seated next to us. Social distancing will force this to change. Larger carriers like American Airline and Delta are blocking middle seats to promote greater distance among passengers. Both airlines say they will try to accomodate no middle seat occupancy on every flight but may run into issues if flights get jam packed again. Discount airline Frontier is guaranteeing social distancing for passengers, but it comes at a cost. Depending on the length of the flight, Frontier passengers can pay anywhere from $39 to $89 to guarantee an unoccupied middle seat.

We can now add different boarding and flying experiences to new shopping and dining experiences in the times of COVID-19. It’s important to stay on top of new coronavirus developments to see when these possible changes to boarding and flying may take place. We’ll keep tabs on all of the COVID-19 news in our Daily Coronavirus Briefing.  You can see any new confirmed cases in an interactive map that lets you track coronavirus right down to your neighborhood. If you’re on the go, we have you covered with in-depth podcasts on COVID-19.  You’ll also find the latest information on Accuweather TV network, Twitter and Facebook.

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