• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home  >  Southwest Airlines  >  Southwest CEO: It’s “Absolutely” Safe To Fly
Southwest Airlines

Southwest CEO: It’s “Absolutely” Safe To Fly

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 4, 2020May 3, 2020 10 Comments

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has a message for weary travelers: it’s safe to fly.

He was a guest on Face The Nation yesterday on CBS and the very first question asked by host Margaret Brennan was whether it is safe to fly:

“It is. You know, we’re- we’re- we’re doing everything possible to encourage people to come back and fly. We’re cleaning airplanes. We’re requiring masks of our employees and our customers. We’re using very deep cleanings every night. We’re using electrostatic misters, which will kill the virus on surfaces for up to 30 days. We’re exercising social distancing. And onboard the aircraft, we won’t be booking airplanes full so that people can spread out. So absolutely, we’re doing everything we can to make it as safe as humanly possible.”

Brennan, knowingly or not, next pinpointed exactly on the farce of so-called “social distancing” on airplanes. She asked how open seats matter when the distance between an aisle and window seat is still far below the recommended six feet, people walk past each other to use the lavatory, and minimum distances are virtually impossible during boarding and deplaning.

Kelly responded by deflecting absolute risk and focusing on relative risk:

“I don’t think the risk on- on an airplane is any greater risk than anywhere else, and in fact, you just look at the layered approach that we use. It’s- it’s as safe as an environment as you’re going to find. We’re using hospital quality disinfectants, HEPA air filters to make sure that the air is- is properly filtered and clean. We’re not going- going to remove middle seats or prohibit people from sitting in middle seats. But at the same time, we won’t book the airplanes full. So, you know, if you choose, all the middle seats can be open.”

It’s a reasonable answer. There is no absolute safety, but I’d feel a lot safer on an airplane than I do when I go to the grocery store.

You can watch the entire interview below:

CONCLUSION

The rest of the interview is also interesting. Kelly talks about job cuts which appear all but inevitable. But the discourse on safety stuck out to me. Indeed, the world may be a dangerous place, but even in the era of COVID-19 an airplane is probably one of the safer communal spaces right now.

Previous Article United Airlines Has More Pilots Than Daily Passengers: Staggering Job Cuts Loom
Next Article United Airlines Will Ground 757s, 767-400s For “Foreseeable Future”

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Delta 97 Diversion

    Delta SkyMiles Changes: Crazy Like A Fox Or Just Plain Crazy

    September 17, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Fractured Back

    Anecdotal: Some Southwest Flight Attendants Ready To Strike

    September 10, 2023
  • United Airlines Pilots Customer Experience

    Report Alleges Up To 5,000 Pilots Unfit For Duty Fraudsters

    August 27, 2023

10 Comments

  1. Tami Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 9:12 am

    I agree that his response was reasonable, and that they are making it as safe as possible. But I don’t think it’s reasonable to say that airplanes are “one of the safer communal spaces”. As you say yourself, the basic premise of air travel doesn’t allow for proper social distancing, which is far more achievable somewhere like a grocery store. Furthermore, a grocery store allows each individual far greater control over one’s distance from others.

    That’s not to say that airlines are doing anything wrong, it’s no ones fault. But the reality is that air travel is fundamentally incompatible with social distancing in ways that are very challenging to circumvent.

    • Ronald Williams Reply
      May 4, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      I spend as little time as possible in a grocery store, maybe 30 minutes once a week, wear a mask and stay as far as possible away from anyone else. 4 – 5 hours on an airplane with no control on who sits around you or how close they are? No thanks, not for the foreseeable future without a vaccine or significant treatments and testing.

  2. derek Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 9:14 am

    Kool Aid.*

    Stay at home if possible even if stay at home orders have full of exemptions.

    *refers to mass suicide of 900 people in Jonestown where people drank poisoned Kool Aid like drink.

  3. Naoyuki Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 10:15 am

    The response by the Southwest CEO was, in my opinion, not reasonable. It is at best misleading, and at worst, malicious. There is an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus when you take a flight. It is very unfortunate that even Southwest worships the $$$ over passenger health and safety.

  4. Santastico Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 11:00 am

    I counted over 300 cars at Home Depot’s parking lot this last weekend as people were shopping for flowers, fertilizer, mulch, etc… And we are on lockdown because of a wimpy Governor. Thus, if you wear masks and take basic precautions on a plane I don’t see the problem.

  5. Chris@Oak Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 1:11 pm

    @derek re: Kool Aid comment.
    You neglect to mention that Jim Jones, was the founder and leader of The Peoples Temple. He gave the order for his followers to drink the Kool Aid.

    Jim Jones was the machine and brains behind the San Francisco Democrats in the 1970s. He was responsible for getting a few of the following figures into office: George Moscow; Willie Brown; Diane Feinstein; and the saintly Harvey Milk (who has a terminal at SFO named after him.

  6. Aaron Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    Basically, it sounds like he is worried about his bonus being in jeopardy this year…

    “but even in the era of COVID-19 an airplane is probably one of the safer communal spaces right now.”

    Based on what?

  7. Andy K Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    That’s the pot calling the kettle black if I ever heard it.

  8. Doug K Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 4:10 pm

    Yeah, no bias here. Not. Like a realtor pimp screaming in 1906 San Francisco or Stalingrad in November 1942 ‘now is the best time to buy!’ Yeah, so the CEO is added to the growing list of self-annointed doctorates in virology, medicine, epidemiology. A do it yourself doctor, like Bill Vaccine Gates and his wife. Unbelievable.

  9. henry LAX Reply
    May 4, 2020 at 7:38 pm

    and it’s this type of hubris mentality of GK that, instead of his helping his airline climb to new heights, he’s just helping the case curve soar all the way to Crown Heights.

Leave a Reply to Chris@Oak Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for October

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • United Airlines Vulnerable
    Is Delta’s Greatest Cheerleader Correct About “Vulnerable” United Airlines? October 3, 2023
  • JAL A350-1000 Business Class
    Japan Airlines A350-1000 Business Class: Evolution Or Revolution? October 3, 2023
  • Malta Airlines
    Details: New Airline To Replace Air Malta Will Launch On March 31, 2024 October 2, 2023
  • Virgin Atlantic Sale
    Travel From USA To London For 6,000 Chase Points Each Way October 2, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Lufthansa Panorma Lounge Review
    Review: Lufthansa Panorama Lounge Frankfurt (FRA) September 25, 2023
  • Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport Review
    Review: Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport September 25, 2023
  • Pervert American Airlines Flight Attendant
    Update: Teenage Girl Found Hidden Camera On American Airlines Aircraft Toilet (Photo) September 18, 2023
  • Dine And Dash Shame
    Genius: Florida Restaurant Owner Shames “Dine And Dash” Customers September 6, 2023

Archives

October 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Sep    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss

Privacy Policy

© Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.