Citing increased customer demand and scientific studies, United Airlines will stop blocking first and economy class seats for flight attendants starting next week that were intended to promote social distancing.
United Airlines Will Stop Blocking Seats For Flight Attendants Intended For Social Distancing
During the pandemic United has blocked seats 1E/F on narrowbody aircraft to encourage social distancing onboard. These first class seats are closest to flight attendants jumpseats. Their vacancy has allowed flight attendants to spread out a bit.
But citing a recent Department of Defense study (analyzed here) and “continued efforts around safety and cleanliness to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on board our flights,” United insists that it is safe to begin filling premium cabins to capacity.
Staring on November 11, 2020, flight attendants will return to their assigned jumpseats. Seats near lavatories will also no longer be blocked (United is currently blocking the last row of economy class on many flights).
In a memo to flight attendants shared with Live and Let’s Fly, United explained:
It’s becoming evident that people are returning to our friendly skies because of all the safety measures we have in place – and because of you. You are helping to create an environment where customers will feel safe traveling with us again.
However, I have spoken to two flight attendants who are livid about this change, noting that the move comes are precisely the wrong time as coronavirus cases are surging in the USA and around the world.
What I have noticed is that rather than one flight attendant sitting in the jump seat and the other sitting in the first class seat, flight attendants have taken both first class seats (1E + 1F) once the initial service is complete and used it to chat or read. That may be what it was intended for, but I don’t see why that can’t be done in the jumpseat or in the galley with the curtain drawn.
CONCLUSION
United will stop seat blocking in first and economy class next week for social distancing purposes (some seats will still be blocked for crew rest on longhaul flights). The move has angered some flight attendants, though it will mean two additional premium cabins seats for sale on many narrowbody aircraft.
They should change their boarding practices as well. Instead of boarding by who paid how much, board based on where you are seated.
They have. It’s back-to-front.
They still do pre-boarding by status, though. If you really want to be strict about it, why allow GS and 1K to get on first? It is highly unlikely they will be seated at the back of the bus.
I was recently booked in first on a domestic redeye and I asked to be downgraded to the back as there was much more space and I could spread out across three seats. F went out full and a couple guys took battlefield upgrades instead of having three seats to themselves. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If first class truly waited to board last most of the first class luggage space would be filled by coach passengers. If you’ve ever been a first class pax who has boarded last you will remember being irked incredibly that there’s not space for your roller board after you’ve paid a hefty premium for your ticket.
True, this is a potential inconvenience. I recently had to put my bag in the front of E+ instead of in F, but with staggered disembarking, it isn’t too hard to step back and grab the bag from the back before the unwashed masses advance. Lately I’ve been avoiding using a “roll-aboard” case and just using a backpack, which can fit under the seat.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-products/1383133-roll-aboard-vs-roller-board-2.html
Its about time, they are struggling enough without giving up first class seats.next maybe they will bring back service!
I don’t know which airline you work for but I wish FAs would quite using the “safety card” as an excuse or justification for providing limited to no service to their passengers in F. Recently flew ORD/LAX on a full fare F ticket. The FAs spent most of the time talking to each other in 1E/F.
Flight attends upset because they no longer have first class seats reserved for them to be lazy in during their limited-service flights. So sad!
You’re wrong, we’re far lazy. In case you didn’t know we’re still in a pandemic, with rising cases and deaths each day. I only sit in the seat for take off and landing. Safety is the number priority,My training consist of evacuatibg an aircraft and life saving support procedures.
Hope you’re not on one of my flights seeing as I’ll be too “lazy” to save your ignorant a** if something bad happens. Please educate yourself before commenting. You’re embarrassing yourself.
Who are these people? Talk about privileged problems. Do you know how many airline workers, flight attendants, gate agents, TSA workers have Actually Died from Covid if not has been severely damaged health wise from it?? They are to be commended daily to even show up to help the economy and airlines. I could go on, I won’t. MYOB.
I would agree. A very foolish statement, Andy K.
Didn’t she mean that she is far from lazy? Only answering someone who implied laziness of crew?
Right. I was agreeing with the FA and condemning Andy K’s ignorant statement.
We are in the middle of a pandemic, and most passengers seem oblivious to that fact, rushing into the aircraft, touching FAs, not observing social distancing. I’m not lazy, I want to feel safe. Blocking the seats closest to the FAs is a security effort, not to enforce laziness.
DL has been doing basically the same thing but I rarely see the FA’s in those blocked seats, case in point yesterday on both flights. And certainly the FA’s have no problem hanging out in the front galley during boarding. There were nearly 30 people on the upgrade lists yesterday-at least 2 of them could have been upgraded had those seats not been blocked. Any FA who is that worried about catching CV-19 on a plane could easily trade places with one of the FA’s who has been furloughed, I suspect.
I don’t believe the majority of flight attendants who are working are worried, but more concerned. We have families, friends and loved ones we care about too. We are in the middle of a pandemic, but I guess because people are getting tired of preventive protocols and measures that the virus has just didappeared.
I don’t see how blocking passenger seats near the FA jumpseat does anything to keep Covid from spreading. I have been on 2 full 777 aircrafts recently and UA blocked the seats in coach that are by the middle jump seats in premium economy. Those seats went unoccupied and the passengers were not happy about being squeezed in their seats near it when 2 whole rows were open. They all planned on letting the company know. I assume they did. There were standby passengers on of the 777 airplanes that did not get on because they blocked the seats. And the only thing using that seat was the FA’s jacket.
Most alrlines are doing the same – blocking customer seats close to the flight attendant jumpseats. The reason is that flight attendants are also concerned with distancing just like anybody else. I believe their unions may have negotiated this. Customers will not be permitted to move to those seats.
United also blocked 1D/E on the 737-700 where there is only 1 FA in the front jumpseat to begin with. I spoke with a FA on that particular flight and even he doesn’t understand why they block those seats on 737-700s.
I like having the seats blocked especially in the last row of coach, but I don’t think there’s really any covid related health reason why they need to be. If I sit on the jumpseat with another FA, we’ll be touching each other. But every time I walk down the aisle, I touch passengers so it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. We’re all trapped in a small metal tube together.
And I am not lazy, but I often get criticized by my coworkers who tell me the company doesn’t want us to do anything but the initial service because if we’re up and down the aisles all flight, we’re possibly spreading covid. I didn’t get the “no service” memo (which doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; corporate communication at this airline is a disgrace), so I walk through every little while and pick up trash or freshen drinks.
First, “corona virus cases” may or may not be surging. Very little data on actual cases of Covid19 is published regularly. What is surging is the number of people testing positive for the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Testing positive for the virus and having Covid-19 are two different things, apparently lost on those reporting numbers.
That said, I flew AC91 in J class Wednesday eve from GRU to YYZ. 7 of 30 seats occupied. No pre flight drink or towel service. AC is serving crappy box meals with plastic cutlery and few beverage options. The earbuds from economy are given out to J class passengers. Etc. All in the name of protecting passengers and staff from infection. It’s nonsensical to suggest this is done for safety purposes. It would be much better for the airline to simply admit times are tough and these steps are just cost saving measures. If Air Canada were really so concerned about passengers they’d do more to encourage physical distancing. (Next paragraph.).
In Toronto I transferred to AC 404 to Montreal. It was an A320 (or variant). I arrived at the gate and there were dozens of people standing around in close proximity waiting to board. I had seat 3C. I definitely did not want to take advantage of my early boarding rights while dozens of passengers would file by me getting to the seats farther back. So I took a walk and returned to board last. The flight was completely full. No empty seats whatsoever. I was last on and one of the first off. Masks notwithstanding there is no physical distancing in such a flight. Yet for an almost empty long haul business cabin we are meant to believe giving out cheap headsets and reducing drink and meal service is because the airline is concerned for our safety? Simply ridiculous.
That said, I’ll continue taking precautions and go about my life. It’s part of the current reality.
There is no social distancing upon United flights at all.. the entire plan I was on was full to compacity with no seats empty..