Southwest Airlines has announced it will resume fully seating their airplanes starting Dec. 1, having previously limited the number of passengers onboard flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Today, aligned with science-based findings from trusted medical and aviation organizations, we will resume selling all available seats for travel beginning Dec. 1, 2020," Gary Kelly, Southwest chairman and chief executive, said in a press release Thursday.
Passengers will have the option of switching to a less crowded flight, the same offer being made by American and United Airlines. This move will make Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines the only domestic American airlines that will block the middle seats during the upcoming holiday season.
Southwest also recently announced it will be expanding its route network to include several new cities, focusing specifically on Miami, Palm Springs, and Montrose.
"Our schedules for these new cities on the Southwest network thoughtfully link them to relevant nonstop destinations that also provide great connections, a comfortable journey with our unmatched flexibility, and our friendly policies," Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Vice President, said in a statement earlier this month.
"Southwest is stretching into new places to provide for two needs: desired options for our Customers who seek snow or sun, and wide-open spaces to enjoy a break from the unexpected that 2020 brought; and for our Company, critically needed new business that offsets the diminished demand for travel across other parts of the country."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.