America was able to vaccinate a good number of people that the federal government is slowly lifting travel restrictions. And as more people get to travel, the travel industry gets stretched to the limit as we near travel season.
Preparing for the Travel Season
Airlines are already prepping for the travel season. Southwest Airlines has recalled furloughed pilots and flight attendants to return in the next months.
JetBlue President and COO Joanna Geraghty said that they are training employees to scale up their operations. She added that “we are hiring in specific areas to address rapidly increasing demands”.
United Airlines, on the other hand, announced its plan to expand its schedule by June. It is adding more than 480 flights daily.
As for Delta Air Line, they are now offering the middle seats again. That is despite the CDC’s study that vacant middle seats lessen the chances of transmission on board.
Increase in the Number of Unruly Passengers
Dymond Blossom who works as a flight attendant for American Airlines said that “Between January and today, the amount of people that are flying now is absolutely asinine, it’s crazy”. She said that as of March, her working hours are almost doubled.
But then, flight attendants have mixed feelings regarding travel season. While it’s good news to see airlines recover, mask policing has been a struggle. She said that “Now, we’re encountering more people, therefore there’s a bigger probability of that being a problem”. She added that “This job is not for the faint of heart”.
The FAA has an existing zero-tolerance policy in place against unruly passengers. Also, there’s an extension on the federal mask mandate that can help in the enforcement of health protocols on board.
President of the Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson said that there’s an increase in cases of abuse against flight attendants. She calls it “way off the charts” in the last two decades.