Delta Will Keep Lots of Seats Empty Through September
In normal times, airlines try to maintain load factor -- the percentage of seats filled with paying customers -- at high levels. It's a no-brainer. The marginal cost of carrying an extra customer on a given flight (compared to letting the seat go out empty) is extremely low, so airlines have a strong incentive to fill as many seats as possible.
These aren't normal times, though. Air travel demand has plummeted in recent months due to travel restrictions and broad fears about the risk posed by the novel coronavirus. Rightly or wrongly, many would-be air travelers are concerned about being stuck in a cramped space with lots of other people for hours on end.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has responded with a variety of initiatives to make customers feel safer while flying. On Wednesday, Delta announced that one of those moves -- deliberately limiting load factors to give customers more space -- will continue through the end of September.
Source Fool.com
