# Air travel after lockdown **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [May 10, 2020, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523 "2020-05-10T07:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/41 "2020-05-21T09:56:08Z")
A number of nations who have reduced their Corona burden to very low numbers or eliminated it are in talks about opening for mutual travel, and air “corridors” between them next month. My guess is that more nations who are currently in the process of easing out of lockdown as their infection rates fall will join them. A lot of flights will be back to normal towards the end of June. The exceptions will be the countries that cannot manage the virus. I don’t know what is going to happen there. Shut out from travel networks, long quarantines or strict testing procedures? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/42 "2020-05-21T11:02:11Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Cheap air travel has always involved taking your chances squeezing into an enclosed cabin for hours with dozens of other people, of whom you are 100% guaranteed some are teeming with particularly undesirable germs. Has any airline advertised any change in policy and concomitant jacking up of baseline fares? Would you be willing to pay what used to be first-class fares every time? I doubt it. In recent years, first-class fares have generally been what, about 4x coach fares? I’d be satisfied if they left middle seats unoccupied and required everyone to wear masks. That would require ticket prices to go up by a factor of 1.5x, not 4x. Yes, I’d pay that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/43 "2020-05-21T11:28:23Z")
Before the virus, I always sought out the cheapest airfare possible. As seat size became smaller, I wondered if they’d ever offer even cheaper fares for this willing to stand, knowing I’d go for it. So how about individual plexiglass(?) tubes? The tube rotates around, creating an entry. You step in and rotate your tube closed. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/44 "2020-05-21T11:28:42Z")
I’d add that the mask requirement would have to have serious teeth to get me back on airplanes, as in, “you wear your mask properly except when actually putting stuff in your mouth, and if you give us problems about it, we land the plane at the nearest airport and escort you off.” A few cases of people taking off their masks once airborne enroute to Orlando being dumped in Greensboro, or headed to L.A. and finding themselves in Omaha, would get the message across admirably. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/45 "2020-05-22T02:24:29Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > In recent years, first-class fares have generally been what, about 4x coach fares? > > I’d be satisfied if they left middle seats unoccupied and required everyone to wear masks. That would require ticket prices to go up by a factor of 1.5x, not 4x. > > Yes, I’d pay that. More than that, since the person behind you is not six feet away. And the person in front you you is even closer if they recline their seats. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/46 "2020-05-22T02:25:35Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Just a guess, but I think this picture goes with this story. The details are the same. The picture shows a full plane. UA says it was 85% full. > > [Doctor says cross-country United airlines flight scarier than volunteering in a Covid-19 hospital ward](https://abcnews.go.com/US/doctor-cross-country-united-airlines-flight-scarier-volunteering/story?id=70604160) That’s the one, and the one I was referring to. I saw the story on the local news. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/47 "2020-05-22T02:49:51Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > More than that, since the person behind you is not six feet away. And the person in front you you is even closer if they recline their seats. > [@Voyager](#): > > That’s the one, and the one I was referring to. I saw the story on the local news. I don’t believe for a moment that _you_ know the first thing about travel. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/48 "2020-05-22T11:14:10Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I’d be satisfied if they left middle seats unoccupied and required everyone to wear masks. That would require ticket prices to go up by a factor of 1.5x, not 4x. > [@Voyager](#): > > More than that, since the person behind you is not six feet away. And the person in front you you is even closer if they recline their seats. Because they’re too close, I’d have to pay more?? Could you try again? I can’t parse this reply. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/49 "2020-05-22T14:14:40Z")
I think the demand for Business and First class seats will improve, with social distancing already baked into these classes. Service will probably suffer, with elaborate menus and personalized dining services replaced with standard tray-based meals and as limited contact as possible. It remains to be seen if Business and First fares will go up or down. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/50 "2020-05-22T14:44:53Z")
I’ve no doubt that in the short term we’ll see a mix of every conceivable pricing strategy as airlines desperately try to get some kind of dough rolling in. Higher fares? Lower fares? Unusual deals? They’ll try it all. Long term it’ll just be the same as it was before… but some major airlines might not exist anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/51 "2020-05-22T15:24:58Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > The big issue with air travel is the air con systems - they amount of recirc is such that even if you are spaced well apart it is completely meaningless - you might as well be right next to each other. > > I have seen no mention of that fact - but if air were to be cleaned up and less use made of recirc then it would inevitably be more expensive to fly. But if this were the case, then you would expect an airplane with a Covid passenger to see \*\*\*everyone \*\*\* aboard eventually come down with the illness. As I understand it, there have been plenty of flights in which a passenger was found to have Covid yet the others all failed to come down with the virus. Delta Airlines claims that its HEPA filters can filter out even virus-sized particles; I’m not sure if that’s true or possible. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/52 "2020-05-22T15:38:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > … but some major airlines might not exist anymore. About that, what happens to customers holding tickets if an airline folds? I don’t have any first hand experience, but I remember airlines like TWA and PanAm. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523/53 "2020-05-22T17:09:43Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > About that, what happens to customers holding tickets if an airline folds? > > I don’t have any first hand experience, but I remember airlines like TWA and PanAm. If you paid with a credit card, you file a dispute with the credit card company and they refund the cost of your ticket. Then the credit card company tries to get money from the airline in bankruptcy court. If you paid by some other method you might just be out of luck. If you bought trip insurance that might be an avenue you can take as well. By the way one of the airlines you mentioned, TWA, didn’t just go out of business. They were acquired by American Airlines. So in that specific case AA probably had to honor TWA tickets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-travel-after-lockdown/853523.md?page=2)