The airline industry is extremely volatile, and no time in history has that been as obvious as it is now when the Coronavirus pandemic literally put the world as we know it on pause. Just a month ago, buying airline tickets was a given, and these days, we are no longer able to fly anywhere our hearts desire.
Air traffic is a major reason why the virus spread around the world so fast and now the virus is going to be the death of many airlines. In these times of adversity, airlines had to change their rules for both staff and passengers. All of them had to cancel a bunch of flights and take cleaning to the next level. What else did they need to do? Find out below as we cover 10 airlines who changed their rules.
10 Turkish Airlines: Who Can Enter Turkey?
Istanbul has one of the busiest airports in the world. It is the seat of Turkish Airlines, one of the best airlines in the world. Due to the Coronavirus though, Turkey’s borders are closing down. They introduced flight bans for numerous countries, such as the UK, UAE, and most major EU countries.
9 United Airlines Offers Voluntary Unpaid Leave
United Airlines is not responding to the crisis that well. They offer voluntary unpaid leave for now but are already threatening huge layoffs. They don’t really have another choice unless Congress prepares a bailout plan for airlines. The pandemic didn’t hit any other sector as badly as the airline sector.
8 American Airlines Stepped Up Their Cleaning Game
Most airlines imposed stricter rules concerning the cleaning of aircraft and American Airlines is a shining example of how to keep the risk at bay. They do a deep clean every night and take extra necessary precautions, such as sanitizing all hard surfaces several times a day.
7 Cathay Pacific Stopped Offering Towels And Blankets In January
Cathay Pacific’s hub is Hong Kong, which means they had to deal with the health crisis before it officially became a pandemic. Over a month ago, they stopped providing blankets and pillows. If only all airlines started taking such precautions back then …
6 RyanAir Is Letting People Down: Making A New Booking Costs Less Than Changing Your Existing Flight
The Irish RyanAir is one of the most prominent budget airlines in Europe and even though they don’t have a good reputation, people still fly with them as they are often the only choice. They waive the change fee, but fare differences still apply - and they're high.
5 Delta Air Lines (And Most Others) Are Waiving Change Fee
Delta is waiving change fees, and that’s what most airlines are doing these days. Delta Air Lines also just got a $2.6 billion credit facility, which will help them stay afloat in these trying times. They make sure to inform all passengers who were exposed to any kind of virus-related risk.
Related: Are Flight Deals With Delta Worth The Cheaper Price?
4 Qatar Airways Takes The Cake: Travel Voucher, Valid For One Year
Waiving the change fee is great, but Qatar Airways also offers travel vouchers that are valid for a year. Qatar Airways are all about safety these days. Their website transparently illustrates what steps they’re taking to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
Related: 12 Photos Taken By Passengers Aboard Qatar Airways
3 Air Canada Introduces Consultation With A Medical Desk
Air Canada is also taking no chance with the safety of its passengers. People who show signs of poor health have to consult a medical professional. Air Canada is making sure that their customers know that their flights are still operating relatively uninterrupted. How long is that going to last, though?
2 British Airways: Pilots Get Paid 50% Less
British Airways are so used to the bad press by now that this news shouldn't be a shocker: they are cutting pilots' pay by half. A company has a long history of strikes and is disliked both by its staff and many customers.
Related: 20 Glaring Problems With British Airways
1 Southwest Airlines Flights Only Serve Canned Water
You can’t be too safe these days. Southwest Airlines is limiting human contact as much as possible, which means less work for flight attendants. Many other airlines enforced similar rules: they stopped serving food and pouring drinks in glasses. By the way, Southwest’s flights are dirt cheap these days.
Next: 10 Airlines That Are Now Defunct (2 That Are On Their Last Leg)