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Re: Middle seats open through November 30

dfwskier
Aviator A

@dtric1221 wrote:

My wife and I were going to fly Southwest to Florida in January. We will not fly Southwest if they choose to sell the middle seat. Bad call!

 


Since just about every other airline is already selling middle sets, I guess your options are Greyhound and driving. Decisions decisions...

 

@

 

Re: Middle seats open through November 30

dfwskier
Aviator A

@danehenas wrote:

Does SWA have a crystal ball that says the pandemic will be over on December 1? I'm sorry, but I still do not want to sit 4 inches from a stranger for hours. Even with the middle seat left open, you're still less than 3 feet from the passenger in the seat on the other side of the empty seat. The jury is still out on this one folks...


No but SW does have access to statistics that back up it's decision to sell middle seats:

 

"The chances of dying from COVID-19 contracted on a flight are between 1 in 400,000 and 1 in 600,000 depending on your age and other risk factors. That's according to Arnold Barnett, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has been trying to quantify the odds of catching COVID-19 while flying"

 

versus

 

"Fliers have a much lower chance of dying in a plane crash — just 1 in 34 million. The lifetime odds of an American dying in an automobile crash are 1 in 114, according to the National Safety Council — significantly more than your odds of contracting COVID-19 on a plane. And how many of us have stopped riding in cars with odds like that?

Re: Middle seats open through November 30

jschreiber69
Explorer B

dfwskier, do you work for Southwest customer service? All your recent replies seem to suggest this as you seem to always be in support of Southwest.  Just wondering what they are paying you or what makes you drink the Southwest Kool-Aid.

 

Re: Middle seats open through November 30

dfwskier
Aviator A

Anyone that is a Southwest  employee self identifies on this blog. I do not because I  am not a Southwest employee. I am "paid" nothing.
 

 

I am a customer of Southwest airlines who took his first Southwest flight in March of 1978. I have lots of experience with Southwest and am willing to share it.

 

I believe that Southwest does a better job than it's competitors, but. I have criticized the airline when it deserves it.

 

In the case of this thread I attempt to educate people about the realities of this disease on travellers. You can choose to believe me or not -- your choice.

Re: Middle seats open through November 30

nanonanosw
Explorer C

 

@dfwskier Thanks for your opinion on this. I disagree, but your information is a good addition to this conversation. I'm wondering if you could clarify a statistic that I think is a bit misleading in your post...

"The chances of dying from COVID-19 contracted on a flight are between 1 in 400,000 and 1 in 600,000 depending on your age and other risk factors. That's according to Arnold Barnett, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has been trying to quantify the odds of catching Covid-19 while flying"

With all we now know about the potential for debilitating long term effects from the virus, and the risk of silent carrier's exposing other more vulnerable people, contracting Covid is a much higher risk and more relevent concern than dying from Covid is for most of us. Do you have any statistics to share on the chances of "just" contracting Covid on an airplane? 

 

Re: Middle seats open through November 30

dfwskier
Aviator A

@nanonanosw wrote:

 

@dfwskier Thanks for your opinion on this. I disagree, but your information is a good addition to this conversation. I'm wondering if you could clarify a statistic that I think is a bit misleading in your post...

"The chances of dying from COVID-19 contracted on a flight are between 1 in 400,000 and 1 in 600,000 depending on your age and other risk factors. That's according to Arnold Barnett, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has been trying to quantify the odds of catching Covid-19 while flying"

With all we now know about the potential for debilitating long term effects from the virus, and the risk of silent carrier's exposing other more vulnerable people, contracting Covid is a much higher risk and more relevent concern than dying from Covid is for most of us. Do you have any statistics to share on the chances of "just" contracting Covid on an airplane? 

 


I seem to recall the odds are 1 in 5000 to 1 in 7000 - or something close to that with a range of severity ranging from not even knowing you have it to sniffles, to mild fever and shortness of breath, to severe fever and shortness of breath to hospitalization -- and everything in between.. 

 

I am unaware of any statistics that provide  additional granularity  on severity (chances of getting it and being hospitalized for example) -