If each row has three first class seats, there would be way more space than 3 to 4 inches between passengers and way fewer passengers. The flying experience would be much better, so much so I bet more people would be willing to fly and they would fly SW. Passengers would feel safer and they would like the experience. This can be done in a small trial program with little marketing (maybe one market/route) to see the response. The cost? Is it sustainable? Is it profitable? If we assume it costs an airline $4,000 / hr of flight and 45 first class seats in an airplane, then cost per occupied seat for a 1hr flight is $89. Add 15% profit and the cost per seat for a 1 hr flight becomes $103. Would you rather fly option a or b: a) OAK-BUR $50-$85 each way, economy seats, with up to 174 other passengers in flight. b) OAK-BUR $103 (or lets assume $150), first class seat, with 44 other passengers on board. I don't know about you but if I had to fly during the pandemic, I would rather pay a little more, be more comfortable, and have fewer people on my flight. I know this is over simplified but the industry needs to start thinking outside the box to survive this pandemic. Hope you all are staying safe.
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