Three months ago, I would have never dreamt our world would be facing such volatile times, but I remain confident we will prevail because of you and the people of Delta. To support you and our communities, we are carrying medical supplies globally via cargo flights and operating repatriation flights to get you and your loved ones home. If you are a medical volunteer, we are offering free flights to certain U.S. regions that have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 (coronavirus) to support medical professionals on the front lines. As we make swift decisions to support your health and safety, we will keep you continually informed so you can make the best travel decisions for you and your family.
We remain committed to:
- Taking care of you. Your safety is our primary focus, and we’ve elevated our efforts for you during this pandemic. Our new level of Delta clean won’t be reserved just for times of crisis – we’re expanding new practices to all flights starting April 1. This means you will have fogging on domestic aircraft overnight as we have done internationally and sanitization of high-touch areas like tray tables, entertainment screens, armrests and seat-back pockets via our extensive cleaning checklist on all trips. And if a plane doesn’t pass our spot check before you board, our teams are empowered to hold the flight and call back the cleaning crew. We’re also minimizing touchpoints between you and others by temporarily moving to essential food and beverage service onboard all U.S. domestic and short-haul international flights and at our Delta Sky Clubs® as well as evaluating adjustments to long-haul international flying. We also understand you have significant life moments like graduations and weddings this time of year and many of those plans are in flux. As a dad with three grown children and one still in high school, I empathize with you. We continue to make it easier to change or cancel your flights with no fee via My Trips on Delta.com.
- Taking care of our people. Our people are the heartbeat of our business and the reason so many of you choose to fly with us. Protecting their jobs and safety is paramount so they can continue providing you with great care. More than 21,000 have volunteered to take short-term, unpaid leaves of absence while we operate a reduced schedule. To help supplement their income during their leave, we’re partnering with several companies to provide temporary job opportunities. Your safety and the safety of our employees continues to be our focus as we clean and disinfect surfaces across our airports, with extra care for pilots, flight attendants and gate agents who interact with you daily. We even use foggers to clean our Reservations locations, leveraging the technology we use to keep you safe, to keep our employees safe too.
- Protecting our future. The measures we are taking to protect you, our people and our company will result in a flying experience that’s different from what you typically expect from Delta. We appreciate your patience and understanding as these temporary changes to our amenities and service are implemented. We are committed to bringing them back as quickly as possible when the crisis passes. With reduced flights for the time being, we know close-in schedule changes can be challenging. We encourage you to download the Fly Delta app and check your flight status before you leave for the airport and appreciate your patience as we navigate this unprecedented time together.
I want to add that we are deeply grateful to members of Congress, the President and the administration for steps they have taken to provide emergency relief to airline employees nationwide. This includes payroll assistance funds to ensure there will be no involuntary furloughs or reductions in pay rates across our U.S. industry for the next six months, at which time we hope the virus is contained and your demand for our services returns.
In the days to come, we will continue to move fast and make decisions that strengthen our future. If you’re still flying with us, thank you. And if you’re not back with us yet, we thank you for your continuous support and look forward to serving you again when the time is right. Please take great care of yourself and your loved ones – nothing is more important than your health and safety.
