May 06, 2020

Chair DeFazio Criticizes Frontier Airlines for Charging Passengers to Leave Middle Seat Empty: This is “Capitalizing on Fear”

Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after Frontier Airlines started offering a new charge for passengers trying to maintain distance on flights during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“In our current moment of crisis, when everyone is being asked to do what they can to maintain proper social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I find it outrageous that an airline sees the imperative for social distancing as an opportunity to make a buck. Frontier’s decision to charge passengers to keep middle seats empty is capitalizing on fear and passengers’ well-founded concerns for their health and safety. I urge Frontier executives to re-think this callous profiteering and instead join other airlines that have voluntarily opted not to assign middle seats or to implement other seating policies during the pandemic that limit close contact among passengers.”

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