'Passengers are frightened and confused': a doctor flew from New Jersey to California on a crowded plane

A San Francisco-based cardiologist says he won’t “fly for a very long time” after he was in a full airplane on Saturday, May 9, although United Airlines claimed that the middle seats would be empty to ensure social distance. Writes about it Fox News.

Photo: Shutterstock

Dr. Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist and associate professor at the University of California at San Francisco, posted on Twitter a photograph of an airplane that flew from Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco, California.

“I'm guessing United has relaxed its social distancing policy? Every seat on this 737 is taken,” he wrote.

Weiss also said that an email was sent to him from the airline on April 30, stating that United Airlines “will automatically lock the middle seats to give enough room on board.”

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Weiss added that his companions were also “scared and shocked,” apparently for the same reason that Weiss expressed concern.

Weiss and United Airlines confirmed that he was part of a group of 25 doctors and nurses who flew to New York in the past few weeks to volunteer. United Airlines delivered the group to and from New York for free. Weiss even said that the airline received "a lot of good PR" after the first such flight in April, "including from me."

Screenshot: Twitter / @ ethanjweiss

However, with regard to the return flight, Weiss was puzzled that United had not fulfilled its promises about blocking the middle spot.

In a statement, United Airlines reiterated its aircraft cleanup and safety protocol, but did not comment on its current average seat policy.

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“We have reviewed our cleaning and safety procedures and implemented a new passenger boarding and disembarkation process to maintain social distancing,” United wrote in a statement. “Our flight to San Francisco had an additional 25 healthcare workers fly for free, we provided free flights for more than 1000 doctors and nurses in the last few weeks alone – and all passengers and staff were asked to wear face masks in accordance with our new policy."

Screenshot: Twitter / @ ethanjweiss

Meanwhile, recommendations posted on United Airlines' own website indicate that “customers will not be able to choose seats next to each other or middle places,” but this is not guaranteed: United states that this policy is simply "likely" based on low demand for flights.

“We expect these measures to remain in place until May 31 and will continue to evaluate how best to proceed given the current situation,” the airline said on its website.

United Airlines is one of many U.S. carriers that prohibits passengers from booking middle seats on flights, although accusations that airlines are ignoring the policy are widespread on social media.

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