Major airlines take precautions against the coronavirus

With the rise of coronavirus cases around the world, people have been changing their travel plans to stay safe. That includes postponing or canceling flights to stay away from heavily affected areas.

Although major airlines have been suffering the most, they've created accommodations for customers whether or not they want to continue to fly.

Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have notified customers that they have procedures in place to combat the virus.

All of these airlines have decided to expand their cleaning procedures to combat the spread of coronavirus and have travel restrictions in place for anyone who has visited China.

Southwest Airlines posted an article and sent an email to customers on their new precautions against coronavirus.

• According to Southwest Airlines, they spend around six to seven hours cleaning each aircraft every night.
• As of March 4, they have enhanced those procedures to go above and beyond the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards. "Now, we are expanding the use of the hospital-grade disinfectant throughout the aircraft, and it will be used in the cabin, on elements in the flight deck, and in the lavatory," said Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green.
• A message from SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Ryan Green
• Southwest also wanted to remind customers that during this time of worry, they will allow their customers to reschedule flights free of charge. The funds used to pay for your flight can be applied to future travel as long as you cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Customers will have one year from the original purchase date to use the funds.
• Extra Cleaning Steps We Are Taking to Ensure Your Safety

Delta Air Lines have taken similar precautions to combat the virus and inform customers on the status of their airline.

• According to their News Hub blog post, "Delta has taken proactive and voluntary steps to help customers have a healthy flying experience,"
• Along with a new thorough cleaning process, they have added fogging to the list. The fogging takes place after the initial cleaning and is a solution to control a contagion or, in this case, to disinfect aircraft interiors.
• They are also educating their employees on risk factors, along with arming them with supplies so they can better support their customers.
• 6 ways Delta is supporting healthy flying
• Delta has also put accommodations in place for customers who want to change or cancel their flight.
• Delta Coronavirus news: Our commitment to customers

United Airlines has also been taking to initiative to continuously update customers on how coronavirus will impact them.

• United Airlines Important Notices
• United Airlines has said you can change any kind of ticket to any destination without charge over the next 12 months.
• United Airlines travel notice

They airlines all said that they are improving their ventilation systems with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

• In an aircraft, to pressurize the cabin and meet the regulatory requirement of air per person, 40% of the air in the cabin is recirculated and mixed with fresh air.
• Due to the large number of passengers in the aircraft cabin, there may be high concentrations of dust, fibers, bacteria and other microorganisms. All of these are potential health hazards to crews and passengers.
• The HEPA filter that these airlines are implimenting are designed to remove dust, fibers, odors and 99.9% of all bacteria, fungi, and viruses (including COVID-19).