For $39, Frontier Air will let passengers keep their distance

Frontier Airlines said it’s going to charge extra for passengers who want to guarantee a spot next to an unoccupied middle seat in the age of social distancing. The carrier aims to generate revenue on the empty seats, charging from $39 to $89 depending on the route. It will have 18 “More Room” assignments available on each flight from Friday through Aug. 31, a spokeswoman said Monday. The new product complements a face-covering mandate Frontier is imposing for passengers starting Friday, along with a “health requirement” customers must accept before they can check in for a flight. As part of that new system, Frontier travellers must check their temperature, attest that neither they nor anyone in their household has exhibited Covid-19 related symptoms for 14 days and wash their hands or use sanitizer before boarding a flight on Frontier. Large carriers say they’ve begun blocking many middle seats to promote greater distance among passengers. The airlines don’t guarantee a middle seat will be unoccupied and they generally may assign them as needed. “We are well aware that all airlines, Frontier included, are making efforts to allow people to spread out,” the Frontier spokeswoman said. <br/>