WEBVTT - Can The Aviation Industry Afford To Keep You Safe? 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:11.319 Welcome to Prognosis. I'm Laura Carlson. It's stay sixty five 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:16.160 since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Our main story 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:21.040 airlines and airports are doing whatever they can to assure 0:00:21.040 --> 0:00:24.480 the public that it's safe to fly. But the future 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:28.560 of air travel is going to look almost unrecognizably different. 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:33.239 We followed someone who's still flying to find out what 0:00:33.400 --> 0:00:39.320 it's like on an airliner during a pandemic. First, here's 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:51.560 what happened today. How Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing ahead 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.760 with a vote on a three trillion dollar virus relief bill, 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:58.720 despite the fact it has no chance of ever getting 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:04.640 signed into law. Lawmakers began considering the package under restrictions 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:09.000 that have now become commonplace, face covers and limits on 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:12.039 the number of members on the floor at any one time. 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.720 Pelosi is making a bet that key parts of the legislation, 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:20.880 like aid to states, more payments to individuals, and extending 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:27.600 unemployment insurance, will generate massive public support. She hopes that 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.640 will force the White House and the GOP into negotiations 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:35.440 on another round of stimulus for a hobbled US economy. 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:40.800 But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has dismissed the legislation 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:45.280 as a three trillion dollar left wing wish list, and 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.600 said he and the White House have set no date 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:54.120 for a new stimulus package. As the pandemic shuttered businesses 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:58.240 and kept Americans at home, sales at stores and restaurants 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.920 fell around six in a roll, nearly twice as much 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:05.880 as it did in March. Both monthly declines broke all 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:11.000 previous records. A separate report from the Federal Reserve showed 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:15.639 industrial production had its steepest drop on record. It all 0:02:15.680 --> 0:02:18.800 adds to a mountain of data piling up that suggests 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:22.480 it will take years for the economy to claw itself 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:28.239 back from recession. One Nordic nation is seeing a light 0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:31.519 at the end of the tunnel for the outbreak. Denmark 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.680 had its first day without a COVID nineteen related death 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:39.560 since mid March. It's evidence that the country's strategy of 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:44.080 locking down early has succeeded in bringing the virus under control. 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:48.160 The total number of deaths from the virus the country 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:53.800 has reported is five hundred and thirty seven. Finally, sad 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:58.000 news for beer, UK pubs may be forced to dump 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:02.799 seventy million pints enough to fill more than sixteen Olympic 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:06.960 sized swimming pools, because much of the brewer's storing will 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:12.120 spoil before the pubs can reopen in July. Many farmers 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.320 and food manufacturers around the world, faced with a sudden 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:18.560 plunge in demand, have been forced to figure out how 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:23.200 to dump huge quantities of everything from milk, two pigs, 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:35.119 and now our main story. The aviation industry is wrestling 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:38.320 with ways to control the coronavirus and get people back 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:43.200 to flying. Airports have seen a drop off in passengers 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:48.720 since mid March, but as states ease lockdown restrictions, more 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:53.600 people are expected to fly. Airports today are starting to 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.640 make changes in the hopes that passengers will be safer 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:01.800 as they fly. Bloomberg's just In Bachman has more on 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:03.840 what it looks like to take a flight during a 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:14.680 pandemic and how air travel may change going forward. Nick 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.120 Shine is on his way to the airport. Nick is 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:19.800 a sophomore at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he's 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:22.359 heading back to New York to see his parents. I 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:25.920 decided to go home at this point in time, mostly 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:29.440 because who knows what the future holds and I need 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.599 to go see my parents at some point. It's early 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.840 May and he hasn't seen them since January. Nick is 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.320 catching a United Airlines flight from Denver International Airport to Newark. 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:42.039 He says he's nervous about the trip. I'm thinking that 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:45.120 lines won't be too bad, my seat will have some 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.880 room next to me at least, but I'm definitely nervous 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:55.120 about germs and corona. Full disclosure. Nick is the son 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:57.839 of Rick Shine, a Bloomberg News editor who also works 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:00.960 on this podcast. He just happened be taking this flight 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:03.800 and we asked him to record his travels. Just like 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.560 Nick isn't sure what his traveled today will actually look like. 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:09.800 No one is certain how COVID nineteen will reshape safety 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:16.920 protocols at airports and airlines, and some of the possible 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:20.040 pandemic era measures have already begun in many places across 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:26.800 the US airport temperature checks, plexiglass partitions, touchless check in kiosks, 0:05:27.120 --> 0:05:30.839 and far more social distancing near boarding gates, security lines, 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:34.200 and on board. So far, none of the changes US 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:37.320 airports are making are part of any coordinated government effort. 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:41.680 Airlines are in talks with the Transportation Security Administration and 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:46.400 other agencies on a more streamline approach. Until then, airlines 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:48.960 and airports are doing whatever they can to assure the 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:53.800 public that it's safe to fly. On May tenth, United 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:59.120 Airlines began testing new touchless kiosks at four airports Boston, Chicago, Dallas, 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.000 Fort Worth, and or Indo, allowing people to scan in 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:04.920 from a smartphone or a sheet of paper printed at home. 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:09.800 That's not an option for Nick today, though. Still things 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:13.520 were looking good from a social distancing standpoint. The airport 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.000 is busy, but people are standing six ft apart and 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:19.279 they're wearing masks. These safety measures are part of the 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:23.440 new reality for flyers, but some things don't change in airports, 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:28.080 like waiting. I've already checked my bag by myself, but 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:31.040 I'm waiting in line to put it on the coveyor belt, 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.479 And even though it's not that crowded, it's taking a 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:37.880 surprising amount of time. I mean, I've been staying in 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.400 the same spot for about ten minutes now. There will 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:43.520 be changes to really every part of the flying experience, 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:48.080 including where Nick heads to next the security line. They're 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:52.800 keeping the six protocol pretty strict. There's a like alleys 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.960 between the lines that wrap around and make sure you're 0:06:56.000 --> 0:07:00.400 still six ft away in all directions. The line was 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.000 really a breeze. I mean it's it's noon on a 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:07.600 Friday and I'm already at the front. I didn't even 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:11.880 wait really, so I can't complain in that front. But 0:07:13.000 --> 0:07:15.840 you know, still a lot of people, so that's a 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:19.560 little nerve wracking. Nick gets through fast, but longer lines 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:22.560 and congestion could come as more people head back to 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:27.200 airports now and through security. And it was a breeze, nothing, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:33.240 nothing new, nothing different. Um, I'm waiting at the train, 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:38.240 the little tram and Denver International going to be gate 0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:49.160 past security. Airports are also considering changes to their bars, restaurants, 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:53.040 and public seating areas. Long rows of a joined seats 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:57.200 near boarding gates may no longer be appropriate. Communal tables 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:00.320 and food courts maybe a thing of the past. Now 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:02.720 Nick is at his gate with ten minutes to spare, 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:06.080 he notices another change, one that has to do with 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:10.960 seating arrangements. They say now that, uh, each row number 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:14.880 is your seat number. So I'm taking that to mean 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:20.280 that every person has a road to themselves, which is nice. Um, 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.680 and you board differently now, so you start with the 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:27.480 last row and go down the line. So I have 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:32.120 row thirty four, so I should be pretty pretty quick 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:37.480 to board. Frontier Airlines is also creating a new policy 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:40.640 before passengers can board. It says it will begin checking 0:08:40.679 --> 0:08:44.640 each flyer's temperature starting in June. If you're one point 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:48.280 four degrees fahrenheit or warmer after two tests, you won't 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:51.439 be allowed on the flight. But right now, Nick doesn't 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:53.960 have to worry about that. He just needs to figure 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:56.000 out what movie to pick as he lounges in his 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:58.800 own rock, We're gonna watch a movie with our masks 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:02.400 and gloves on, and uh, we're just gonna act like 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.760 nothing's nothing's different, even though a lot of things are different. 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.040 Nick has been wearing a mask this whole time, and 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:11.400 that will also be the case once he gets onto 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:15.200 the plane. Every US airline has mandated face coverings for 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:18.320 boarding and in flight, but it's not a given people 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.640 will wear them the entire time, especially when drinks are 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:24.840 snacks are still served. It's a tricky rule to enforce, 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.440 and flight attendants are being told they must do so. 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:33.480 Nick boards the plane and makes his way to his seat. 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:38.160 That's when he realizes something that new seating arrangement, the 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:40.280 one where people may expect to have their own row. 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:43.959 It turns out that's not the case. The plane is 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:47.120 packed and having a road to yourself was just wishful thinking. 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.480 I don't know why I thought that there was one 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:53.960 person to a row. That was just incorrect. But yeah, 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.080 it's it's a full flight for sure. I mean, I'm 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:59.480 in a row with all the seats filled up. Does 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:02.000 not just does not stick feet apart. I mean that 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:05.000 kind of figured. Just don't book the middle seats. It 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:08.240 seems easy enough, but I guess it's, uh, it's not 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:12.480 that easy. It just feels like a normal flight that 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:17.400 I'm just more nervous and should have them. The few 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:21.120 people flying now come expecting airlines to focus on strictly 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:25.000 enforcing some kind of social distance on their planes. They do, 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.080 but not if it means turning away a ticketed customer. 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:32.040 From May and June, airlines cut their schedules so deeply 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:34.800 due to weak demand that they often need all the 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:38.440 seats on the flights that remain. So with fewer flights, 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:48.079 there are now fuller planes. All of these changes in 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:51.319 airports will be expensive, and they come at the worst 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:54.760 possible time for nearly every player in the travel industry, 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:59.680 from airlines to rental car companies and hotels. The sudden 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:02.840 demand decline has hit all airlines deeply and led to 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:06.680 some small carriers shutting down. In the US, the industry 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.280 went from solid profits to a loss in the first 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:13.439 quarter due to the virus. Financially, many airlines are in 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:16.840 a race for survival despite some fifty billion dollars in 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:21.280 US taxpayer support. That means measures like empty middle seats 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.040 won't work for the industry in the longer term, at 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:28.240 least without major fare increases or more money from the government. 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:32.400 With less demand and an array of new health safety protocols, 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.720 flying could become more expensive than in the recent past. 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:38.800 So you may think that since there's so little demand, 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.800 air fares will stay low, and they probably will for 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:44.920 a time as the world very gradually returns to flying. 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.520 But all of these new safety protocols could make air 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:53.920 travel more expensive than in the reset past. Folks are 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:58.720 welcome to a great rest of the day. After two 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:01.240 and a half hours on that full flight, Nick lands 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:04.760 in Newark. He says the airport isn't full. People are 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:07.720 also wearing masks and there are lots of signs advising 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:10.800 everyone to stay six ft apart. I don't feel great 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:15.200 about that flight, but nothing I can do now. I'm 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:18.960 happy to be here to a degree. He grabs his 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:23.280 bag and heads home, and I'm gonna go say hello 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:36.240 to my mom from six ft away. Time n equal 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:38.960 self quarantine for ten days before he can get a 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:43.040 real hug from mom. Just like temperature checks, touchless check 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:46.760 in kiosks, and missing middle seats, getting off a plane 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:49.960 and going into quarantine is just another change, as we 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:59.720 learned to fly again during a pandemic. That was Bloomberg's 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:03.520 just and Bachman and that's our show today. For coverage 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:06.400 of the outbreak from one and twenty bureaus around the world, 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:11.560 visit bloomberg dot com slash Coronavirus and if you like 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.560 the show, please leave us a review and a rating 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:18.160 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It's the best way to 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:23.760 help more listeners find our global reporting. The Prognosis Daily 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:27.240 edition is hosted by me Laura Carlson. The show was 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:32.120 produced by Me Topher Forehead, Jordan Gaspore, and Magnus Hendrickson. 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:37.560 Today's main story was reported by Justin Bachman. Original music 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:42.760 by Leo Sidrin. Our editors are Francesco Levi and Rick Shine. 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:48.360 Francesca Levi is Bloomberg's head of podcasts. Thanks for listening.