Consolidated flights leave planes full and passengers uneasy

DALLAS (AP) — Many flights are nearly empty these days, but the high number of cancellations by airlines trying to save money occasionally lead to a flight like the one that Vince Warburton took this week.

During a three-hour layover at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Warburton noticed a crowd gathering in the gate area before his American Airlines flight to Los Angeles.

“People were laughing at the fact that (gate agents) were encouraging us to social-distance while boarding the plane, and there were so many people in line,” said the 32-year-old video engineer, who was commuting to a job.

The laughter didn't last long.

“When we got on the plane, we were all sitting right next to each other,” said Warburton, who was flying on a discount ticket and was assigned a middle seat in a full row. ”People were very uneasy. I was very uncomfortable."

Airline executives say they know that customers must feel safe before they'll venture from sheltering at home to getting on a plane, and they have taken some steps.

This week, JetBlue Airways became the first U.S. airline to require passengers to wear face coverings during flights, and Frontier Airlines said Thursday that it would begin requiring masks starting May 8. Other airlines say they encourage passengers to wear masks, and several require flight attendants to wear them.

The Association of Flight Attendants, which says 300 of its members have contracted COVID-19, and some Democrats in Congress are pushing the Trump administration to require that passengers wear masks.

Air travel is “a major vector for COVID-19,” said Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said he pressed the head of the Federal Aviation...