How Southwest’s Scaling Back of Cleaning Protocols Affects Air Travel


Southwest Airlines recently scaled back its COVID-19-related cleaning protocols, reducing the amount of between-flight cleaning that takes place in an effort to cut back on time planes spend on the ground.

Upgraded Points travel industry analyst James Larounis, Pilota CEO Saniya Shah and Linear Air Taxi Founder and Line Pilot Bill Herp gave their thoughts on this move, which saw the airline become the first major industry player to undergo such a rollback.

The trio of industry thought leaders tackled:

  • The impact Southwest’s decision could have on the entirety of the airline industry and on consumer confidence
  • Which COVID-19 measures have hit airlines the hardest
  • How airlines are balancing safety and cost-cutting measures
  • How airlines might return to pre-pandemic levels of growth

Larounis said the move largely stems from an established position as a leader in cleaning and social distancing efforts, with Southwest banking on the reputation during this period of scaling back to tighten up connections and cut costs.

“The ultimate question, here, is going to be will an airline like Delta, for example, that is blocking middle seats … ultimately get more revenue than an airline like Southwest,” he said. “You can’t really have you cake and eat it, too.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Mike Dermont Diversified talks AV and healthcare experience
AV’s Critical Role in the Future of Healthcare Experience
July 15, 2025

As healthcare organizations face growing pressure to improve healthcare experience, patient outcomes, streamline operations, and address chronic staffing shortages, audiovisual (AV) technologies are becoming essential tools in delivering high-quality care. From in-room monitoring to patient communication systems, the AV industry is stepping up to meet the evolving demands of a sector that touches every life….

Read More
Applied Digital
Workforce, Housing, and Growth: How Applied Digital Is Revitalizing a Rural Town Through AI Infrastructure
July 15, 2025

As AI infrastructure spreads beyond tech hubs and into America’s heartland, companies face a new imperative: not just to build facilities—but to build trust, local partnerships, and long-term value for the communities that host them. In Ellendale, North Dakota, Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 1 campus has become a case study in what rural revitalization…

Read More
Sepsis
Challenges of Identifying and Reducing Sepsis Mortality – Episode 2
July 15, 2025

Michael Rothman explores the complexities of sepsis identification and management, highlighting the challenges posed by varying definitions and clinical pathways. He discusses the ineffectiveness of current sepsis screening protocols, which often yield high false-positive rates and fail to reduce mortality meaningfully. The episode concludes by questioning the focus on sepsis-specific initiatives and suggesting that more…

Read More
engineering community
The Future of the Engineering Community: Equity, AI, and Real Connection
July 15, 2025

The Engineer Who Builds Communities, Not Just Systems! Angelie Vincent has spent more than two decades in aerospace engineering, but her real legacy might be the communities she’s built along the way. Now an AI Integration Engineer at Boeing, Angelie joins Professional Quotient host Jason Winningham for a wide-ranging conversation on neurodivergent leadership, workplace…

Read More