(CNN) – Delta Air Lines is restoring wine and beer options on most of its US flights three months after it eliminated options when the pandemic began to paralyze demand for air travel.
With the launch starting July 2, passengers sitting in their two premium booths, First Class and Comfort +, will soon have the complementary option of individual bottles of red and white wine, or a choice of Miller Lite, Heineken and SweetWater beer. , on flights of more than 500 miles. Deployment will be gradual and alcohol will not be available to passengers seated further back in the main cabin. All customers will receive a snack bag that includes bottled water.
“We know that beer and wine are the adult drinks our customers want most,” Allison Ausband, Delta’s senior vice president of in-flight service, said in a statement. “These selections are the first step toward a standardized beverage offering as we continue to keep customer and crew safety at the center of everything we do.”
However, Delta spokeswoman Olivia Mays tells CNN that this latest move does not respond to the suspension of drinks from other airlines. “It has been in the works for over a month, so we have really focused on finding the best way to serve,” she says.
The drinks were abruptly withdrawn from service in March because the airline wanted to minimize interaction between flight attendants and passengers, but has now worked on procedures to safely deliver the drinks to customers.
Flight attendants will deliver the drinks to a serving tray because “they have fewer touch points than other adult drink options and are contained individually,” the carrier said in a statement.
“You are not mixing a drink or throwing a lime in a gin and tonic,” Mays explains. “This is what we feel are good first steps.”
As for liquor, soft drinks and a larger selection of snacks or meals, Delta said it is still evaluating when they might return. Similarly, there is no date in sight of when alcoholic beverages will return to the service of the main cabin.
One reason you may not be in a rush to restore the entire menu is to preserve the much-needed money.
The airline expects second-quarter revenue to drop 90% and aims to cut its daily cash consumption to $ 40 million by the end of June, compared to $ 100 million at the end of March.
Delta never eliminated adult food and drinks on its limited international flights. United Airlines and American Airlines also offer wine, beer, and spirits in their premium cabins, depending on the length of the flight. Southwest and JetBlue have joined Delta to eliminate alcohol options for now.
As with other airlines, the use of face masks is mandatory on Delta flights, except when eating and drinking, so we are still far from the easy environment of days gone by.
There is some comfort in the additional cabin space that comes with forcing social detachment.
Delta has limited the number of people allowed to reserve seats on flights by 60% in the main cabin and 50% in first class, while blocking the ability to select intermediate seats. That will be in effect until at least September 30.
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