Atlanta/USA – United Airlines will start notifying passengers from next week on if their flight is expected to be “closer to full capacity,” allowing them to re-book on a different flight or receive a travel credit.

The new policy — which will last through June 30 and will also be applied at the gate if more than 70% of passengers have checked in — follows a photograph of what appeared to be a packed United flight on Saturday on social media.

United said 85% of its flights are less than half full, but given a drastically reduced flying schedule in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, “there are a small number of flights where our customers are finding planes fuller than they expect.” (Reuters)