More than five months into the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., air travel demand remains stuck at a fraction of 2019 levels. That's a big problem for airlines and their employees. The short-term payroll support program implemented in late March -- under which the federal government has covered most of airlines' payroll costs since April -- is set to expire at the end of September. And while there is bipartisan support for extending this relief for another six months, Washington gridlock has prevented passage of a new pandemic relief bill.
As a result, airlines are scrambling to find ways to use their otherwise-idle fleets and crews to tap into what little demand does exist. Last week, United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) got in on the action, announcing more than a dozen new point-to-point routes to Florida that it will operate temporarily beginning later this year.
United Airlines' first set of new Florida routes will launch on Nov. 6. It will fly from Boston, Cleveland, and New York's LaGuardia Airport to four popular getaway destinations in Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Tampa.