Pilota Launches FlySafe to Keep Air Travelers Safe

[Photo by Sacha Verheij]

Air travel has been at record lows for the past few months since COVID-19, as many travelers are concerned about the health and safety risks associated with flying. Despite some travel restrictions being lifted and places opening back up, not everyone is ready to hop on a plane.

To help alleviate travelers’ fears, Pilota has launched FlySafe—a free browser extension that shows which safety precautions are being taken on each flight.Similar to Google Flights, it overlays the information directly on the online booking engines.

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FlySafe allows users to easily compare flight safety, health and flexibility precautions on the booking sites they use such as Expedia and others. It discreetly overlays these precautions on their flight search results, allowing them to see what precautions each airline is taking to keep passengers safe from COVID-19. It provides personalized ratings for each flight, which are generated based on the safety precautions that the user has selected. It also offers the option of saving flights that a person is interested in to compare them across multiple websites, get flight statuses, price changes, and more.

FlySafe also provides the following information for each flight:

• Mask Requirement. Many flights are requiring all crew and passengers to wear a mask prior to boarding the flight. The product will let travelers know if the flight they are viewing will require all crew and passengers to be wearing a mask.

• Seat Blocking. Some flights are blocking middle seats or a certain number of seats to increase the distance between passengers. The product will let travelers know if this measure will be implemented on the flight they are viewing.

• Capacity Capping. Many airlines are capping the capacity of their flights to avoid overcrowding on the plane. The product let’s traveler’s know if the flight they are viewing is going to be capping their maximum capacity below normal levels.

• Air Filtration. HEPA filters have been making the headlines recently as one of the precautions already implemented in planes to keep the air that travelers are breathing safe. The product lets travelers know if the flight’s aircraft is equipped with surgical grade HEPA air filters. 

• Provided PPE. Some flights will be handing out masks or protective equipment to passengers prior to boarding the aircraft. The product will let travelers know whether to expect PPE to be provided for them on the flight they are viewing or if they should plan to bring their own.

• Boarding Sanitization Measures. Many new sanitization measures have been created to reduce the number of touchpoints and interactions between passengers and the gate staff. The product will let travelers know if these new measures will be implemented during boarding of the flight they are viewing.

• Social Distancing. Some flights are implementing social distancing measures during check in and boarding. The product will let travelers know if these measures will be implemented on the flight they are viewing.

• Cabin Sanitization. Many airlines have increased their cabin sanitization measures on their flights. The product will let travelers know if the flight they are viewing will be sanitized according to the new measures.

• Food Hygiene. For flights providing food and beverage service, many have implemented new measures to reduce touch points during food preparation and distribution. The product will let travelers know if these new measures are being implemented on the flight they are viewing.

• Flexible Policies. With the uncertainty prevalent right now, many passengers want to know if there are any flexible policies available before they book their ticket, such as waived change fees or options for refunds. The product will let travelers know if there are any flexible policies available on the flight they are viewing.

[Photo by JC Gellidon]

"We know how stressful it is to fly right now and we hope that FlySafe will bring some comfort and peace of mind to travelers that need to get in the air right now," says Saniya Shah, CEO of Pilota.

For more information, visit PIlota’s website and follow them on Instagram: @flypilota

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk