Delta Airlines Will Treat Covid-19 as Seasonal Virus – Drops $200 Surcharge for Unvaccinated Employees

The healthcare surcharge will discontinue at the end of this month, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. He also said if the federal mask mandate for air travel is discontinued, Delta will not require passengers or employees to wear masks. https://t.co/XOjbnaedb8

— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) April 14, 2022

Delta Air Lines will end its $200 per month healthcare surcharge imposed on employees not vaccinated against COVID-19, CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

With nearly all Delta employees now vaccinated, the healthcare surcharge — intended to nudge reluctant employees towards getting their shots and cover increased medical expense risk — will discontinue at the end of this month, Bastian said late Tuesday. 

It marks a shift in how the Atlanta-based airline is approaching an evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Delta took a lead role early in the pandemic instituting mask requirements, middle seat blocks and testing, then vaccinations. 

The airline reopened its middle seats nearly a year ago. Now, the company is pushing the federal government to end the mask mandate for air travel and end pre-departure testing requirements for international travelers. 

Delta last August said it would charge employees who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 an extra $200 a month starting in November 2021 as part of health care plans and require unvaccinated employees to be tested weekly while case counts were high.