United Becomes The First Airline To Offer COVID-19 Tests Before Flights
United Airlines has announced they will become the first US airline to offer a rapid-response coronavirus testing program.
Per the New York Post, this will be for passengers flying from San Francisco to Hawaii. The outlet explains that fliers will have the option to either order home kits for $80 or be tested by Abbott Labs at the airport.
“Fliers who test negative on either test will not be subjected to the state’s 14-day quarantine requirement,” according to United.
At the airport, COVID-19 test results will be available in about 15 minutes. For those who use home kits, they will be done by clinical testing company Color. Passengers are advised to request kits ten days before their departure, and their samples need to be submitted within 72 hours of their flight.
In a statement about the service, a United rep said, “Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations’ entry requirements, safely and conveniently.”
“We’ll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and US airports later this year to complement our state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy, antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying and our hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems.”
United plans to roll out the program on Oct. 15. They hope to extend the program to other destinations later.
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