Forget seat upgrades and free cocktails. The ultimate in-flight luxury may soon be knowing that your seatmate just took a COVID test—and was negative.
Starting on October 15, United passengers heading from SFO to Hawaii will have the option of taking a COVID test before they board—and will get the results in 15 minutes. Passengers will also have the option of doing a self-collected, mail-in test before their trip. Those travelers who test negative will be exempt from Hawaii’s current 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement.
The airline said in a news release that it will be using a rapid test made by Abbott called ID NOW, and will partner with GoHealth Urgent Care to process the tests. “We’ll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. 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,” said Toby Enqvist, Chief Customer Officer at United.
Previously, studies have showed that keeping middle seats empty can decrease COVID risk by 79%. But longterm, airlines must find ways to safely fill jets to capacity in order to avert financial disaster. In July United notified 36,000 employees, or 45% of its U.S. Workforce, that their jobs are at risk after federal payroll aid expires.
United said it first started working with GoHealth in July to test its international flight crews at San Francisco International Airport. According to United, passengers will be able to book a test appointment online for the on-site testing facility located inside the international terminal. The COVID testing area will be open from 9 a.m. To 6 p.m. PT daily.
United has stressed safety throughout the pandemic as a way to coax customers back on to airplanes even as COVID cases continues to rage. They were the first airline to require masks for flight attendants, and among the first to say they would not let customers fly who refused to wear masks. Several airlines including United have also done away with change fees in a bid to woo back wary travelers.
Airlines have also been experimenting with novel cleaning solutions. American Airlines previously received approval for a substance that claimed to kill the virus for 7 days. And United says it will also applying a substance called Zoono microshield, described as “an EPA registered antimicrobial coating that forms a long-lasting bond with surfaces and inhibits the growth of microbes” to its entire mainline and express fleet before the end of the year. However, doubts have been raised about whether that actually makes flying safer—and airlines and passengers alike would undoubtedly prefer to know that everyone aboard has tested negative.