Bottom View of Passenger Airplane Flying Over Tropical Palm Trees.
United Airlines will soon be offering passengers the option to take a COVID-19 test at the airport. Starting October 15, customers traveling on United from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hawaii will have the option to take a rapid test at the airport for a fee.
The move comes as Hawaii prepares to welcome tourists back to its shores on October 15.
“Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations' entry requirements, safely and conveniently," Toby Enqvist, Chief Customer Officer at United said in a statement. "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."
Results for the rapid COVID-19 test will be available to United customers and could help travelers avoid an otherwise mandatory 14-day quarantine when they land in Hawaii. The airline says they plan on expanding that testing to include customers who wish to be tested for COVID-19 pre-flight via a self-collected, mail-in test ahead of their trip as well.
Appointments to take the test can be scheduled online in advance and will be administered at an on-site testing facility located within SFO’s international terminal. Passengers can expect to receive their results within approximately 15 minutes, according to the airline. United, who partnered with telemedicine company GoHealth Urgent Care, said the a dedicated COVID-19 testing area will be available to customers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time daily.
"We are excited about expanding our partnership with United and continuing to support their proactive safety measures," Todd Latz, CEO of GoHealth Urgent Care said in the statement. "Our on-site, real-time testing for passengers is yet another example of GoHealth's nationwide efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 and ensure a safer return to normal activities and business operations."
