United Airlines announced on Thursday that they will launch a rapid COVID-19 testing program for travelers between San Francisco and Hawaii starting October 15, 2020. The program will allow customers to take a test at the airport or mail it in ahead of their trip.
On Thursday (September 24, 2020), United Airlines announced that they will become the first U.S. carrier to make COVID-19 tests available for customers. The carrier is launching a pilot test program for travelers between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Hawaii starting October 15, 2020. Customers will have the option to take a rapid test at SFO or conduct a self-collected mail-in test prior to their departure. The goal of the program is to help guests better manage quarantine requirements as they travel to popular destinations around the world. In Thursday’s announcement, United Airlines’ Chief Customer Officer, Toby Enqvist, 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 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."
The at-home test option will be administered by Color with the recommendation that customers conduct the test at least 10 days prior to their trip and provide their sample within 72 hours of departure. The rapid airport test at SFO will provide results within 15 minutes using the Abbot ID NOW COVID-19 test administered by GoHealth Urgent Care and Dignity Health. United Airlines worked closely with Hawaiian state officials to ensure that any customer who tests negative on either test will not be subject to the states mandatory 14-day quarantine.
United Airlines offers more flights to Hawaii than any other network carrier with daily service between San Francisco and Honolulu, Maui and Kona. On October 15, 2020, the carrier will resume service between San Francisco and Lihue and add frequencies to Maui and Kona.
Source: United Airlines