American Airlines plans Covid-19 testing options for certain flights

American Airlines will become the third airline to offer COVID-19 testing to their passengers, with a limited introduction for flyers traveling to three destinations: The Bahamas, Hawaii and Jamaica. The testing will launch at their hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.

As part of a plan to encourage flyers to travel once again, American Airlines will be the third carrier to offer COVID-19 testing for passengers heading to three vacation destinations. In a press release, the airline announced they would soon start offering testing options for flyers heading to The Bahamas, Hawaii and Jamaica.

HAWAII OPTIONS INCLUDE AT-HOME OR IN-PERSON, WHILE INTERNATIONAL TESTS TO BE DETERMINED

For domestic operations, the airline will start offering testing on Oct. 15, 2020. Flyers traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to either Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) or Maui Kahului Airport (OGG) will be given three testing options.

First, flyers can request a test at home from LestGetChecked. The FDA authorized home tests cost $119, and must be observed by a medical professional over a virtual visit. Results are expected within 48 hours.

As an alternative, flyers can get tested at any CareNow Urgent Care location. The company operates 148 locations in 11 states, including California, Florida, Nevada and Texas. They also operate a location at DFW, so passengers can get tested on-site.

For those flying to The Bahamas or Jamaica, the airline is still working out the logistics of testing. Working with the respective countries, American is working to determine how the tests will be administered. While the airline expects to offer tests to flyers bound for The Bahamas and the Caribbean Community starting sometime in October, there’s no word when the carrier will start offering tests to travelers flying to Jamaica.

Both The Bahamas and Jamaica have instituted a 14-day quarantine policy for all inbound travelers. The goal of the testing within 72 hours of the final leg of the departure is to prove a flyer is not carrying the virus, and can forego the two-week quarantine.

“The pandemic has changed our business in ways we never could have expected, but all the while, the entire American Airlines team has eagerly tackled the challenge of reimagining the way we deliver a safe, healthy and enjoyable travel experience for our customers,” Robert Isom, president of American, said in a press release. “Our plan for this initial phase of preflight testing reflects the ingenuity and care our team is putting into rebuilding confidence in air travel, and we view this as an important step in our work to accelerate an eventual recovery of demand.”

AMERICAN JOINS JETBLUE AND UNITED IN OFFERING COVID-19 TESTING

With the announcement, American became the third carrier to offer COVID-19 testing to their passengers. JetBlue became the first to offer at-home tests to flyers through their partnership with Vault Health, while United Airlines will offer tests to flyers traveling to Hawaii through San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

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