Riding on the tailwind of the news that Iceland, Greece, and Croatia are lifting restrictions for vaccinated travelers, United Airlines announced that it is adding three flights to the newly reopened destinations.
Beginning in July, United will begin operating these direct flights:
- Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Dubrovnik, Croatia, starting July 8—This will be the only nonstop service between the United States and Croatia and will consist of three weekly flights in each direction through October 3. The flights will take place on Boeing 767-300ER planes.
- Washington Dulles International Airport to Athens, Greece, starting July 1—Also operating through October 3, this will mark the first daily nonstop flights between Washington, D.C. and Athens. The flights will take place on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Additionally, United’s daily summer service to Athens from Newark will resume on June 3.
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Reykjavík, Iceland, starting July 1—Running daily through October 3, these flights will take place on Boeing 757-200 aircraft. United’s daily service to Reykjavík from Newark will resume on June 3 and operate through October 29.
The flights can be booked effective immediately.
The latest additions to United’s international route network reflect an increase in demand for global travel, according to the carrier. United reports that searches for flights to Croatia, Greece, and Iceland are up considerably on the United website.
The move comes after Iceland recently announced that vaccinated travelers and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are allowed to enter the country. They will still have to submit to a COVID-19 test upon arrival and quarantine until the results are ready (typically within 6 to 24 hours), a requirement currently in place until May 1, according to Visit Iceland. Those who are not vaccinated may travel to Iceland as well, but they will have to submit to a COVID-19 test upon arriving in Iceland, quarantine for five days, and then undergo a second test after the five-day quarantine. Everyone needs to preregister before visiting the country.
As of April 1, anyone can travel to Croatia if they present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate (the final dose must be administered at least 14 days before arrival); can present a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken no more than 48 hours prior to arrival in Croatia (if it’s a rapid test, a second test must be taken 10 days after the initial test if the stay in Croatia is longer than 10 days); or were diagnosed with and recovered from COVID-19 no more than 180 days before arrival.
As reported by the Associated Press, Greece has lifted quarantine restrictions for travelers from the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Israel, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland as long as they have a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or can present a negative COVID-19 PCR test procured within 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.
Since travel restrictions have changed so frequently throughout the course of the pandemic, United has developed a Travel-Ready Center where customers can get the latest information on COVID-19 regulations. Using the Travel-Ready Center tool, travelers can also upload their COVID-19 testing and vaccine documentation to have it certified in advance of checking in to their United flight.
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