Whether or not travelers have been vaccinated for COVID-19, testing remains an important and often necessary tool for safe travel during the pandemic. United Airlines is hoping to make getting tested for COVID-19 even easier for its passengers.
The carrier has introduced a new tool that helps travelers find, book, and upload COVID-19 test results, all from the airline’s online Travel-Ready Center, which can also be accessed through the United app. The Travel-Ready Center was launched in January as a way for customers to access testing and vaccine requirements for the destinations they are traveling to and returning from.
This one-stop shop for COVID-19 travel information also allows passengers to upload their testing results on their own.
The latest update lets users select from some 200 COVID-19 testing centers in the United States, make an appointment, and receive confirmation of whether their test results meet their destination’s requirements. Once the results are available and United confirms that they are compliant with the requirements, customers will be informed that they are “travel-ready” and will receive their mobile boarding pass from United.
The testing sites include locations in Chicago, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Newark, New Jersey, as well as at many larger pharmacy chains. United plans to expand availability to additional U.S. cities and international testing sites for customers flying into the United States. (Effective January 26, all international travelers entering the U.S.—including returning U.S. citizens—must provide proof of a laboratory-generated negative COVID-19 test result procured no more than three days before departure, according to a CDC mandate.)
Hawaii is among the domestic destinations requiring that arrivals provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result procured within 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid an otherwise mandatory 10-day quarantine. New York has a two-test requirement in place. And the CDC recommends getting tested before and after traveling for those who are not vaccinated.
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