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United Airlines wants to know your health history before you can fly

Jun 12, 2020

1 MIN READ
Some simple research can drastically bring down the price of your flights. Chz_mhOng / Shutterstock

Some simple research can drastically bring down the price of your flights. Chz_mhOng / Shutterstock

Sasha Brady

Writer

Dublin

I'm a Dublin-based writer and digital editor for Lonely Planet, where I've been part of the team since 2018. Growing up in a family scattered around the world sparked a lifelong love of travel. There was always someone to visit somewhere. While my travels have taken me across Latin America, Australia and Europe, it's always the anticipation of the next adventure that excites me the most. My approach to travel is all about experiencing a place as locals do, delving into its culture through its m…

United Airlines will address coronavirus concerns by requiring passengers and crew to submit a health assessment before flying.

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United is one of the first major US airlines to introduce such measures in the wake of the pandemic. The "health self-assessment" is now part of United's check-in process and consists of a questionnaire called the 'Ready-to-Fly' checklist. All criteria must be met before the passenger can continue successfully check in, otherwise they will have to reschedule their flight.

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The Ready-to-Fly checklist includes:

- A reminder you must wear a face mask while on board - A list of common COVID-19 symptoms, and a declaration that you have not experienced them in the last 14 days - You have not been denied boarding by another airline due to a medical screening in the last 14 days - You have not had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days

The checklist was based on recommendations from the Cleveland Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). It can be done online or at a check-in desk at the airport with a United Airlines agent.

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Frontier Airlines also requires a similar health acknowledgement from passengers, as well as temperature checks before boarding and the mandatory use of face coverings on flights.

The CDC says that travel in general increases the spread of COVID-19 because social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and because "travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces."

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