American Airlines Expands COVID-19 Testing Program

Update: As of Dec. 9, 2020, American Airlines will provide access to at-home tests through LetsGetChecked for passengers traveling to the following U.S. cities, states or territories with COVID-19 restrictions starting Dec. 12:

• Alaska
• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Chicago
• Hawaii
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Alison Taylor, Chief Customer Service Officer for American Airlines said, “We’ve made great strides to help open international travel with our testing partners, and we recognize the need for similar domestic travel solutions. As travel requirements continue to quickly evolve, we’re simplifying the research and COVID-19 testing fulfillment process for an overall more seamless travel experience.” Here is how it works.

On Nov. 2, 2020, American Airlines announced an expansion to their initial preflight COVID-19 testing program to more destinations in the Caribbean, Latin America and Hawaii.

According to a press release from American, “Our initial preflight testing program has performed remarkably well, including terrific customer feedback about the ease and availability of testing options,” said Robert Isom, president of American Airlines. “This next phase is an invigorating step forward in American’s relentless pursuit of reopening international travel and driving industry recovery while delivering a safe and positive travel experience.”

As of Nov. 16, American expanded its partnership with LetsGetChecked, an at-home PCR testing option that consists of a medical professional observing via virtual visit, for customers traveling to Belize (BZE), Grenada (GND) and St. Lucia (UVF). On average, results are available within 48 hours. Miami (MIA) is a major hub for the airline, often called the “gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America,” so it makes sense to expand in these markets. American expects to increase flying to all three markets with service from BZE to MIA, Charlotte (CLT) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW); from GND to MIA and CLT; and from UVF to MIA, CLT, ORD and Philadelphia (PHL). Testing requirements for each country are as follows:

• Belize: Travelers 6 years old and older should complete preflight PCR testing within 72 hours of departure.
• Grenada: Complete testing within a week prior to departure.
• St. Lucia: Travelers 5 years old and older should complete testing within a week to departure. Customers must present a negative test result in order to board flights to St. Lucia and pre-arrival registration is required.

American additionally expanded preflight testing for select Hawaii flights for travelers flying from Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX). Completed testing is required within 72 hours of the final leg of departure.

Preflight testing remains one of the best ways to stop the spread of the virus and further expands the world for customers eager to travel again.