Some Airlines Will Require Health Assessments

Flying has given us a new normal — empty middle seats, limited service, and required face coverings. Now, as air travel starts its recovery under the continuing threat from coronavirus, some airlines will require health assessments from its passengers.

—

It’s been a rough year for the airline industry. The novel coronavirus has grounded most would-be travelers, both due to stay-at-home orders and justifiable worry about potentially being infected with or spreading Covid-19. Airlines have had no choice but to adapt to this new reality and convince their customers it’s safe to fly.

More People Are Flying

For better or for worse, stay-at-home orders have eased across the country. Travelers are starting to travel again. On Thursday, the TSA screened 502,209 passengers — nearly 20% of the total screened the same day last year. That’s a far cry from normal, but the trend is clear. Airlines are slowly convincing the public it’s safe to fly, no doubt helped along by a severe case of quarantine fatigue.

I’d already looked at the data and decided to get back on a plane during May. It was quite different from what I’m used to. By July, it may be different still. Many U.S. airlines have either started or will soon require their passengers to take a health assessment before flying.

Frontier Airlines Requires Temperature Checks

Ultra low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines was first (and still only) among U.S. carriers to require temperature screening. Since June 1st, the airline has required all passengers and crew to submit to a temperature check prior to boarding. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 F or above cannot fly.

When passengers check-in before the flight, they must acknowledge that they’ve had no symptoms of Covid-19 for two weeks, nor have any members of their household.

United Airlines

During check-in, United Airlines passengers will verify that they’ve reviewed the airline’s “Ready to Fly” checklist, which is a bit more comprehensive that I would have expected. Passengers must accept the following:

• “You must wear a face covering while on board for the safety of everyone.
• Have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 21 days. Have not experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days (excludes symptoms from a pre-existing condition)
  • Temperature of 38 C/100.4 F or higher
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • Recent loss of taste or smell
• Have not been denied boarding by another airline due to a medical screening for a communicable disease in the last 14 days.
• Have not had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days”

United will not actually take your temperature, but you must acknowledge that you haven’t had a temp of 100.4 F or higher in the two weeks prior.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines will require its passengers to accept a health agreement starting June 30th. The airline’s Next Level Care initiative states that customers must “verify that they haven’t exhibited COVID-19 symptoms in the past 72 hours, come into contact with someone who is symptomatic and agree to bring and wear a face mask or covering.”

UPDATE: All Major U.S. Airlines Will Now Participate

[Update 6/29/2020] Now, even more airlines will require passengers to complete a self-health assessment before flying. The industry trade group Airlines for America announced today that its member carriers require a “simple health acknowledgement” that includes:

• acceptance of the airline’s face covering policy
• assurance that passenger has not recently had symptoms of Covid-19
• assurance that passenger has not had close contact with a Covid-19 patient or someone exhibiting its symptoms within the past two weeks

Those airlines include Delta, American, Southwest, Hawaiian, and JetBlue; in addition to Alaska and United.

All Airlines Serving Canada

Unlike the United States, where each airline is making its own decisions, Transport Canada has implemented requirements which apply to all carriers. If a flight originates in or departs to Canada, the airline must do a health assessment. They’re required to take your temperature prior to boarding, ask health questions, and look for visible signs of Covid-19 infection.

Final Thoughts

Airlines want to make their passengers feel comfortable flying. So they are doing what they can to put people at ease. Now that some U.S. airlines will require health assessments from their passengers, expect other airlines to follow.

However, I’m not convinced this is much more than theater. Especially temperature checks. According to one study, only 30% of those hospitalized for Covid-19 in New York had a fever. A thermometer can catch a few cases, but it won’t catch nearly enough of them.

And while health assessments are a good idea, they are built on the honor system. I’d like to think that someone who accepts those health statements would be honest about them. But as a woman in Michigan proved when trying to fly with coronavirus, plenty of people have no concern for the safety of others. Some people just want to get home.

Once airlines started requiring masks, I started to feel good about flying again. The self-health assessments are just another layer toward ensuring a safe flight for everyone.