Delta Plans to Offer Customers In-home COVID-19 Tests
Kits will allow travelers to meeting pre-travel international testing requirements
February 2, 2021
Delta Air Lines has announced a plan to offer in-home COVID-19 testing kits for passengers to complete test requirements prior to international travel. According to reports in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the carrier will offer a pack of six tests for $150, plus taxes and shipping, “in coming weeks.”
The kits will allow passengers to test before departure and then “pack another with them to comply with negative-test requirements before their trip back to the US,” the carrier said in a statement.
The traveler also has the option of taking an in-person test prior to travel, if that method is preferred or mandated. The airline offers a dedicated webpage to find out the most convenient testing locations for the passenger. There is also a link to the SkyTeam directory of testing centers in the countries that member airlines serve.
In addition, the airline is working with an app-based health platform called TrustAssure to allow customers to upload documents verifying COVID-19 test results at check-in via the airline’s channels such as pre-flight e-mails and delta.com. A ‘Ready to Fly’ screen on mobile devices will indicate the customer has provided a verified COVID test.
The technology will allow Delta to join a growing number of airlines who are deploying so-called ‘digital passports’ to enable passengers to more readily verify their travel health status, including test results and vaccination records.
“Customers have more travel information coming their way than ever before – with updated COVID-19 testing requirements to digest, new forms to complete and different digital experiences to download and navigate,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. “From simplifying testing to developing an integrated suite of tools on Delta.com, we’re continuing to introduce additional features meant to enhance the existing experience and strengthen the airline’s position as a leader in charting the global recovery.”