United Launches Contact Tracing on All Flights
Voluntary program will start this week on international arrivals and roll out to all domestic flights and outbound international in the coming weeks
United Airlines has announced the launch of a voluntary contact tracing program for all international and domestic flights. The airline says the program will roll out in phases beginning this week collecting information from all international arriving flights.
In the weeks ahead, the airline will phase in domestic and international outbound departures. Customers can opt-in and participate using United’s mobile app, at united.com or at the airport.
During the check-in process, customers will be prompted to voluntarily opt-in and provide contact information such as an e-mail address, phone numbers and an address of where they will be once they reach their destination.
For a look at United’s online contact tracing form, click here.
The program, being launched in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will provide immediate access to details that were previously difficult for the CDC to obtain in real-time. The data will better support the CDC’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the United States and around the world.
“Contact tracing is a fundamental component of the nation’s public health response strategy for controlling the spread of communicable diseases of public health concern,” said Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the CDC. “Collection of contact information from air travelers will greatly improve the timeliness and completeness of information for COVID-19 public health follow-up and contact tracing.”
Last week, Delta Air Lines became the first US carrier to implement a voluntary contact tracing program for its inbound international flights. However United says it will be the first US airline to collect the data for all domestic and international flights.
