United Airlines Plans Free Covid-19 Testing Program Trial for Passengers on London Flights

Tower Bridge in London

United Airlines announced plans to offer free coronavirus tests to passengers on flights between the airline’s New York area hub and London as part of a pilot program.

The tests will be offered at no charge to every passenger over the age of two as well as to flight attendants and pilots on select flights between Newark Liberty International Airport and London Heathrow.  Any passengers who don’t wish to be tested will be rebooked on another flight.

“We’ll guarantee that everyone on board has tested negative for COVID-19,” the airline’s chief customer officer, Toby Enqvist, said in a statement.

The airline said that such rapid testing programs “will play a vital role in safely reopening travel around the world.”

Tests will be offered at the United Club at Newark Airport near Gate C93. The testing will be conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for passengers traveling on United Flight 14, which departs at 7:15 p.m. local time.

The airline typically Flight 14 using a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner with the airline’s new Polaris business-class seating in the premium cabin. The high-tech aircraft has 44 lie-flat suites in the Polaris cabin. Each seat in the cabin extends to a 78” bed and the seat itself is 20.6” in width. The Premium Plus premium-economy cabin has 21 recliner seats that are 19” in width and have a seat pitch of 38”.  Seats in Economy Plus, the airline’s premium-economy lite section, as well as in coach are 17.3” in width.  Seat pitch in Economy Plus is 35”, while that figure is 31” in coach.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)