US airlines to refund passengers found to have high temperature during screening

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading US airlines, announced that its member carriers will voluntarily pledge to refund tickets for any passenger who is found to have an elevated temperature, during a screening process conducted by federal authorities prior to travel.

Last month, A4A and its member carriers announced they are supporting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin conducting temperature screenings of the traveling public and customer-facing employees as long as necessary during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

As all screening processes for the traveling public are the responsibility of the US government, having temperature checks performed by the TSA will ensure that procedures are standardized, providing consistency across airports so that travellers can plan appropriately.

Since the onset of COVID-19, US airlines have been working to protect passengers and employees. In April, A4A’s carrier members voluntarily announced that they are requiring customer-facing employees and passengers to wear facial covering over their nose and mouth throughout the journey — during check-in, boarding, in flight and deplaning. Last week, major U.S. carriers announced they are actively enforcing their face covering policies.

Carriers are working around the clock to sanitize cockpits, cabins and key touchpoints — like tray tables, arm rests, seatbelts, buttons, vents, handles and lavatories.

Airlines for America (A4A) members are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and UPS. Air Canada is an associate member.