Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, announced that its member carriers are voluntarily implementing temporary health acknowledgment policies and procedures for passenger travel as an additional level of protection during the pandemic.

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines now or will require passengers to complete a simple health acknowledgment during the check-in process. Health acknowledgements typically cover three primary areas:

• Face Coverings – assurance that the passenger will bring a face covering and wear it at the airport, on the jet bridge and onboard the aircraft;
• Symptoms – assurance that the passenger is not experiencing a temperature (38C/100.4F or higher), coughing, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, chills, muscle pain and/or sore throat; and
• Exposure – assurance that the passenger has not had close contact with someone who tested positive or had symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Health acknowledgments encourage passengers to make an evaluation of their own health prior to travel. Passengers who fail or refuse to complete the health acknowledgment may be deemed unfit to travel and each carrier will resolve the matter in accordance with its own policies. This measure is expected to remain in place throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis.