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-   -   UA experience of flying COVID+ or next to someone that is? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/2027159-ua-experience-flying-covid-next-someone.html)

Weatherboy Oct 19, 2020 1:00 pm

UA experience of flying COVID+ or next to someone that is?
 
Does anyone have first hand experience flying (or attempting to fly) as a COVID+ traveler? Or if you've traveled near someone that was COVID+ on-board, what did UA communicate to you?

With the testing regime up for Hawaii flights, there's a larger volume of flyers that know their status. It looks like AA will prevent you from flying and will ban you for flying for 2 weeks after a positive test result, even if you subsequently test negative. Does UA do something similar?

As the other thread (and Hawaii forum) shows, some confirmed positives flew to Hawaii in recent days on United even when they tested negative before travel. With people in the same row and 2 rows forward/back subject to quarantine and testing, does United do anything about that...or is that strictly a health department process? If you were within the zone of that confirmed in-flight positive, does UA prevent you from traveling for x number of days?

With more locations doing pre-travel testing, I imagine even more people will become COVID-aware. Im curious what UA's communication and travel policies have been to date and what they could be as things evolve.

HNLbasedFlyer Oct 19, 2020 1:09 pm

Well - full stop. You attest you do not have Covid with flying.

If you knowingly have Covid and fly - you should be subject to the full force of the law or if no force of the law - banned for life from the airline.

bocastephen Oct 19, 2020 8:33 pm


Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer (Post 32758651)
Well - full stop. You attest you do not have Covid with flying.

If you knowingly have Covid and fly - you should be subject to the full force of the law or if no force of the law - banned for life from the airline.

I believe this is happening every day and not just to Hawaii and not just on United. People who have symptoms and should know better, or who are known to be positive, are out there shopping, eating in restaurants, and flying on airplanes.

The best defense we have does not yet exist - an instant read test, much like a temperature check, that can determine someone's status, maybe like a breathalyzer which can be used before allowing someone in an airport, restaurant or any enclosed space. If you are informed of your result and then go back out to try your luck in public again (I'm talking to you, Orange County CA), then you get hauled off to a quarantine center to be held in a room until you are declared virus free.

So far, aside from Hawai'i, I don't believe United asks you if you are sick or not, or does it? I haven't flown UA since last Feb so I don't know what they are doing these days.

WineCountryUA Oct 19, 2020 8:47 pm


Originally Posted by bocastephen (Post 32759492)
....
So far, aside from Hawai'i, I don't believe United asks you if you are sick or not, or does it? ....

UA requires passengers to self certify their fitness / "Ready-to-fly" on Check-in, have done this since May/June. Believe most airlines presently require this.
United Airlines Asks All Passengers to Take Health Self-Assessment as Part of Check-In Process

Weatherboy Oct 19, 2020 11:32 pm

And then there's passengers dying of COVID in flight. So even is someone feels some symptoms, they're still boarding planes.

Woman in her 30s dies in-flight waiting to take off

emcampbe Oct 19, 2020 11:33 pm


Originally Posted by bocastephen (Post 32759492)
I believe this is happening every day and not just to Hawaii and not just on United. People who have symptoms and should know better, or who are known to be positive, are out there shopping, eating in restaurants, and flying on airplanes.

The best defense we have does not yet exist - an instant read test, much like a temperature check, that can determine someone's status, maybe like a breathalyzer which can be used before allowing someone in an airport, restaurant or any enclosed space. If you are informed of your result and then go back out to try your luck in public again (I'm talking to you, Orange County CA), then you get hauled off to a quarantine center to be held in a room until you are declared virus free.

So far, aside from Hawai'i, I don't believe United asks you if you are sick or not, or does it? I haven't flown UA since last Feb so I don't know what they are doing these days.

Yes, they do. At check in, there is a screen you where you have to self-certify that you haven't tested positive for COVID, haven't come in contact with someone who has tested for COVID, etc. That said, because it's up to the traveler to answer truthfully, it's pretty much lip service and tying to look like they care - without testing before departure, etc., who's to say it's not easy to just say no, no matter what.

I'm not sure what the penalty is if you lie and fly when infected or potentially so. But they do ask. You'd think people would be smart enough to stay out of the public if they were potentially infected, but let's face it, not all are. One (of many) good reasons not to fly at the moment unless it's absolutely necessary.

bocastephen Oct 19, 2020 11:49 pm


Originally Posted by emcampbe (Post 32759748)
Yes, they do. At check in, there is a screen you where you have to self-certify that you haven't tested positive for COVID, haven't come in contact with someone who has tested for COVID, etc. That said, because it's up to the traveler to answer truthfully, it's pretty much lip service and tying to look like they care - without testing before departure, etc., who's to say it's not easy to just say no, no matter what.

I'm not sure what the penalty is if you lie and fly when infected or potentially so. But they do ask. You'd think people would be smart enough to stay out of the public if they were potentially infected, but let's face it, not all are. One (of many) good reasons not to fly at the moment unless it's absolutely necessary.

But I assume there is no penalty for lying on the declaration and then being responsible for sickening other people, potentially fatally, without recourse aside from possibly being banned from flying United for some unknown length of time, nor will United, I assume, contact everyone who was on that flight and tell them they were potentially infected (not just a couple rows) nor would United disclose the name of that passenger without a court order, so someone needs to be sued first to force disclosure.

It's not a United specific problem, it's a broader travel problem that needs sharper teeth to improve compliance.

eng3 Oct 20, 2020 5:34 am

UA (and every other airline's) self-certification is simply another way to make the general public feel safer about flying so they go out and buy a ticket and take a trip. It also probably helps to cover UA's liability. I don't see this as any different than "security" personnel asking you if you packed your own bag.

As for knowing you have a contagious disease and exposing yourself to the public anyways, it is anyone's guess when it comes to legality. This would depend on the creativity and skill of the prosecutor and whim of the jury. UA is a private company that can do whatever they want. They could ban you for life or do nothing. I have a feeling any severe action they take would have a lot to do with (social) media coverage of such an event.

As for sitting next to someone that is COVID+ or has any contagious disease, you never know and it is a risk you take anytime you get on a plane or go out in public. The only way to be 100% sure is to stay at home and isolate yourself from everything.

fumje Oct 20, 2020 7:59 am


Originally Posted by eng3 (Post 32760131)
UA (and every other airline's) self-certification is simply another way to make the general public feel safer about flying so they go out and buy a ticket and take a trip. It also probably helps to cover UA's liability. I don't see this as any different than "security" personnel asking you if you packed your own bag.

As for knowing you have a contagious disease and exposing yourself to the public anyways, it is anyone's guess when it comes to legality. This would depend on the creativity and skill of the prosecutor and whim of the jury. UA is a private company that can do whatever they want. They could ban you for life or do nothing. I have a feeling any severe action they take would have a lot to do with (social) media coverage of such an event.

As for sitting next to someone that is COVID+ or has any contagious disease, you never know and it is a risk you take anytime you get on a plane or go out in public. The only way to be 100% sure is to stay at home and isolate yourself from everything.

There are laws in many states against knowingly spreading a communicable disease.

As regards to UA, I certainly hope they would make good on their 'loss of flight privileges' threat in that hypothetical.

Ilove2fly Oct 20, 2020 8:07 am

I believe that people who are tested Covid+ tend to be responsible and stay away from others and yes UA does ask you to check the boxes claiming your not a covid risk. However, the % of asymptomatic cases are fairly large especially for the young and healthy. These are also the people who are more likely to eat in restaurants and less likely to seek tests. I believe (just my opinion); if flyers diligently wear their masks, it is worth the risk to get on the planes and get where you need to go. Unfortunately, my last flight on UA, the people (on both side of the aisle) in the row behind me chose to talk loudly most of the flight with their face uncovered. During the 4 hour flight the FAs might have reminded them to cover their face 3 or 4 times. These passengers complied for maybe 10 minutes. Then, it was back to loud talking with the masks covering the chin. When they were not talking, their masks do not cover their noses. It is scary and frustrating to be less than 36 inches from the source of projecting spits.

Often1 Oct 20, 2020 8:10 am

Focusing in on OP's question, the simple answer is that if one is C19+, one may not fly. Whether there are criminal, civil or internal consequences is a different issue. Thus, in theory there is no person who knows that they are C19+ or displaying symptoms. This does not accommodate those who have not been tested, but are C19+ and asymptomatic nor does it take into account the intentional liars.

Thus, an imperfect solution, but it's all about risk and things that reduce risk are good.

Weatherboy Oct 20, 2020 1:03 pm

But other than allowing passengers to self-certifying all is well, it seems United really has no process for dealing with COVID+ on-board. No one has posted their experience with being caught-up in on-board contact tracing yet.

HNLbasedFlyer Oct 20, 2020 1:09 pm


Originally Posted by Weatherboy (Post 32761165)
United really has no process for dealing with COVID+ on-board.

United's responsibility is when health authorities inform UA of a positive passenger, is to supply the passenger manifest for contact tracing - for which contact tracing should be left to the health authorities. I don't see UA's responsibility in addition to the pre-flight questionnaire to be more than that.

HumbleBee Oct 20, 2020 7:27 pm

Not necessarily Covid related, but a passenger sitting next to me on EWR-FLL today had a seizure for the first time in her life.

A medic who happened to be onboard responded. When things calmed down, the FA used his tablet to document the incident & compensate the medic. After the FA choose the most severe category of assistance in medical emergency, the system gave him a $75 ETC.

cfischer Oct 20, 2020 7:44 pm


Originally Posted by HumbleBee (Post 32761919)
Not necessarily Covid related, but a passenger sitting next to me on EWR-FLL today had a seizure for the first time in her life.

A medic who happened to be onboard responded. When things calmed down, the FA used his tablet to document the incident & compensate the medic. After the FA choose the most severe category of assistance in medical emergency, the system gave him a $75 ETC.

:o


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