New York Times, Jan 26, 2021 – Testing Requirement Is the Latest Curveball for the Travel Industry

New York Times, Jan 26, 2021 – Testing Requirement Is the Latest Curveball for the Travel Industry

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For an industry already decimated by the pandemic, the new testing requirement may cut into any business rebound.

“U.S. travelers had been showing growing confidence in travel, including a demand for international trips, prior to the new C.D.C. requirement that they must receive a negative Covid-19 test prior to re-entry,” said Meghan Moncrief, chief marketing officer at Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site. “This latest regulation exhibits the ongoing uncertainty of travel.”

Last week, United Airlines told reporters on its fourth-quarter earnings call that Mexican destinations were among the most affected by the new testing requirement for international travelers.

On its website and app, United now offers a “Travel Ready Center” feature to streamline the process for customers to fulfill travel requirements, allowing passengers to upload their test results to United before they reach the airport.

“Travel requirements are constantly changing and it’s a really challenging customer experience to understand what you need to do and where you need to go to get that information,” said Michelle Brown, the vice president for digital products and analytics at United. “We created a customized platform for customers based on their itinerary so that they can see what they need to do pertaining to the Covid regulations in the place they are traveling to.”

Read the full New York Times article online here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/travel/virus-testing-requirement-international.html