United expands Hawaii pre-clearance program

United’s pre-clearance procedure for customers in the mainland U.S. traveling to Hawaii has now been expanded to Guam and Micronesia. (UNITED)

GUAM—United Airlines officially announced at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam, that customers traveling from Guam to Honolulu who have a valid negative COVID-19 test can show their results before boarding to save time and skip document screening lines upon arrival. United is also making it easier to get the right tests to avoid Hawaii’s 10-day quarantine by making approved COVID-19 tests available to all customers traveling to the islands.

Currently, a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of departure is required to avoid quarantine. “We’re making it easier for our customers in Guam and Micronesia who are traveling to Hawaii to spend more time enjoying their trip and less time waiting in lines,” said Sam Shinohara, managing director of Airport Operation for Asia-Pacific at United.

“I am pleased that we are able to expand this procedure to Guam to make the Hawaii travel experience easier and more enjoyable.” To begin the pre-clearance program, customers will enroll in Hawaii’s Safe Travels program and complete Hawaii’s COVID-19 questionnaire within 24 hours from departure. Next, customers will use the Safe Travels website to upload their negative test results from one of Hawaii’s trusted testing partners which must be taken within 72 hours of their departure.

For Guam, the State of Hawaii has listed the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services and DLS+ as trusted test partners. At the Guam Airport, customers will see United team members at the gate for their flight to Hawaii where they will receive a wristband if they qualify to bypass airport screening in Hawaii. Customers who have been pre-cleared will be able to skip the mandatory test screenings in Hawaii and begin their trip as soon as they land.

Shinohara added, “Our team in Guam is committed to making this process as smooth as possible for Hawaii-bound customers. We are reaching out to the community to create awareness for Hawaii’s travel requirements so all travelers can be prepared to present their negative test results and pre-clear online. When they arrive at the check-in counter, customers will see a special Hawaii Pre-clearance desk, where our team members ensure that every passenger is prepared for arrival in Honolulu. For our transiting customers, we also have a desk set up at the departure gate to assist them before they board.” Earlier this year United has launched the same pre-clearance procedure for customers in the mainland U.S. traveling to Hawaii.

United has also made it easier for customers to obtain approved COVID-19 test options with the expansion of mail-in tests to customers no matter where in the U.S. their travel originates. The airline will notify customers in advance of their Hawaii trip to let them know what testing options they have locally. “Testing is the key to opening domestic and international travel so we’ll continue to lead the way in rolling out solutions to make our customers’ air travel safer and easier,” Shinohara said. “Our focus is to keep our customers and employees safe throughout their entire journey with us, and this is another step toward helping them to feel more confident about traveling again.”

Enhancing customer experience

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, United made numerous enhancements to its business that improve the travel experience and make the airline a better company. Earlier this week, United announced a new Travel-Ready Center in the United app and online where customers can review COVID-19 travel requirements, find local testing options, and upload any testing and vaccination records that their destinations require. This year, United also began allowing all customers to fly standby on another flight to the same destination on the same day for free, and all MileagePlus® Premier® members now confirm a new flight on the same day to the same destinations at check-in when space is available in the same fare class. Last year, the carrier eliminated most change fees, pledged to reduce its greenhouse gases 100% by 2050, and as a part of its United CleanPlus℠ program, teamed up with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic to guide its cleaning and safety protocols. Last spring, United extended MileagePlus Premier status to all customers through January 2022 and made earning status for the next two years easier for all MileagePlus members.

United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram, or connect on Facebook. The common stock of UAL is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL.”