Airlines to require customers fill out health acknowledgement before flights

Airlines for America (A4A), a group that represents the major U.S. airlines, said on Monday that passengers will be required to complete a health acknowledgment form during check-in for a flight, adding that passengers who refuse to do so could be deemed unfit to travel.

The acknowledgment encourages passengers to evaluate their own health before traveling and will be required by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

The form asks the passenger if they are experiencing coronavirus symptoms, including a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, chills, muscle pain or sore throat. It also asks for acknowledgment that the passenger has not been in close contact with someone with coronavirus or symptoms of coronavirus in 14 days.

Major U.S. airlines announced earlier this month that masks are required on flights and customers who refuse to wear the protective gear could be placed on a do not fly list. The health acknowledgment will ask customers to confirm they will bring a face covering and wear it at the airport, on the jet bridge and onboard the aircraft.

This small step puts the responsibility for health screening before flights on customers. A4A has been pushing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin checking temperatures of customers and airline employees but the agency has not announced a decision on that measure.

A4A said last week its member carriers would refund tickets for any passenger who is found to have an elevated temperature during a TSA screening process if the federal government began temperature checks at airports.