Alaska Airlines to Offer Rapid COVID-19 Testing for Hawaii-Bound Guests

“Our guests have been eager to return to the Hawaiian Islands and we’re excited to be adding more ways to safely get them there,” said Sangita Woerner, Alaska’s senior vice president of marketing and guest experience. “By assisting our guests with convenient testing options as they prepare for their trip, we’re working together to help keep each other, and Hawaii, safe.”

“Carbon Health is excited to partner with Alaska Airlines to support their guests with a safe, responsible way to fly to Hawaii,” said Eren Bali, Carbon Health’s CEO. “Our innovative COVID-19 pop-up testing clinics and dedicated rapid test offering to Alaska’s guests provide a hassle-free, convenient way for travelers to get tested and see their results within two hours. We look forward to our launch in Seattle and expansion across the West Coast in the coming weeks.”

Carbon Health utilizes the Abbott ID NOW rapid test, which meets the requirements of the State of Hawaii’s pre-travel testing program. The company will work closely with the Hawaii Department of Health to meet the state’s Trusted Testing Partner requirements. Testing will be available for all Alaska guests—of any age over three months old—as well as for travelers to the state of Alaska, which also has a 72-hour testing requirement.

Alaska Airlines will continue to share available testing options with guests, including the State of Hawaii’s trusted testing partners, as the airline continues to expand its list of testing providers. In addition, Alaska has been working closely with the Port of Seattle on developing future opportunities for on-site testing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

“We appreciate Alaska’s shared commitment in providing new health services to customers at SEA,” said Lance Lyttle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s managing director. “We all recognize that there is no one path forward for defeating COVID-19 and no one solution that will work for every travel situation. To help broaden the options for travelers, we will continue to explore the feasibility of partnering with a health vendor to provide rapid testing at the airport. Multiple measures and new partnerships like these are essential to achieving a safe and full reopening of our economy.”

With a continued focus on keeping our guests and employees safe, Alaska has implemented nearly 100 safety measures, as part of the airline’s commitment to Next-Level Care. The airline emphasizes a layered approach to safety, which starts with the requirement that all employees and guests wear a face mask or covering through the airport and on board, with no exceptions. Flyers must also enter into a health agreement at check-in to confirm that they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and will adhere to the mask policy. Alaska has also extended physical distancing on board by limiting the number of guests and blocking middle seats through November 30, 2020 and extended its flexible travel policy for all new ticket purchases, including Saver fares, through December 31, 2020.