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U.S. Airlines Vow Refunds for People Turned Away for Fever

U.S. Airlines Vow Refunds for Passengers Turned Away for Fever

The trade group representing large U.S. airlines said its members would refund the tickets for any passenger denied boarding after being screened by the government for an elevated temperature.

Airlines for America has been calling on the Transportation Security Administration to conduct temperature screenings of all airline passengers as a way to help protect travelers from Covid-19.

The TSA said in a statement on Thursday evening that it hadn’t made any decisions about whether to conduct such checks.

“Temperature checks are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC amid the Covid-19 pandemic and will add an extra layer of protection for passengers as well as airline and airport employees,” the trade group said in a press release earlier Thursday, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Such screenings will also provide additional confidence that it is safe to travel, the group said.

The group didn’t say why it made such a promise when there is no widespread temperature screening in place for passengers now. A handful of airlines and airports are taking travelers’ temperatures on a trial basis.

Airline travel in the U.S. fell by more than 95% in mid-April as the government urged people to stay at home during the pandemic. It has rebounded somewhat, but remained 79% below 2019 levels in the past week, according to TSA data.

Airlines have taken multiple steps to reduce the risks of infection and improve customer confidence in recent months. On June 15, A4A members said they would take actions including barring people from flying if they refused to follow face-covering guidelines.

The federal government has declined to require any health-related actions related to airline passengers during the pandemic, relying instead on voluntary measures.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.