(TAN): United Airlines has announced that customers will be required to wear a face covering in the more than 360 airports where the airline operates around the world. This includes United customer service counters and kiosks, United Club locations, United’s gates and baggage claim areas.
If customers refuse to comply, they may be refused travel and banned from flying United at least while the mask requirement is in place. This will be effective for all customers traveling on and after July 24 regardless of when their ticket was purchased, the airline said.
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United also will strengthen its mask exemption policy by only excluding children under the age of two. If a passenger believes that there are extraordinary circumstances that warrant an exception, they should contact United or speak to a representative at the airport.
In early May, United was the first major US airline to require flight attendants to wear a face covering and later extended that policy to all customers. And in June, the airline was among the first US carriers to say it would suspend flight benefits of passengers who refused to comply while onboard.
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“The most important thing any of us can do to slow the spread of the coronavirus is to simply wear a mask when we’re around other people,” said United’s CEO Scott Kirby. “A mask is about protecting the safety of others, and I’m proud of the aggressive and proactive steps United Airlines has taken to ensure people are wearing a face covering in the airports where we operate and onboard the aircraft we fly.”
