American Airlines offers at-home Covid tests for US travel

New York

American Airlines is about to start offering at-home Covid-19 tests to domestic fliers in order to help them meet various state travel restriction requirements, the company said.

According to a report from The Verge, the airline is partnering with direct-to-consumer home testing company 'LetsGetChecked', which will sell the tests for $129 on top of the cost of travel.

The at-home tests help travellers check off one of the most common travel restrictions that states have implemented, which is a negative test result either before departure or upon arrival.

It will also help customers get reliable access to testing, which is still hit-or-miss in many parts of the US.

American Airlines and LetsGetChecked are advising customers to make sure they know what's required of them when they land.

American Airlines previously offered at-home tests for travellers heading to international destinations with restrictions, like the UK, Belize, and Chile.

LetsGetChecked's test kits use a nasal swab, so customers will have to take a sample at home and send back through the mail (using UPS) to be run through a Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, test.

American Airlines is the first to offer access to at-home testing for domestic flights, the report said.