By Benjamin Pham
United Evolves “CleanPlus” Program With Extended Mask Policy
The passengers’ air travel experience is currently being transformed due to the ongoing global pandemic, and changes are being made in every part of the traveler’s journey as time progresses. For instance, United Airlines has officially declared that its customers must now wear masks in the more than 360 airports where the carrier operates flights.
United is the latest in the growing number of major carriers to enact its mask policy in the airport, in addition to refusing passengers and possibly banning them from travel if they do not obey the mask requirement. While continuing flight operations, the Chicago-based carrier has dedicated its efforts to ensure its passengers and crew are safeguarded while onboard.
Scott Kirby, United’s Chief Executive Officer, commends the airline’s continuing efforts to safeguard its passengers onboard the aircraft, while effectively meeting their travel needs once they are prepared to return to skies for their travel plans.
“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,” Kirby said. “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.”
United’s new, extended mask policy is a part of the further development within its CleanPlus program that the airline has unveiled earlier in the year to deliver an industry-leading standard of cleanliness and safety, in partnership with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic. The carrier is exclusively using Clorox to enhance its cleaning program, provide cleaning amenities to passengers and redefine disinfection procedures while partnering with Cleveland Clinic for guidance on the airline’s procedures and cleaning practices.
James Merlino, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer for Cleveland Clinic, describes the valuable importance of the airline’s extended mask policy, as the partnership with Cleveland Clinic evolves and further progresses, while United moves forward with more flight operations,
“United’s extended face mask policy adds another layer of protection for travelers, even before they board an aircraft,” Merlino said. “Wearing a face mask is an incredibly simple measure that we all can take to help slow the spread of COVID-19. They act as a barrier to keep respiratory droplets from entering the air, where someone else could breathe them in and possibly become infected. The more people that wear masks, the less risk there is of others being exposed to the virus.”
Benjamin has had a love for aviation since a young age, growing up in Tampa with a strong interest in airplane models and playing with them. When he moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Benjamin took part in aviation photography for a couple of years at Gravelly Point and Dulles Airport, before dedicating planespotting to only when he traveled to the other airports. He is an avid, world traveler, having been able to reach 32 countries, yearning to explore and understand more cultures soon. Currently, Benjamin is an Air Transporation Management student at Arizona State University. He hopes to enter the airline industry to improve the passenger experience and loyalty programs while keeping up to how technology is being integrated into airports.