To inspire confidence in air travel and advance the industry’s recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, American Airlines earlier announced the launch of a preflight coronavirus (COVID-19) testing program for customers traveling to international destinations and Hawaii.
The initial launch, scheduled for Oct. 15 for passengers traveling from the airline’s hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Hawaii, will now also include passengers traveling to Costa Rica.
In the coming weeks, the airline plans to launch a testing program at its Miami International Airport (MIA) hub for passengers traveling to Jamaica, the Bahamas and Costa Rica. American is also working with CARICOM, an integrated grouping of 20 Caribbean countries, to expand the program to additional markets in the region.
Preflight testing for travel to Costa Rica
Starting Oct. 15, customers traveling from DFW to Costa Rica will have access to the airline’s preflight COVID-19 testing program, in partnership with LetsGetChecked, CareNow and DFW Airport. Customers will be responsible for testing costs.
American will offer three options for preflight testing to customers with flights from DFW to Costa Rica:
- At-home test from LetsGetChecked, observed by a medical professional via virtual visit, with results expected in 48 hours on average.
- In-person testing at a CareNow urgent care location.
- Onsite rapid testing, administered by CareNow, at DFW.
Customers traveling from MIA to Costa Rica will initially have one option for preflight testing, with more options becoming available after the program launches at the hub.
- At-home test from LetsGetChecked, observed by a medical professional via virtual visit, with results expected in 48 hours on average.
Testing must be completed within 72 hours of the final leg of departure. Tourists and Costa Rican residents who test negative will be exempt from the country’s 14-day quarantine. Negative test results must be uploaded to the country’s Health Pass.
“We applaud American’s efforts to develop a COVID-19 testing program for international travel and we are proud to partner with the airline to include Costa Rica in their initial launch,” said Gustavo Segura Sancho, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism.
“Initiatives like these are crucial for the recovery of tourism in Costa Rica, an important economic engine for our country, while ensuring passenger health and safety.”
American resumed its operation in Costa Rica in Sept. with service from its DFW and MIA hubs to San Jose (SJO). On Oct. 7, American will resume service to Liberia (LIR) from DFW and MIA, operating a total of 19 weekly flights to the country.
