United CleanPlus

United employee and the customer wearing masks | United CleanPlus logo | Clorox logo United employee and the customer wearing masks | United CleanPlus logo | Clorox logo United employee and the customer wearing masks | United CleanPlus logo | Clorox logo

We remain passionate about connecting the world safely. United CleanPlus℠ is our commitment to delivering industry-leading* cleanliness, plus putting health and safety at the forefront of your experience. We’re teaming up with Clorox to redefine our cleaning and disinfection procedures, and over the coming months, we’ll roll out Clorox products across our U.S. airports, starting in select locations, to help support a healthier and safer environment throughout your travel journey.

We’re dedicated to bringing the United CleanPlus commitment to you in three distinct ways:2

The first pillar of the United CleanPlus program is delivering industry-leading cleanliness. The second pillar is prioritizing your well-being. The third pillar is innovating for a healthier tomorrow. The first pillar of the United CleanPlus program is delivering industry-leading cleanliness. The second pillar is prioritizing your well-being. The third pillar is innovating for a healthier tomorrow. The first pillar of the United CleanPlus program is delivering industry-leading cleanliness. The second pillar is prioritizing your well-being. The third pillar is innovating for a healthier tomorrow.
 
The first pillar of the United CleanPlus program is delivering industry-leading cleanliness. The second pillar is prioritizing your well-being. The third pillar is innovating for a healthier tomorrow.
 
Cleveland Clinic logo

We're working closely with the experts at Cleveland Clinic to advise us on enhancing our cleaning and disinfection protocols for the safety of our employees and customers. Visit Cleveland Clinic’s website to learn more about COVID-19.

Cleveland Clinic logo

We're working closely with the experts at Cleveland Clinic to advise us on enhancing our cleaning and disinfection protocols for the safety of our employees and customers. Visit Cleveland Clinic’s website to learn more about COVID-19.

man carrying luggage icon

See what we’re doing to make every step of the travel journey safer for you. Still have questions? Text “Clean” to FLYUA (35982) to chat with our automated assistant and get answers to all of your questions about safety, cleaning, face coverings and more.

Disinfecting the cabin with electrostatic spray

Delivering industry-leading cleanliness

We’re leveraging the disinfecting expertise and suite of products from Clorox, the #1 trusted brand for powerful cleaning, to deliver an industry-leading standard of cleanliness. Together, we’re doing this by:

  • Disinfecting high-touch areas like arm rests, door handles, lavatories, seatback screens and seat belts.
  • Equipping employees with hand sanitizer and other supplies.
  • Providing hand sanitizer wipes as you board the aircraft.
  • Ensuring our aircraft cleaning standards meet, and in many cases exceed, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Visit Clorox’s website to learn about disinfecting tips, products and more.

We’re also continuing to enhance and improve our cleaning processes by:

  • Using electrostatic spraying to disinfect the cabin, floor to ceiling, on all aircraft before departure. See how
  • Using Ultraviolet C (UVC) lighting wands to disinfect sensitive components like switches and touch-screen displays in our pilot flight decks. See how
  • Using state-of-the-art high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on all United aircraft to circulate air and remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles. We’ll use these filters during boarding, throughout your flight and during deplaning. See how
  • Reducing touchpoints by temporarily shutting down self-service kiosks, asking you to scan your boarding pass and encouraging you to use united.com or the United app.
  • Installing sneeze guards at key interaction points like baggage and check-in counters.
Women wearing a mask

Prioritizing your well-being

We’re adjusting certain parts of the travel experience to address your health and safety by:

  • Requiring all travelers to wear a face covering during their entire flight unless they’re eating or drinking. We’re also requiring travelers to wear face coverings in the airport, including at United customer service counters and kiosks, United Club℠ locations, our gates and our baggage claim areas. Travelers who aren’t wearing their face coverings in the airport or on board may be refused transport and could also lose their travel privileges on future United flights. Before your flight, look over the FAQs about face coverings.
  • Adding a step to the check-in process that requires you to acknowledge you don’t have symptoms for COVID-19 and agree to follow our policies. Learn more
  • Introducing an “all-in-one” snack bag that includes a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water, stroopwafel and package of pretzels. For domestic flights between 1 hour and 2 hours and 20 minutes, you’ll receive this snack bag if you’re in a premium cabin. For domestic flights that are 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer, we’ll offer this snack bag to everyone on board.
  • Boarding fewer customers at a time and boarding back to front by rows after pre-boarding.
  • For regularly scheduled flights that are expected to be fairly full, letting you change your flight with no change fee or receive a travel credit for your trip. We'll do our best to contact you about 24 hours before your departure time so you can decide before you arrive at the airport. Please note the number of travelers on each flight may change.
  • Minimizing contact between our agents and customers by creating a 6-foot rule at ticket counters.
  • Providing pillows and blankets upon request on international flights out of our hub airports.
  • Introducing new policies and procedures at our United Club℠ locations. Learn more
Using Touch-less kiosk via smart phone

Innovating for a healthier tomorrow

We’re the only U.S. airline with a full-time, on-site medical director, who’s been providing guidance throughout the coronavirus outbreak. With their expertise, we’ll keep working to develop ways to create the safest travel journey in a rapidly changing world. Some examples include:

  • Using Clorox Total 360 Electrostatic Sprayers to disinfect gate areas at the airport.
  • Rolling out a touchless check-in process at select airports. Learn more
  • Developing tools to reduce the touchpoints throughout your travel experience.
  • Implementing temperature checks for employees at our hub airports.
  • Testing UV sanitation deployed by drones and hand-held wands, as well as an antimicrobial shield, for airport and aircraft surfaces.
  • Testing artificial intelligence that can assist with temperature screenings and crowd detection.
  • Rolling out antimicrobial technology on all of our aircraft to add an additional layer of disinfectant on board. See how

Keep checking in for more updates as we continue to analyze all aspects of the travel journey.

More information

Visit our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates page to find the information you need in once place, including how to change future travel, country-specific restrictions, important updates and more. You can also visit the United Hub to learn how we’re using our team, aircraft and route network to connect communities.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC and World Health Organization websites.

What you can do

According to the CDC, National Safety Council and WHO:

  • Wash your hands often – and thoroughly – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content as a secondary option
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
  • If you’re in a private setting and don’t have your face cloth covering, remember to always cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
  • Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed hands
  • Avoid close contact with others, especially those that are at a higher risk of getting very sick
  • Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Frequently asked questions

  • We remain passionate about connecting the world safely. United CleanPlus is our commitment to delivering industry-leading cleanliness, plus putting health and safety at the forefront of our entire customer experience.

  • There are three pillars, or commitments, that make up United CleanPlus: delivering industry-leading cleaning, prioritizing your well-being and innovating for a healthier tomorrow.

  • United CleanPlus is more than just our commitment to cleanliness — this program encompasses our efforts dedicated to the health and safety of our customers and employees.

    First, we deliver industry-leading cleanliness by demonstrating our continued efforts to enhance and improve our cleaning processes, such as state-of-the-art circulation systems and cabin sanitation. In addition, we’re prioritizing your well-being by addressing the overall safety and health of our customers and employees, such as practices adhering to CDC guidelines, reducing touchpoints and requiring face coverings. We’re also innovating for a healthier tomorrow by showing our progress and developments in creating the safest travel journey for all customers and employees in a rapidly changing world.

  • We’ve teamed up with the experts from Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to raise the bar in bringing you a safe and clean travel experience. We’ll seek input from our trusted partners on these new initiatives together to ensure we’re providing the best possible solutions.

  • We’re leveraging the cleaning and disinfecting expertise and suite of products from Clorox to continue our efforts to deliver an industry-leading standard of cleanliness.

  • As leaders in the cleaning and disinfection space for over 100 years, Clorox is working closely with us to institute an exemplary facilities cleaning program, redefine disinfection protocols and equip customers with amenities that support a healthy and safe environment throughout the travel journey.

  • Yes. As part of our partnership, we’ll be working closely with the experts at Clorox to identify and leverage their suite of products on surfaces throughout our travel journey where most effective.

  • We consulted with experts at Cleveland Clinic to provide guidance on the airline’s policies and procedures – from mandatory face coverings, to touchless kiosks, to social distancing – and ensure they meet or exceed industry standards. Medical experts from Cleveland Clinic will also advise on new technologies, training development and quality assurance programming.

  • For everyone's safety, all United travelers are required to wear a face covering with no vents or openings that fully covers both their nose and mouth. Face coverings should be worn during the entire flight, unless travelers are eating or drinking. We’re also requiring travelers to wear face coverings in the airport, including at United customer service counters and kiosks, United Club℠ locations, our gates and our baggage claim areas. A face shield alone does not count as a face covering. United representatives will have masks available for those who need one. Travelers who aren't wearing their masks may be refused transport and could also lose their travel privileges on future United flights. Learn more by reading our FAQs about face coverings

    Only children younger than 2 years old aren’t required to wear a mask in the airport or on board. Learn more on the CDC website

  • We’ve added a step to the check-in process called the “Ready-to-fly checklist.” You’ll be required to read this checklist, acknowledge you don’t have symptoms for COVID-19 and agree to follow our policies. Here’s how it’ll look when you check in:

    Ready-to-fly checklist

    As part of our United CleanPlus program and in partnership with Cleveland Clinic and Clorox, we aim to provide our customers and employees with a safe travel experience.

    To confirm that you’re ready to travel, please review the statements below, which follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. (Note that WHO and/or CDC guidelines may change in the future.)

    All travelers checking in acknowledge:

    • You must wear a face covering that fully covers both your nose and mouth during your entire flight, unless you're eating or drinking, for the safety of everyone. A face shield alone does not count as a face covering. Travelers who aren't wearing their face coverings on board may lose their travel privileges on future United flights. Small children, travelers with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from wearing a face covering, and those who cannot remove or put on a face covering are exempt.
    • You have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 21 days.
    • You have assessed yourself for COVID-19-related symptoms, and have experienced none of the following in the last 14 days:
      • Known temperature of 38 C/100.4 F or higher
      • Cough (excludes symptoms from a pre-existing condition)
      • Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing (excludes symptoms from a pre-existing condition)
      • Chills
      • Muscle pain
      • Sore throat
      • Recent loss of taste or smell
    • You have not been denied boarding by another airline due to COVID-19 exposure in the last 14 days.
    • You have not had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

    If anyone does not meet these criteria, we ask that you reschedule your trip. Please call 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) or your local Customer Contact Center for your options.

    This checklist may change as we continue to innovate for a healthier tomorrow.

  • Our automated assistant can answer your questions about our United CleanPlus program, airport cleanliness and safety, cleaning procedures for our planes, face coverings and more. Just text “Clean” to FLYUA (35982) and choose from questions or topics that you’d like to learn more about, and our automated assistant will send you answers.

    Messaging and data rates may apply, and the automated assistant can only be reached from a U.S. phone number within the U.S.

Footnotes

  • Among the four major U.S. airlines
  • Some enhancements may not be available at all airports or on all flights