United Airlines is currently only offering COVID-19 testing as part of a few pilot programs from select airports.
Passengers traveling from San Francisco International Airport to Hawaii can take advantage of drive-thru testing onsite at the airport to bypass the Aloha State's quarantine rules (
except on Kauai). Rapid antigen tests cost $250, and results are provided within about 15 minutes, while PCR tests run $105 and deliver results in around 48 hours. Testing is available by appointment only.
Passengers flying from Houston Intercontinental to select destinations in the Caribbean and Central/South America can arrange for an at-home, mail-in COVID-19 PCR test through United's partnership with ADL Health for $119 per test kit. The self-administered nasal swab must be collected and mailed back 72 hours prior to scheduled travel, and results are reported electronically within 24 to 48 hours. Eligible customers are sent information and instructions for purchase via email 14 days prior to their flight.
On select dates through December 18, passengers on United flight UA14 from New York/Newark to London Heathrow will receive free, onsite COVID-19 rapid antigen tests as part of a trial program. Advance appointments are required; results are delivered in approximately 30 minutes, and this testing is mandatory for passengers over the age of two to be allowed boarding.
More information on these programs is available here.