United Airlines Partners Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to Launch CleanPlus

United Airlines has partnered with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic to launch CleanPlus.

As part of the agreement, Clorox products will be used at United's hub airports and medical experts from the Cleveland Clinic will advise on new technologies, training development and quality assurance programming.

Clorox products will first roll out at United's hub airports in Chicago and Denver and will be used in the gate and terminal areas, with additional locations scheduled to follow.

United's new cleaning, safety and social distancing protocols include touchless kiosks in select locations for baggage check-in, sneeze guards, mandatory face coverings for crew and customers, and giving customers options when flights are more full.

"Safety has always been our top priority, and right now in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it's our singular customer focus," said United CEO, Scott Kirby. "We recognize that COVID19 has brought cleanliness and hygiene standards to the front of customers' minds when making travel decisions, and we're not leaving a single stone unturned in our pursuit to better protect our customers and employees."

To date, United has implemented more than a dozen new policies and procedures aligned with United CleanPlus that are designed with health and safety in mind, including:

Airport Lobbies

- Reducing touchpoints by temporarily shutting down self-service kiosks and beginning to roll out, in select locations, touchless kiosks that allow customers to print bag tags using their own device to scan a QR code.

- Actively promoting social distancing with enhanced signage, including a 6 ft. rule at the ticket counters which allows for minimal contact between agents and customers.

- Deploying sneeze guards at key interaction points, including at check-in counters.

At the Gate

- Boarding fewer customers at a time to allow for more distance during the boarding process, minimizing crowding at the gate and jet bridge.

- Asking customers to self-scan their boarding passes at our gate readers.

- Equipping employees with disinfecting products available so they can disinfect high-touch areas including armrests and handrails.

 United Clubs

- Protective sneeze guards installed at credentialing desks and customer services minimizing contact between guests and team members.

- Enhanced team member safety and well-being by requiring the use of personal protective equipment.

- Increased the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces and equipping team members with disinfectant cleaning products.

- Removed seating at the bar area to actively promote physical distancing.

- Pre-packaged food and beverages are only available at the bar area to reduce customer touch points.

Onboard Aircraft

- Beginning 22 May 2020, United will introduce an "all in one" economy snack bag that replaces the economy beverage and complimentary snack choice service on domestic flights scheduled 2 hours and 20 minutes or more. This bag will include a wrapped sanitizer wipe, an 8.5 oz. bottled water, a Stroopwafel and a package of pretzels.

- Enhancing cabin sanitization including electrostatic spraying, which will happen before every flight starting this June.

- Requiring all employees and customers on board to wear a mask or face covering, helping protect each other.

- Supplying individually wrapped hand sanitizer wipes to customers as they board.

- Limiting advance seat selections where possible and allowing customers to take alternative flights when we expect a flight to operate over 70% capacity.

Behind the Scenes

- Implementing employee temperature checks before the start of their workday, better safeguarding their health as well as their teammates' and customers'.

- Employees are producing hand sanitizer that is being used throughout the airline.

See latest Travel News, Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: COVID19, Clean, United Airlines.