American Airlines Offering At-home COVID-19 Test Option Before Flights to Select Caribbean Destinations

Editor's note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

American Airlines is expanding its preflight COVID-19 test program, allowing more travelers to easily conduct any mandatory tests before boarding their flights.

In partnership with LetsGetChecked, an at-home testing option, travelers headed to Belize, Grenada, and St. Lucia will have the ability to pre-test starting Nov. 16. The PCR test is taken at home, observed virtually by a medical professional. The results are available within about 48 hours, on average. Travelers are responsible for the $129 cost of the test.

“Our initial preflight testing has performed remarkably well, including terrific customer feedback about the ease and availability of testing options,” Robert Isom, President of American Airlines said in a statement on Monday.

Last month, American Airlines introduced a preflight testing program for travelers to Hawaii, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Costa Rica.

Starting Tuesday, the at-home program will apply to more flights to Hawaii, departing from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. The tests must be completed within 72 hours of departure in order to be exempt from the state’s 14-day quarantine policy.

Travelers to Belize, aged six and older, must complete the test within 72 hours of departures. They must verify their results upon arrival or take another test.

Travelers to Grenada must complete the test within seven days of departure and fill out a pre-travel form.

All travelers aged five and older to St. Lucia must take the test within seven days of departure and will not be allowed to board their flights without presenting the negative results and pre-arrival registration. Travelers will also be subject to a temperature test upon arrival.

Pretesting will once again expand in December, with options becoming available for flights from Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Philadelphia.

Travelers can purchase an at-home COVID-19 test through the American Airlines partnership online. Those who do not wish to take the test at home can still visit a testing center in person.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. When in a new city, she's usually out to discover under-the-radar art, culture, and secondhand stores. No matter her location, you can find her on Twitter, on Instagram or at caileyrizzo.com.