United Airlines Teams up With Clorox for New Cleaning Protocols in Airports and Onboard

In an effort to assure customers going forward, United Airlines announced its new partnership with Clorox in its pledge to guarantee a safe and sanitized environment for passengers.

As part of the program — called United CleanPlus — Clorox products will be used in the gate and terminal areas at the airline’s hub airports, starting with Chicago and Denver.

United will also start handing out sanitizer wipes as passengers board, as well as focus on disinfecting high-touch surfaces such as armrests, door handles, bathrooms, seat-back screens, and seat belts.

“Safety has always been our top priority, and right now in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it’s our singular customer focus,” United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. “We recognize that COVID-19 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.”

United CleanPlus was also established with the help of the Cleveland Clinic.

“As the public begins to adjust to a world that’s been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety is of the utmost importance,” Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic, the CEO and president of the Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement. “We are proud to be part of this program and to share the knowledge we’ve gained as we’ve worked to contain and understand COVID-19 over the past several months.”

In addition to cleaning protocols, the airline will offer customers an “‘all in one’ economy snack bag,” which will include a bottle of water, a Stroopwafel, pretzels, and a sanitizer wipe starting May 22. This will be offered on all domestic flights that are 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer and will replace the normal offering of a drink and snack in economy class.

To further assuage passengers going forward, United has utilized touchless kiosks for baggage check-in, required customers to wear masks, and said it will notify people if their flight is likely to be full following backlash from a viral photo of a completely full United flight.