American Airlines joins Delta in welcoming all customers on COVID-tested flights to Italy
American Airlines follows on Delta's heels to become the second U.S. airline to offer quarantine-free flights to Italy for all customers.
According to American, it "has offered customers quarantine-free flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan (MXP) since April 2 and on flights from JFK to Rome (FCO) as of May 8. With the recent change in Italy's travel restrictions, any customers, whether traveling for leisure or essential business, are eligible to fly on American's flights from New York to Italy starting May 16."
While previously only available to those traveling for essential reasons, these flights now open the door to those itching to vacation in Italy.
To take advantage of these quarantine-free flights, you need to provide negative results from the required COVID-19 test before you fly. Upon landing in either Milan or Rome, you'll take a rapid test at the airport. As long as you receive a negative result, you won't need to quarantine in Italy. (If you test positive or arrive without test results, you are required to quarantine for 14 days.)
This differs from Delta's policy, which requires an additional rapid test taken at the airport just before boarding. The federal U.S. policy requiring that all passengers, 2 years of age and older, traveling to the U.S. from a foreign country must show a negative viral COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of departure before being allowed to board their flights remains in effect.
The move comes after Italy announced on Friday that it's ready to welcome all travelers flying on a COVID-tested flight from the U.S., Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. The policy change is effective from May 16 through July 30, per the Italian health ministry.
As travel restrictions to Europe begin to ease, the airlines are ramping up their schedules to accommodate travelers this summer. American offers daily flights between New York-JFK and Milan as well as three-times-weekly flights to Rome-FCO.
If you're flying from Dallas, American offers four-times-weekly service to Rome-FCO. While those flights aren't quarantine-free right now, American expects they will transition to that option in a matter of days.
United doesn't currently offer COVID-tested flights to Italy.
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