The move comes as companies are grappling with whether to require staff to get vaccinated or find a way to incentivize them get inoculated. United, Delta and American have offered extra time off or pay to employees who are vaccinated. Big employers like Walmart have taken similar measures. As we welcome new employees to the company, it s important we instill in them United s strong commitment to safety, the airline said in a note to staff.
The new employees will be required to upload their COVID vaccine card in My Info no later than 7 days post hire date, the airline said. The company added it will evaluate any religious or medical circumstances of candidates who can t be vaccinated.
Roughly 80% of United s approximately 12,500 pilots have been vaccinated, according to a company spokeswoman.
United s CEO, Scott Kirby, in January said he wanted to make vaccines mandatory for employees but so far the company has not made a decision. Rival Delta Air Lines last month said the vaccine would be mandatory for new employees. Both Delta and American have offered employees extra time off to get vaccinated.
United last month launched a contest with free tickets as the prize for customers who upload their vaccination cards to the airline s platform by June 22. The airline will hold drawings in June, selecting 30 winners for roundtrip tickets for two anywhere the airline flies. In July, five grand prize winners will receive one year of free travel for themselves and a companion.
By Leslie Josephs, CNBC •
Updated 27 mins ago
The TSA screened more than 1.9 million people at U.S. airports on Friday and Monday.
Volumes reached a pandemic high, but were still below Memorial Day 2019.
Higher numbers of travelers are boosting the price of a vacation.
Air traveler volumes hit the highest levels since before the coronavirus pandemic began during Memorial Day weekend, the latest sign of recovery for the sector.
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The Transportation Security Administration screened an average of 1.78 million people from Friday through Monday, hitting a peak of 1.96 million on Friday. Those volumes are more than six times higher than a year ago, but still 22% below Memorial Day weekend in 2019.