United Airlines is teaming up with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic to “enhance” the airline’s cleaning standards with the goal to deliver an industry-leading standard of cleanliness. The new program is called United CleanPlus.
How United CleanPlus Will Promote Cleanliness
Clorox cleaning products will soon roll out at Chicago (ORD) and Denver (DEN) with additional hubs to follow. Expect the following safety precautions:
In 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 six feet rule at the ticket counters which allows for minimal contact between agents and customers.
- Deploying sneeze guards at key interaction points, including at our 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.
In the United Clubs:
- Protective sneeze guards installed at credentialing desks and customer services minimizing contact between guests and team members
- Enhanced safety and well-being by requiring the use of personal protective equipment
- Increased the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces and equipping employees 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 May 22nd, 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:
- Wrapped sanitizer wipe
- 8.5 oz. bottled water
- Stroopwafel
- 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.
- Masks will be provided if a passenger does not have one
- 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 a flight is expected to operate at 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.
We’re Already Seeing A Lot Of This…
The “all in one” snack bags and new touchless check-in kiosks are new. The other measures have already been implemented or at least announced. The partnership with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic is intended to lend legitimacy to the United’s effort to create a clean travel environment and alleviate passenger worries.
CONCLUSION
It’s still difficult to think the new permanent norm is going to be “sneeze guards” at check-in desks and no bar stools in the bar. But United CleanPlus is a clear indication that new safety protocols are here to stay and the partnership with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic suggest airlines, hospitals, and manufacturers see collaboration as smart business.
@ Matthew — Lipstick…
+1
The only positive outcome of this shutdown debacle will be cleaner planes.
Oh, and I love the limited plane loads deal. Just think of all the non-rev benefits they were throwing to encourage employees to accept furlough and now, voila, no boarding for non-revs on over 70% flights. Ha ha.
So that’s all fine and good PR. But when the passenger loads how do they KNOW that their seat and tray table has been disinfected properly? They don’t. If this partnership with Clorox is to make any impact, United needs to regain consumer confidence in cleanliness and then redouble those efforts by providing a Clorox wipe to each boarding passenger so that they opt to wipe their own tray table, armrests, controls, etc, once again, to their satisfaction.
Are these sneeze guards going to be armed? – Just asking.
A better idea – keep middle seats open for a couple more months. Don’t just pretend to.
So, what did they use before? Oh, never mind. They never cleaned before.