United Airlines announced Monday it is incentivizing travelers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by entering inoculated customers into a raffle to win free flights for a year.
New of existing members of the airline’s MileagePlus loyalty program can upload vaccination information to the United mobile app if they would like to be entered “to win free flights for a year’s worth of travel,” according to a new press release.
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“We’re proud to do our part to incentivize people to get their shot,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Thanks to the vaccine, more and more destinations are opening up for travel — and we know our customers are eager to fly.”
“We’re excited to give people one more reason to get vaccinated so they can reunite with friends and family or take that long-awaited vacation which all could be just one shot away,” he added.
Participating travelers have upload their records by June 22.
The airline announced it will be giving away 30 pairs of roundtrip flight tickets for two people in first class — or any other class — to any destination it has flights to in June of this year.
In addition, United will announce on July 1 five randomly selected grand prize winners who will receive a full year of travel for themselves and one guest.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its guidance, stating it’s now safe for fully vaccinated people to stop wearing masks. It appears, though, United will continue requiring all passengers to wear masks in accordance with the order President Joe Biden signed in January, mandating face coverings in all airports and on airplanes.
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In late April, Biden extended the mask order until Sept. 13.
News of the giveaway comes as the Federal Aviation Administration has issued more than $60,000 since the beginning of the year.
The agency announced Monday it has documented some 2,500 unruly passenger incidents in 2021. Nearly 2,000 of them centered on passengers refusing to wear face masks while onboard an airplane.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in March he planned to indefinitely extend the agency’s “zero tolerance policy” on unruly travelers. Furthermore, the FAA announced Monday it has proposed new civil penalties ranging from $9,000 to $15,000 against five passengers for disruptive and abusive behavior.
Three of the passengers — facing $15,000, $10,500, or a $9,000 fines — were each allegedly in violation of the federal mask mandate, according to the Washington Examiner. The highest fine was given to a traveler who allegedly shoved a flight attendant tasked with ensuring passengers were wearing face coverings.
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