Major airlines and their COVID-19 vaccine policies for employees
How American, Delta, Southwest airlines' vaccine mandates compare to rivals
American, Delta and Southwest airlines haven't wavered on their respective COVID-19 vaccine policies for employees despite strict mandates that were recently issued by rivals.
These carriers are instead strongly encouraging their employees and, in some cases, even offering incentives for workers to get vaccinated.
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 14.52 | -0.12 | -0.82% |
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 63.82 | +0.20 | +0.31% |
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 32.36 | 0.00 | 0.00% |
A Southwest spokesperson told FOX Business that the airline is still strongly encouraging its employees to get vaccinated and to disclose their vaccination status to the company. Southwest didn't comment on any further incentives.
American is taking a similar approach, though the airline is going so far as to offer rewards to those who get the jab.
Team members who are inoculated will not only be "provided an additional day off in 2022," but they'll be given $50 through the company's employee recognition platform, an American Airlines spokesperson told FOX Business.
UNITED AIRLINES VACCINE MANDATE DRIVEN BY DELTA VARIANT, HOSPITALIZATION DATA, CEO SCOTT KIRBY SAYS
American CEO Doug Parker previously told The New York Times that he favors incentives, "but we’re not putting mandates in place."
Delta isn't either. The carrier's CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC it would be difficult to require employees or domestic travelers to get vaccinated until the vaccines receive full FDA approval. However, in May the carrier did mandate that all new hires in the U.S. need to be vaccinated.
By contrast, Hawaiian, United and Frontier Airlines have all issued mandates.
Hawaiian Airlines was the latest carrier to inform its employees of the new policy. In a memo sent by CEO Peter Ingram on Monday, U.S.-based staff members were told they needed to be vaccinated by Nov. 1, according to USA Today.
"Safety is the foundation of air travel, and it is ingrained throughout our operation and service," the memo reads. "This is no different. By getting vaccinated, we protect ourselves and those around us."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 96.83 | +0.48 | +0.50% |
| ULCC | FRONTIER GROUP HOLDINGS | 5.83 | +0.14 | +2.46% |
Last week, United and Frontier airlines issued their notices on the same day.
Frontier will require employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 or face "regular" testing for the virus.
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For United, U.S. employees need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 25 or five weeks after the Food and Drug Administration grants full approval to one of the vaccines – whichever date comes first. Otherwise, employees could face termination,
United CEO Scott Kirby said the "tipping point" for him was seeing the hospitalization rates for unvaccinated patients in addition to rising concerns over the delta variant.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.