Thursday, June 11, 2020

 

The University of Iowa is monitoring reports and recommendations regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus from national and regional health agencies on a daily basis, and is taking safety precautions to detect and treat any potential case of the virus by following the latest guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health. 

For more information about this please go to Coronavirus Updates

Airline Travel Updates

The below information is for the major US Carriers.  For international travel that has been canceled, please call Destinations Unlimited and note that this situation is fluid and could change daily.

  1. You must cancel the ticket prior to travel or it will be of no value
  2. Travel must be booked by December 31st to be eligible for the penalty waiver window (200.00 reissue fee waived)
  3. Your ticket will still be valid for 1 year from date of issue, after Dec 31st the 200.00 penalty will apply.

AMERICAN AIRLINES
American Coronavirus updates
American travel updates

DELTA AIRLINES
Delta cancel change requirements
Delta Travel updates

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html
United is now waiving all change fees for tickets issued prior to March 2, 2020 for all travel (domestic and international) for original travel dates March 9-April 30 2020. As long as the flight was canceled there should be a flight credit for the traveler that can be utilized for future flights without additional fees.
UNITED AIRLINES:
 - New tickets must be reissued on/before December 31, 2020 or 12 months from original ticket date, whichever is earlier
 - Rebooked travel must commence within 12 months from the original ticket issue date
 - ORIGINAL TICKET MUST BE ISSUED ON OR BEFORE: March 2, 2020
United exception policy

DESTINATIONS UNLIMITED INC
Destinations Unlimited has provided the following update regarding the evolving coronavirus situation.

In light of the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we want to  reassure you that the University of Iowa’s travelers' health, safety and well-being is our top priority. During this time, we encourage our University of Iowa travelers to review University insurance policies to make sure travelers are covered for quarantines and medical evacuation, especially for international destinations and high risk areas.

We recommend that you monitor the State Department for travel restrictions at travel.state.gov and check the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s latest reports at cdc.gov as well as the World Health Organization here for up-to-date information. These will help guide the University to make the best decision based on your travel plans. If you have travelers in and around impacted countries, we suggest you prepare them to follow the CDC recommendations for health screenings and quarantines.

If you currently have travelers with airline tickets booked, encourage them to check the airline websites or contact our agency, if booked through us, for any waivers available.  We want you to remember that we are your advocate and monitor situations like weather disruptions, health situations or travel warnings that may impact your travel.  Please contact your travel advisor or visit our website www.duagency.com with any questions.

 

As the University of Iowa continues to monitor and prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak, we encourage members of the UI community to strongly consider deferring non-essential personal international travel during spring break and in the months ahead.

The Board of Regents suspended university-sponsored international travel for 30 days effective March 5. Find additional details in this FAQ.

If you do choose to travel internationally on a personal trip, please consider the below information and guidelines, which are intended to aid the university in supporting your health and safety.

  • Review CDC guidance on preventative measures you can take to stay healthy, as well as its specific health guidance for travelers.
  • If you choose to travel to a country with a CDC Level 3 travel warning due to COVID-19, you will be expected to self-isolate for 14 days upon your return (this means staying primarily indoors, avoiding direct contact with others, and not resuming social activities until the self-isolation period ends). Please take this seriously and follow all instructions you receive from health officials at your port of entry. In alignment with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the CDC, the university will also ask you to share your plans to self-isolate upon your return using this link. Find additional details about self-isolation on this page.
  • During a period of self-isolation related to personal travel to a country with a CDC Level 3 travel warning due to COVID-19, employees will be required to use vacation, comp time, or accrued sick leave if telecommuting is not a viable option. See additional details in this FAQ.

Carefully weigh the risks and benefits of any international travel, and keep the following in mind:

  • Countries you visit may decide to implement travel restrictions with very little notice, impacting your ability to return to campus.
  • Airlines may cancel/limit flights in or out of a country or region.
  • Additional quarantine or isolation measures may be applied by the U.S. and other countries. Re-entry to the U.S. could be restricted.
  • Please keep in mind that the CDC’s self-isolation policy could be extended to other countries as the outbreak continues to evolve.

If you choose to travel to an area with widespread COVID-19 transmission and develop a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call your healthcare provider or the UI Hospitals & Clinics Integrated Call Center (319-384-8442 or toll free at 800-777-8442) and inform them of your travel history and symptoms.

For continued updates on COVID-19, please see coronavirus.uiowa.edu.

We appreciate your diligence in taking preventative measures and hope you enjoy your spring break.