Japan Airlines Co. began offering discounted coronavirus tests to travelers Friday after teaming up with a medical institution in Tokyo, in a bid to ease concerns about infections and encourage customers to travel amid the pandemic.
Travelers booked on tour packages with the airline can take a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test from ¥11,000 ($105) prior to their trip, as opposed to the ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 typically charged to those without health insurance coverage.
They can obtain a certificate for a negative test result for an additional ¥5,500, which can be obtained after undergoing an online medical consultation.
Travelers who have not signed up for a JAL tour package can also request a testing kit through the airline's official website from ¥14,850.
Applicants are sent a saliva testing kit, which is then returned to the medical facility. Travelers are notified of their results within 24 hours by email.
Public health centers will be informed in the event of a positive test result.
Japan Airlines teamed up with Nishitan-Clinic in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward for the service.
The global airline industry has been navigating a severe downturn in demand for travel amid the pandemic. Japan Airlines said earlier this month it will suspend 6,722 flights scheduled for November, accounting for 26 percent of all domestic services originally scheduled. The company reduced the number of domestic flights by 40 percent in September and 36 percent in October.
