KLM on Friday said it would begin offering COVID-19 tested flights to Atlanta, the latest example of a European airline adopting a testing strategy to increase passenger confidence in flying amid the coronavirus pandemic. The plans centre around the concept of conducting multiple tests so that travellers can have more trust that the chances they or others are carrying the virus during their voyage are small. Under the KLM plan, passengers receive one test five days before their flight, another shortly before the flight, and a third after landing. “Only passengers with negative test results will be accepted on-board,” KLM said. After testing negative again upon arrival at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, US and EU passengers travelling from Atlanta will be able to skip a 5-day quarantine in the Netherlands. The KLM flights from Atlanta to Amsterdam will run four times a week starting from Dec. 15, the company said, adding that it intends to adopt the system more widely if it is successful. “Until an approved working vaccine is available worldwide, this testing program represents the first step towards the international travel industry’s recovery,” KLM CEO Pieter Elbers said.<br/>
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Alitalia will offer Covid-tested flights between Rome and New York from Dec 8, the airline and the company running Rome's Fiumicino airport said Friday. The announcement follows a health ministry order issued late last month and in force until Feb 15 under which passengers flying between Rome and some US destinations either produce a valid negative Covid test - conducted within the last 48 hours - when arriving at the airport or are tested before boarding. On arrival in Italy, passengers undergo another coronavirus test, which, if negative, exempts them from the 14-day quarantine Italy imposes on incoming travellers. The quarantine exemption only applies to Italy, while restrictions on entry into the USprovided for by the US government remain in place. In September, in an effort to resume domestic travel after the first wave of the epidemic, Alitalia experimented with Covid testing on some flights between Rome's Fiumicino and Milan's city airport Linate, Italy's biggest hubs. However, the government progressively restricted movement between regions to tackle a second wave of infections.<br/>
Korean Air Lines said Monday it will begin charging additional fees on emergency exit row seats when booking international flights next year. South Korea's biggest carrier said on its website that optional fees will be charged on exit row seats with extra legroom, which are located in the front row of each section of the economy class, starting Jan. 14. Emergency exit row seats will be limited to passengers that satisfy the official safety requirements, and those who book the seats will be required to follow crews' instructions during emergencies, the airline said. Additional fees range from 20,000 won to 150,000 won (US$18.5-$138) depending on the place of departure. Seats for handicapped people and pregnant women, as well as passengers with infants, will be available without additional fees, it noted. Korean Air's price policy change is seen as a way to improve its revenue as airlines are grappling with weak passenger demand amid the pandemic.<br/>