Updated June 28, 2022
If your looking for answers to questions about Real ID or just have general questions about TUS not related to COVID, please click either of these buttons:
No. As of April 18, 2022, it is your decision whether to wear a face covering at TUS. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has withdrawn the security directive requiring face masks be worn in airports and ended enforcement. Wearing a face covering is also no longer required for airport employees.
No. Face masks are not required on flights departing or arriving TUS. All airlines currently operating at Tucson International Airport have made wearing face masks optional on domestic flights. Be aware some airports and destinations, both within the United States and internationally, still require wearing a face covering so it’s wise to bring one in case you need it at your destination.
Check with your airline as this is changing rapidly. There are destinations, such as Canada, where you are still required to wear a face mask on your international flight. Other countries, such as Mexico and the United Kingdom, do not have that requirement. There is also the possibility an airline may not require that face masks be worn on a flight but the destination will require it when you arrive.
There are no requirements for a COVID test for domestic travel within the United States. Internationally, 68 countries have lifted all entry restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States regardless of vaccination status and another 66 countries allow entry without a test provided you show proof of vaccination. When returning to the United States, airline passengers are no longer required to take a pre-travel COVID test. (More on that in the answer to Question 5.)
The U.S. Department of State offers country-specific travel information here.
Among the countries that have lifted all restrictions for arrivals from the U.S. are: Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Maldives, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.
Countries requiring vaccination but no COVID-19 test for arrivals from the U.S. include: Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cook Islands, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Saint Martin, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turks and Caicos, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay .
As of June 12, 2022, a pre-departure COVID-19 test is no longer required to board an international flight coming to the United States. All travelers must provide contact information to the airline within 72 hours of departure listing their full name, address while in the U.S., primary contact phone number, secondary or emergency contact phone number and email address. (This information is to be kept by the airline for 30 days and turned over to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upon request.) Non-U.S. citizens ages 18 and older must also provide proof of vaccination and complete a form attesting they meet entry requirements. The CDC has more information here.
Unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens currently are not permitted to board international flights into the United States.
No, a COVID-19 test is not required to go through TUS.
Free rapid antigen tests, with same-day results, are available at the TUS Testing Center. PCR tests are no longer being offered at the airport. Test center hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Make an appointment here. The Testing Center in the TUS terminal is on the lower level, in baggage claim, near carousels 4 (Alaska Airlines) and 5 (Southwest Airlines).
If the TUS Testing Center does not meet your needs, the Arizona Department of Health Services has information on other testing sites here.
If your destination accepts the results of an antigen test, the answer is yes. If you are required to have a PCR or viral test, the answer is no as PCR tests are no longer available at TUS. The Arizona Department of Health Services has information on other testing sites here.
No, the vaccination clinic in the TUS terminal has closed. To find another location, you can search using the Arizona Department of Health Services website here.
If you find a flight at a fare you feel is reasonable, book it. Airline schedules have been reduced mostly due to staffing shortages and some flights are selling out quickly. Expect that fares will be higher than you have seen them in a while. Remember, too, airlines have eliminated change fees on all but their lowest-priced basic economy fares so in many cases you will be able to change your ticket later (more about that in the answer to question 14).
If there has been a consumer benefit that has come during the pandemic, it is that Alaska, American, Delta and United airlines have permanently ended change fees on all but their lowest priced basic economy fare tickets. Southwest Airlines does not charge change fees. Ultra-low fare airlines Flair and Sun Country are keeping their regular change-fee policies. In all cases, passengers pay the difference if the fare for the new flight is higher than the original fare.
For details on change policies click the link for your airline:
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Flair Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
United Airlines
Most airline travel credits issued in 2020 are expiring in 2022 so if you haven’t already used a credit it is crucial for you to be aware of your deadline. Review the credit confirmation you received from your airline for specific information such as your ticket number and the date of the original purchase or the date the credit was issued. Once you have that information, click on your airline’s name below for a link to begin making a new reservation. If you did not buy your ticket directly from an airline at TUS, contact the airline or service where you purchased the original ticket.
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Southwest Airlines – book a flight as you would normally do (search by dollars, not points) and select Travel Funds on the payment screen to apply your credit
Sun Country Airlines
United Airlines
If you require additional help, phone numbers and email contact information for the airlines at TUS are here.
Generally, do as you always would have done. Check-in for your flight remotely if you can and have your boarding passes either on your mobile device or printed when you arrive at the airport. (It is still possible to check-in at the airport, if necessary.) Make sure you comply with any COVID-related requirements for your destination. You can check current status of today’s flights at TUS here.
Although TSA is no longer enforcing the mask mandate as of April 18, 2022, several other changes have been put into effect during the pandemic. Among them, an individual can temporarily carry-on one larger liquid hand sanitizer container up to 12 ounces and food items in clear plastic bags. These items must be removed from your carry-on bag and screened separately. More about TSA changes on the TUS Security page here.
No, so far it has not been necessary to arrive at TUS earlier than normal in most cases at TUS as TSA wait times rarely exceed 15 minutes. Barring unforeseen circumstances or special requirements, arriving 90 minutes ahead of departure time should be adequate.
Yes. If you received your vaccination through a pharmacy such as CVS Health, Fry’s or Walgreens, return to the location where you received your most recent dose and they should be able to print a new card from their electronic records. State health agencies also track vaccinations through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Immunization Information Systems. To get a replacement card in Arizona, complete the form here and return it to ASIISHelpDesk@azdhs.gov. More information is at Arizona State Immunization Information System or call (602) 364-3899.
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