United Airlines said on Wednesday it is preparing to furlough 16,370 workers on Oct. 1 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the airline industry.

United said that it eliminated change fees for people who buy a standard or premium economy ticket for U.S. travel.

Canadian travellers frustrated by vouchers from airlines are looking south of the border to get refunds for trips cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Air Canada has more customer complaints about refunds to the U.S. Department of Transportation than any non-U.S. airline.

The dispute between Washington and Beijing over airline service has been building for weeks and is part of broader trade and diplomatic tension between the world's two biggest economies.

In an order posted online, the U.S. Transportation Department noted Delta Air Lines and United Airlines want to resume flights to China in June, even as Chinese carriers have continued U.S. flights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said passengers on the United Airlines flight were "scared" and "shocked".

The Transportation Security Administration screened 94,931 people on Wednesday, a drop of 96 per cent from a year ago.

United said Wednesday that starting in April it will reduce passenger-carrying capacity 20 per cent on international routes and 10 per cent in the U.S.

"You should exercise a high degree of caution at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities," the Canadian federal government says.