As October 15 gets closer to Hawaii travel reopening, people and airlines are scrambling over how to test.
62 thoughts on “$250 COVID Airline Scam or Free + What About Kids?”
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As October 15 gets closer to Hawaii travel reopening, people and airlines are scrambling over how to test.
Comments are closed.
Just got off the phone with Kaiser Southern Calif – they have nothing in place for Hawaii pre-travel testing. Doctor said he’s read it in the LA Times and wondered where the governor got his information.
I am a Kaiser SoCal member and had a trip planned and paid for on Kauai. I was also informed by Kaiser that they do Not provide pretravel COVID tests for travel anywhere.
Hi, I have a question. Will Covid tests from other medical providers be accepted (i.e. Tahiti, for example, requires a RT-PCR test which is stricter, but doesn’t demand it to come from one specific provider). So does Hawaii tests need to be from CVS or Kaiser or is this simply an option?
Thank you so much.
Hi Thomas.
We don’t know yet but hope to have more answers on testing sooner than later. Thanks for your patience.
Aloha.
Good afternoon,
I read United’s announcement earlier today and I didn’t find pricing references. Recognizing airlines absolutely come up with ways to derive ancillary income, does Beat of Hawaii have insight in regard to the $250 figure referenced for testing?
Thank you for this forum and your continuing communication tied to many Hawaii travel-related topics.
Hi Kevin.
Not sure specifically what you’re asking about. The $250 is widely reported in the news and came directly from United. As to where your $250 goes, we’d suspect that United is getting a portion, but can’t say for sure.
Aloha.
Hello, it’s the Canadian again who wants to spend 6 weeks in Maui. After reading the Points Guy’s mail from today, I am seriously considering changing my flights and leave Toronto on the 14th, do the test at SFO, cough up the $500 for my wife and me and take the direct flight to Maui on the 15th. Health Hawaii has still no clue what to do with foreigners and even though I can get a test here, I don’t know if the test is accepted and if I can switch planes in Honolulu and have no quarantine since it is interisland travel. I have written to DOH and got a reply that they are working on it and to keep checking their website. The clock is ticking.
Gerhard – Canada & the US have agreed to restrict all non/-essential travel m, so I think you have a bigger concern.
Only Land and Sea Travel is restricted. Travel by Air is open. The Americans never stopped it.
This would be alot easier, if their were strict federal guidelines for travel. It seems to me that everyone traveling in the US should take a COVID test before departing. Maybe, if the federal government made these tests free, people would feel more comfortable traveling. This would make the need for more federal subsidies for the airlines a moot point. It would also take the onus off of state governments who are largely NOT equipped to make these decisions.
At least now we are getting some positive feedback regarding the testing protocol. I’m sure we’ll hear more as we get closer to the 15th. If it gets me on a plane to Maui, any reasonable fee for testing is acceptable .
Looking forward to being able to return to Maui and keep it safe for all residents and tourists.
Mahalo for the latest update!
Hi Keith.
Glad you are not deterred. Albeit slowly, we are getting more information. Thanks.
Aloha.
Thank you again BOH for the most timely and informative information, once again. Yesterday I spoke with my neighbor, who’s son is on a fishing trip in Alaska. We live in Utah, but prior to the trip, her son had moved to Southern California. As you know, Alaska requires a negative test 72 hours prior to travel (to avoid quarantine). As her son searched all around So Cal to find a test he could take and meet the requirement, he found only one place that was going to charge him $450 and couldn’t guarantee results in the time frame. He ended up flying to Utah, taking a saliva test with rapid results (15 minutes) for about $100, just hours before his flight to Alaska. We are lucky here, tests are available and affordable for travel. It doesn’t look like that kind of testing will be anywhere near ready or available for travelers from California, Oregon and Washington in the near future. Even though Oct. 15 is rapidly approaching, I’m wondering who will be able to come? I’m anxious to hear what experiences you hear about and see as we get closer. We have still postponed making any Hawaii plans until all the wrinkles are ironed out.
Hi Suz.
Thank you. We’ll keep looking for the most current and accurate information. With little time left to spare, we hope to have more to share very soon.
Aloha.
Suz C – It’s important to research these things for yourself.
There are rapid tests in Southern California for $125. Results back in 1 hour.
Hi Suz- I live in Southern California as well. Local Urgent Cares in OC area have a 15-minute rapid test for free; though my General MD says they are not very accurate. Maybe he needed a very specific kind of test to travel (?) This whole thing makes my head-spin!… the most accurate and reliable test is the blood anti-body test but that is after you have built up the anti-bodies…my daughter’s 3/5 college room-mates all tested positive for Covid and all with very mild symptoms (fever, little cough, loss of taste) & back to work within a week, the other 2 including my daughter tested negative twice- I think she already had it in February.
Dogs detecting the virus?? Now I have seen everything! Wish I was a trainer for those dogs. I am sure they would fetch a high selling price!
They have been using them in some countries to detect cancer for years.
I emailed VAULT, a company Josh Green mentioned in his Q and A on Friday, asking them if they would test children. I received this reply from them, “yes we do test children/minors long as a parent/legal guardian is present during the zoom call they will also have to be able to produce enough saliva to fill the tube
test results take 48 – 72 hours to process results once the lab receives the test kit” I hope their lack of punctuation doesn’t indicate a lack of accuracy in their testing. The time element is also a concern considering the time it would take to get the saliva to them.
The state of Hawaii is in a state of chaos and confusion. It’s really a difficult thing to watch the self-destruction.
Thank you.
These are the same ____ that were responsible for the missile alert. Why would we ever think that they could get testing figured out? My only hope is that Hawaiian airlines doesn’t fold because I have almost 150,000 miles.