Let’s face it, traveling long distances anywhere during COVID is a challenge, and flying to Hawaii is no exception. But you don’t need to encounter problems like quarantine on arrival. We will tell you how to avoid it and share some of your experiences from the huge number of comments we have received.
Remember trip insurance? In this case, “cancel for any reason,” is probably not going to be of help. That’s because if you buy it, your trip needs to be canceled at least 48 hours before departure. And since test results will be delivered after that, it won’t be of use if you did not get the results in time.
BOH: Probably the best travel insurance you can get is making sure you test with an approved partner that guarantees results within the specified time.
You pay thousands of dollars for a Hawaii vacation. Please don’t end up in quarantine or having to return to the mainland without ever enjoying our beaches. Take the time to research how to make today’s taxing test requirements work for you and not against you.
Alaska Airlines’ pre-arrival testing takes care of much of this for you since you’ll have all procedures completed and can expect a hassle-free experience when landing in Hawaii. We do expect that service to be expanded to the other airlines serving Hawaii shortly.
Beat of Hawaii’s Top 5 Ways to Avoid Quarantine and Hawaii Travel Stress.
1. Only use currently approved trusted partners. Even then, check both the state’s website and the trusted partner websites. For example, Safe Travels continues to list CVS pharmacy as a trusted partner. However, the CVS testing website clearly states, “We cannot guarantee a specific turnaround time on the lab tests accepted by Hawaii – travelers to Hawaii should make other testing plans.” Simple, do not use CVS.
The Vault website says not to use their solution when traveling on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. “Due to no Sunday UPS shipping and an increase in UPS holiday traffic, we encourage passengers to look for a local testing solution if traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the remainder of the year.” BTW, Vault provides a chart showing when you test and when you mail based on travel day.
As another example, Carbon Health (many cities) provides test results the next day, albeit slightly more costly.
2. Choose approved tests that offer the fastest, guaranteed turnaround, not something that states 3 days. For in-person testing, be sure that the maximum turnaround will keep you well within Hawaii’s rules. The test must be taken within 72 hours before the mainland to Hawaii flight, and you need the results before you travel.
3. Use approved test types. The state requires a PCR type of NAAT test. Not a rapid antigen test. Be sure you are getting a Hawaii-approved test only.
4. When using mail-in tests, pay close attention to potential shipping issues. Calculate both the time for the results to be processed by the lab and the time for shipping to them.
5. Determine testing availability and reservation procedures for your selected vendors. Please don’t assume you’ll be able to get a test when you need it without ascertaining that in advance.
Following are some recent comments from you about what worked and what didn’t. We hope to add you to the thumbs up list.
Thumbs Down:
Karen: “I had a test done before I left at the ER of a local hospital in San Luis Obispo, CA. No, it wasn’t a Partners Certified lab, but the test was a NAAT type test, and it came out negative. It was (not) accepted at the airport in Hawaii so I’m in quarantine… They should have a test in HI for arrivals.”
Hazel: “We have traveled to Hawaii and have been made to quarantine for 14 days even though we took a Covid 19 test and results were negative upon arriving in Honolulu. We aren’t having a positive experience by being locked in a hotel room. This is no way to treat visitors who didn’t know you had specific trusted partners that you have to be tested with.”
Lori L.: “After doing everything right with Safe Travels and crossing our fingers, we were sitting in the parking lot of airport with bags ready to check when no results came, (95hrs it took!) and we were forced to cancel 1 hour before flight. Even with moving our flight out 6 hrs! We were so disappointed, exhausted, stressed, despondent and in shock. Some things were refunded and some things were not, and for not fault of our own!
AB: “So I did what the Walgreens website said to do, …(and took) the proper test plus another test to be sure, both negative. I rented a car and traveled 20+ hours. Only to be put in quarantine 14 days. Unable to cancel the car, and leaving the state… I’ve been trapped in paradise in my sons apartment unable to even go to the beach with him. I’ve never been more defeated or depressed in my life.”
Thalia: “The state of Hawaii placed… me in quarantine for our 7 day vacation because they would not accept 2 negative covid test results performed by the state of Rhode Island… Shouldn’t it be the labs? I left in 24 hours and went someplace I was welcomed. I will never go back.”
Thumbs Up:
David O.: “We are here and followed the protocol. No problem. We got the Abbott now rapid test for AFC urgent care. Results in 3 hours. Don’t bother with a test that takes days. The state accepts this rapid test. Never a worry as we had results the same day. All you do is find a place on the list that does rapid tests and you’re good.”
Brad: “I don’t know of a single person who followed the Costco/Azova instructions and didn’t get their test back in time. The reviews on Costco’s website are tainted by people who didn’t follow instructions. Frankly, in most cases, it’s abundantly clear they didn’t even read them!!!”
Ethan H.: “Did our test through Carbon Health 2 days early, got the results back within 24 hours… Alaska pre-screening stuff avoided any line when we arrived. Once at the resort it’s been a slice of paradise. In general folks are very welcoming and accommodating.”
Kathy P: Got our results in time using City Health Urgent Care in San Francisco… We opted to pay the $120 to get our results in less than 24 hours. Fortunately I had made the online appointment almost 2 months ago otherwise they are booked out into January. We actually got our results (this was last week) in 8 hours. Sooooo happy we made it and are having a great time. No negative experiences. We love Hawaii!”
Craig S.: “We read everything the State posted regarding testing, quarantines, and the like… Here we are and to us, it was worth all the hassle and uncertainty… Hawaii is such a wonderful place and the people here and their hospitality, are second to none.”
Patty: “We used carbon a week ago before our flight to Honolulu… excellent service, quick results ( less than 24 hours) You’ll be good to go.”
We look forward to hearing about your experiences.
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Please pick an on-site testing place. We used AZOVA (and yes, WE FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES, ignorant commenter above who presumes that people didn’t do so who it didn’t work for). All we got was excuses and no help whenever we did some digging (through UPS, not AZOVA) to find out that our tests wouldn’t even be RECEIVED on time. Why? Weather and NJ. We live in freaking Seattle, and they send the tests all the way to Jersey. If that isn’t a major liability, I don’t know what is. They offered no other solutions, no sympathy, no refund. AZOVA sucks. If you want to be able to go to Hawaii, book an on-site test (where they’re not sending your test to a lab hundreds or thousands of miles away.) We are currently waiting to do our Carbon on-site testing, which is a little more expensive, but the processing is on-site. AZOVA is garbage. Don’t use it.
UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS POST
Your advice about Kaiser made me change my mind about where to get our Covid test. We used Alaska Airlines’ partner Carbon Health (on the approved list). So easy! The five of us went to three different airports for our test 72 hours prior. Each of us got our negative test results within 24 hours!!! In the correct format for Safe Travels Hawaii! Thank you for this forum and for your guidance.
Hi Tonya.
That’s great to hear. Thanks for the update and glad to know that Carbon Health worked out great.
Aloha.
As o 128 carbon health wax out of the program in wa. Oy doing pre employment tests.
Hi all!
Apparently there is a question on the Safe Travels health questionnaire needing to be filled out 24 hours before departure, that asks if you have traveled out of your home state recently. Does anyone know if that would keep you from getting an exemption from the quarantine even with a negative test result and everything else in line? Lots of people are still traveling or have layovers. Just curious what is targeted with that question. Thanks!
When we came back to Kauai in early November, we had spent a week in California beforehand, and a week in Arizona before that. I think we put them both down, I can’t remember. I don’t know why they bothered to ask, since there was no stated “Safe Travels” rule that treated people differently depending on where they were traveling from. I know that has been a thing elsewhere. They also asked if you’ve had a flu shot recently, but again I don’t think it matters. Maybe they are just collecting some data.
If I have a layover in Honolu but fly to OGG on the same day, does that change the 72 hour requirements?
Do I need to count 72 hours from leaving to Maui or 72 hours from departure of last leg on main continent?
BOH, one pointer for your readers that I hadn’t seen before (might have missed it)- You need to enter all your data and upload results etc. for EACH LEG of your trip if you aren’t flying direct from the mainland. We flew to Kona via Maui because Sacramento doesn’t have any direct flights anymore. ☹️ We had to go through the testing approval in both Maui and Kona, and you have to have a QR code for each flight. We had only uploaded everything for our Sac to OGG flight, so when we got to Kona we had to step out of line and go upload everything again to get a QR code for the flight from Maui to Kona. It wasn’t a big deal, we weren’t alone in our confusion about this, and of course all the staff were super helpful and nice, but it would have been nice to have done it in advance. Thanks for all you do to keep travelers informed!
Hi Kim.
Thanks for your comments, and for this important information. We will make a point of highlighting that in the future.
Aloha.
We were in Maui last week and Oahu this week. Have had a great time. Since we stayed in Maui first, we only needed the single test before we left. We used the Walgreens rapid test (ID Now) and had our results in about 30 minutes. For some reason, Walgreens does not offer this test anywhere in CA, so we had to drive to NV to take it. 30 minute wait in Maui to check Safe Travels docs and no check when entering Oahu inter-island
I live in Michigan. Where do I go to get a test that I can be sure will be back in time regardless of the cost?
We did mail-in Vault test and got our results in 30 hours. We flew on a Saturday, so we didn’t run into the issues for Tuesday/Wednesday flights with Vault. If you go with Vault, be sure to let the Vault observer know you are flying to Hawaii and they will give specific instructions to get your test results expedited. Good luck. Wish we were still on the Big Island.
I’m on the American Airlines site right now and they say that they use LetsGetChecked at-home test or CareNow rapid testing which are approved for travel to Hawaii. Neither of these appear on the list of “trusted partners”. Is American delusional or am I missing something?
Do you have feedback from anyone who has used the American Airlines testing?
Are you flying to Hawaii or planning to fly around with American? The question is: what does HAWAII require? There is a portal that provides the information needed for travel hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/
We are here in Maui. We flew Alaska and followed their protocol. We used their partner provider Carbon Health and got our negative results. We flew out two days later. The check in at the airport took a few extra minutes to review the documents. We were nervous because any hiccup could cancel our trip. We had all the boxes checked and sailed through. The flight was nice because it was about 30% full. Upon arrival we had our wristband on and went through the check process in about 30 seconds. All in all, there were extra steps but nothing that was impossible. And now we are enjoying Maui and trying to support the local economy!!
We travel next week. This is so nerve-wracking! Five in our party, three of us have appointments for Kaiser tests on time. The other two don’t seem to understand the need to follow the rules exactly. No, you can’t drive through the testing site at the fairgrounds! No, CVS will not guarantee results on time!
An enjoyable family vacation is tainted by pre-travel stress! If the testing window was 96 hours, and the number of Trusted Testing Partners was expanded, that would make a huge difference in making it easier to get to Hawaii.
Thank you so much for keeping us all up-to-date, and especially for sharing the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down experiences.
Hi Tonya.
Thanks. Please let us know how it goes. Kaiser unfortunately is not recommended, as we have had many comments saying their testing to results time frame is not reliable at this point. We’d definitely suggest you change to another in-site provider for a fast PCR test. Vault mail-in could work, but the week before Christmas seems dicey due to UPS overload.
Aloha.
Ack!!! More stress and uncertainty! Please Governor Ige change it to 96 hours!
I would recommend whatever partner your airline recommends. We did not use Kaiser because they would not guarantee test results. Kaiser said they would reimburse the expense of going to an outside provider but Im not holding my breath. Good luck.
Alaska said carbon health which is no longer doing the tests. And yes that love of cost is ave bonus and stk buy backs means they hire ppl that don’t update the website which says you can get test at the Northgate Mall.
“Five in our party, three of us have appointments for Kaiser tests on time. The other two don’t seem to understand the need to follow the rules exactly.”
Sounds like there will be three in your party.
airline
Dont get on the plane unless you [1] are flying to an island that is not Kauai, [2] have your negative test results [3] from an approved test type [4] administered by a trusted partner listed on the Hawaii Safe Travels Website, that [5] was taken no more than 72 hours before your departure time. Read all these comments on this blog from people who skipped one of these 5 keys.
Another commentor had great advice – dont book a trip other than with everything fully refundable/cancelable at the very last minute. Do not advance pay for a rental car or hotel. Be mentally prepared to to cancel if your test results dont get back in time, like the woman in the airport parking lot. That is still way better than wasting your time flying out, being locked in a room and flying back. You can lock yourself in a room at home, if you are into that sort of thing.
Don’t count on Kaiser! You’ll have to reschedule your whole trip like we did because your results won’t be released in time. They’re completely overwhelmed and travel testing is not a priority right now.
It seems that the state of Hawaii only cares about certain people
Traveling to Hawaii. We live in Georgia and it looks like Walgreens is our only testing option. They too have posted they cannot guarantee tear results for travel purposes!! So now what? I see something about testing at the Oakland Airport where we leave the mainland. That may be our last straw before our entire vacation is trashed!! And keep in mind we are not coming for 5 or 7 days but 25 days! That is one heck of a vacation to flush down the toilet.
Of course things keep changing and maybe they will change to help the traveler? Poor Hawaii…how many years will it tak for you to recover?
Thoma, you make note of the fact that your vacation plans are for 25 days. Being subjected to the new 10 day travel quarantine wouldn’t completely wreck your vacation. You could still travel to Hawaii, isolate for the 10 days which is still the safest method to prevent spread of COVID and then have 15 days to spend enjoying Hawaii.. Just a thought a different way to look at things.
Also, I think the State of Hawaii cares about attempting to keep COVID rates low in the islands and doesn’t care if the traveler is a returning resident or a visitor and where they started their travels from…
Sarah R is right, you are perfect for Kauai! Use your first ten days here to quarantine at a bubble resort where you can roam the resort, use the pool, and build your tan so you don’t have that pasty white look that most tourists have when they get here fresh off the plane! Then, after quarantine, enjoy your two weeks of freedom here!
We planned this trip for the last year. Did everything right including restricting our contact with others, and ordering our tests through Costco, a trusted testing partner. But Kauai closed with the 14 day quarantine anyway and we were forced to cancel our trip. Enjoyed 10 days spending our money in Jackson WY rather than helping Hawaii’s economy. Too bad for The people of Kauai.
Kim, your comment caught my eye. We have been at our Kauai home since early November, but our mainland home is in “Wydaho” (near Jackson). This past summer was record number of tourists. Most visitors GTNP has ever had. Downtown Jackson was like downtown Disneyland, and to be avoided at all costs. People wanted out of cities (for obvious reasons), and the entire west coast was on fire or otherwise choking in smoke. Was a warm dry summer, which also increased the usual weekend crowds from SLC.
But, it’s “butt cold” there now, hiking trails are under snow, fishing is only for the very hard core, and unless you spent all that those 10 days on sketchy early season skiing/snowmobiling, I don’t know what the heck you did for 10 days in Jackson other than stay inside. Glad to hear you had a good time. Just checked our web cam, and is is dumping snow. Here on the island, it is dumping partly cloudy with a light breeze and sunshine upper 70s.
Seems like some sort of contest going on here, but I’m not sure what it is. My daughters live in Jackson (going on 20 years there) and love it. I live in San Diego and love it. I used to live on O’ahu and loved it. To each his/her own, and there’s a time for every place.
No contest, was just coincidence that we fled Jackson for warmer climes Hawaii, and her alternative to Hawaii was Jackson this time of year. Very different types of vacations. That’s all.
My daughters live in Jackson (going on 20 years there) and love it. I live in San Diego and love it. I used to live on O’ahu and loved it. To each his/her own, and there’s a time for every place.
Yes. I believe you. I thought I replied? I was not saying Jackson is not a great location to live, it’s just an odd substitute for Hawaii, especially this time of year. That’s all I was getting at. We live on the other side of the Tetons, but still in Wyoming, just over the state line from Idaho. But, for me to get my wife to agree to live there, we are in Kauai for 3 months in winter. I still ski, but she hung them up, and to her, the snow and cold (especially when its May) gets old.
I’ve tried to post the following, but it was immediately removed:
“My daughters live in Jackson (going on 20 years there) and love it. I live in San Diego and love it. I used to live on O’ahu and loved it. To each his/her own, and there’s a time for every place.”
Is there something offensive about this?
Hi Dave R.
The prior comment is there too. Nothing was removed. All comments go through manual moderation.
Aloha.
Apparently the State of Hawai’i values their citizens’ lives over your money. Many would say they are doing the right thing.
The testing reality is as off last week only discover health and maybe kieser have a chance in hell of meeting the HI rules and deadlines. Carbon health no longer does the tests (too many requests for pre-employment. Wallgreens does in theory but you have to wait days to be tested and zero certainty of meeting the 72 deadline. It’s basically uwmc’s world leading lab with insanely fast test turn around time that really has a chance of getting a result in 24 hrs. I did a test the wk before as required for a medical procedure but couldn’t use that result as the verbage and didn’t have the HI seal on the test result. Going through the process in Kona was ok, temp check, show your safe travels qr code, then have that and your test ltr out for inspection. Your car rental firm, hotel will also need to see your negative result so have them ready (seperate tab in broswer, download and open in Acrobat). Vibe was way more chill then some of the scary karen stories coming out of hi media would have you believe. They do need to accept test results from more places, and waive all of it if you have your 2nd vac if things are to ever get back to normal. Hotel told me tons of cancels bc can’t get tested. Still thinking I would have had an easier time going to Tahiti even though they require 2nd test but accept tests from more labs. The fact that you can rent a car for $28 / day all up, speaks to the low level of travel to hi. Vegas in Apr was like $14.
delightful! Used Vault, I did my test almost precisely 72 hours prior to my flight on Hawaiian Airlines as they are always on time. I received my test results in less than 48 hours and was good to go. My husband and father in law joined me a week later using the same process. No problems. We had a delightful time and made some much needed repairs to our home.
Thanks BOH – wondering why you would state “you can still visit Hawaii as long as you follow these steps” when the “rules” are still the same. Countless people have followed these very steps and have had to forfeit at the last minute because the “trusted testing partners” couldn’t deliver. The turn time on test results is, has been and will continue to be out the visitors control.
And once again, Hawaii figures out a way to bite the hands that feed them. When will those in HI government realize that they need to treat tourists with more respect. Our $$$ are literally your only economy! By alienating us you are shooting yourself in the foot, over and over! This is literally the worst example of customer care that I have ever seen!
Aloha Bob,
I am sorry you feel that way. You did not say (or if you did earlier, I missed it) whether you tried to come here and complied with Hawai’i’s testing requirements, only to be unfairly thwarted. And if so, what testing system you used. And you are correct insofar as tourism is a large part of our state’s economy. But not the the only contributor. The military contributes a lot, we have agriculture, we have some other sources, including the operation of this state for the people of this state, such as teachers, govt workers, police, fire, medical, etc. also construction and other private industry.
And we are not trying to bite tourism’s hand. I acknowledge the system is flawed. But this is a special place and however inept our government might be, it’s goal is to protect its people.
Thank you for a sensible response that could apply to many people.
We did letsgetchecked and had our results back with in 24 hrs
Glad that so many Americans are able to get test results and travel successfully and safely to Hawaii. Unfortunately for those of us Canadians, it’s not so easy or affordable. Being from Vancouver, there are only 3 designated/approved labs and we have to pay $250 per Covid test…for our family of 6 that’s $1500 on top of flights, accommodation, car rental. Definitely won’t be able to go until there are free or cheap testing options 🙁
Aloha Kelly,
I empathize with Canadians who, unless they can route thru US and then test there (meeting time limits), find it almost impossible in effort and money to come visit us. Some of the most delightful people I have I have met here on Maui are from Canada. I wish our state government had factored Canada into the testing formula. I hope soon it does, even before vaccination makes it unnecessary. We miss you, Canada.
does anybody have experience with city health (who runs the “free” testing in oakland as well as SFO and sacramento)
we are supposed to fly to maui on weds the 30th but the only available cityhealth testing site (sacramento) has no slots on monday. as of now we have one slot for me sunday morning and one for my wife on tuesday morning
do they still allow walk-up tests, and does anybody know if my wife can show up early with me and test on sunday? Its basically impossible to get anyone from cityhealth on the phone
Here you go. $20 for HI travelers. You are welcome.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cityhealth-urgent-care-partners-with-sacramento-international-airport-to-offer-covid-19-testing-301193705.html
BOH, please can you confirm that all of Hawaiian Air’s trusted partners are accepted by the State? After a prior failed attempt at getting tests done in time through Kaiser, we took tests again yesterday morning via Worksite Labs at the San Jose airport in CA. I didn’t see them listed on the State website, but when I asked Hawaiian air about it they assured me that all of their testing partners are approved. I sure hope this is true or we’ll be out hundreds of dollars and a ton of time, again- and will be so very disappointed. Honestly, I think I trust Hawaiian Air more than the State website at this point… Thank you!
Hi Kim.
While each trusted partner is approved for Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, it does not mean that all of their tests are. Some may offer other types of tests, in addition to the PCR/NAAT tests that Hawaii requires.
Aloha.
A bit of clarity is needed as the term “rapid test” can be misleading. Not all “rapid-tests” are the same.
At this time there are both “anti-gen” and “molecular” (PCR) tests available as “rapid tests”.
Not intending to promote any particular vendor, but Abbott has produced at least 6 different testing protocols, several of them are “rapid-tests” with results in minutes rather than days. A quick verification at Abbott’s website will confirm this availability.
Further, see David O remarks as confirmation that this source is acceptable to the State.
I’m not sure what each of the approved partners are providing, that is a task someone in Lt Gov office should be doing and publishing (IMO). But if you select your provider based first on time (overnight at most), and then on molecular, everyone should be able to meet the States timeline. (Again IMO)
Has anyone used US Biotek here in Portland and experienced any delays?
Beat of Hawaii, you saved us. Well, at least my husband because we haven’t tested yet. It is ONLY because of BOH that I discovered, in time, that if my husband tested 72 hours before leaving for Maui, he could have (likely) tested positive as he is recovered from Covid as of October 2020. I did not think he could still test positive up to 90 days after recovering from Covid. Because of your help (and a reader who prompted me to ask), we were able to do what we needed to do to get him an exemption. Had he tested with us, it would have been too late to do what we needed to do to get the exemption (MD visit to attest he is recovered, original lab report stating his COVID result). I would have never found on the Safe Travels website this tiny reference as to what to do if you have had covid. It isn’t so easy to find.
Not to overstate—if you want to go to Hawaii, check and double check all that is required. We aren’t there yet, but hoping and praying our family trip will happen on Sunday. There are lots of “hoops” to jump through, but we think it will be worth it. We know it will be worth it. We cannot thank you enough for the amazing updates you provide.
Hi Elaine.
Thank you! That’s great, and we’re so happy to hear that it all worked out.
Aloha.
Just returned from Oahu last night after 15 wonderful days! Enough restaurants are open, beaches are empty, people are glad to see you and have your business! Selfishly, we enjoyed the lack of a crowd.
Glad you were able to enjoy Oahu ; beautiful timeless Waikiki without the crowds;.diverse and welcoming-so happy for you!!
Do you know if the vaccines affect covid test results?
The vaccine does not contain the virus. It will not effect your COVID test results. I was in the vaccine trial and the medical professionals told me my vaccine would not effect any COVID test results.
Thanks again for your daily updates-absolutely invaluable!On 9/4,due to HI not implementing their “safe travels” program yet,we cancelled our original 11/8-11/22 reservation on Kauai,just outside of the 60 day window requirement for our timeshare.We usually travel to Kauai in the spring,but we planned our 2020 trip for November this year so that our son & daughter-in-law could celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary on the island where they were married on 11/13/15.Shortly after we cancelled,HI announced that the “safe travels” program would begin on 10/15,so we rescheduled our trip for 11/13-11/27(couldn’t get our same 11/8-11/22 dates).We had our tests done at Kaiser at noon on 11/10,and our son & daughter-in-law had theirs done at 11:00am the same day.Our flight out of SJC on 11/13 was at 7:50am.My husband & I got our results around 6:30pm&7:30pm on 11/12-less than 12 hours from the time we had to leave for the airport.Our daughter-in-law got hers the next morning,11/13,at about 6:30am,after our son had taken us to the airport;our son got his at 7:50am(our flight time)-both too late to leave-so they didn’t go.My sister & her fiance were joining us on 11/16 with a flight out of PDX at 10:55am.With no results yet,they drove to PDX in hopes that their results would come in during their long drive to the airport,but they didn’t,so they turned around & went back home.They also had their tests done at Kaiser-but on 11/13 at 4:00 PM,and they didn’t get their results until 6:00am&3:00pm on 11/17,the day after they needed them.We have to say that all the resort staff, the restaurant staff, and store/shop staff on Kauai constantly thanked us for coming,and told us how glad they were to be open again and able to welcome us. No one made us feel that we were not welcome.We’ve made our 2021 reservations on Maui&Kauai for April instead of our usual March,so we’re hoping that things will be better by then,but not so sure we’ll test at Kaiser again-even though it’s free.
Hi Donna.
Thank you. We appreciate the report and mixed news on how the testing went. Kaiser continues to sound unreliable at this time for Hawaii testing. We were told it simply is not a priority for them, for what that’s worth.
Aloha.
Please advise me who provides an accepted COVID test in Arkansas for travel to Hawaii.
Hi David.
You can do the Vault mail-in test from anywhere in the U.S.
Aloha.
David – Walgreens in Little Rock AR has a location with the rapid test available.If you are closer to Memphis there is one there also, as well as a AFC clinic doing the radid test. Follow the links from the safe travels web site.
See but that’s the thing. Maybe you get your test results 30 minutes after you get there. There is no reaso to make anyone quarantine for two weeks because of that. They did everything they were supposed to do but results came back negative a few minutes late? So require another test a few days later. But imprisoning someone for two weeks over a technicality is the most idiotic thing.
Hi DN,
What you have proposed was the Safe Travels original testing plan that was altered on 11/24. They made the changes to the new must have results uploaded before departure because of the administrative burden of clearing people out of quarantine when the results did come in whether it be 30 minutes after arriving or a day or two and the challenges faced for traveler who had to change their accommodations at the last minute since under quarantine you can’t rent a car or stay in a vacation rental. Not to mention, the issues that arose when people flew with tests that were positive upon arrival which forced them into medical quarantine rather than travel quarantine. Note that as of tomorrow 12/17 the travel quarantine is 10 days rather than 14. With regards to the pre-travel test and then a second post travel test, we know that it’s a non-starter with IGE( Kauai’s mayor request has proven this twice now)
Flying to Hawaii as part of the safe travels program is risky, and yes people should be effected if their results don’t come back. When flying to Hawaii as part of the Safe Travels program the, the traveler is one choosing to fly and thus they have have to accept the responsibility if things don’t work out which is the terms of usage.
We can debate if it’s fair or not until the cows come home and an internet comment section isn’t the place for that debate. Simply put: Participating in Hawaii’s Safe Travels program is risky unless you are able to use a provider that guarantees same day results. If you want to avoid issues, follow the directions and select a same day results travel partner and board your plane and fly here. Pretty simple, I’d say. If you don’t want to accept the risk then stay home until the travel restrictions are lifted or testing results start coming back in a timely fashion.
I read thru these emails looking for informative prominent details, as I have done in the past. Remember the 4 W’s from high school? Who, What, Where, and When? Just give us the simple facts in simple declarative sentences. No elaboration nor interesting personal stories. Just tell me who to get the test from, where and when. Why is this so impossible to do? Has the government gotten so incompetent that it views it’s own incompetence as competence!!!!! I guess we should not be surprised considering how it has handled the pandemic!
Hi Donald,
The Stare of Hawaii has actually handled the pandemic overall quite well when it comes to keeping cases low & people safe and part of that has been implementing the travel restrictions. Unless you consider the handling of the pandemic more about how business are doing rather than preventing COVID spread.
While I agree their communication about the 4 W’s could be improved, if you as a traveler are willing to put in the effort the information is there to be had. This is proven by the thousands of people who have successfully participated in the safe travels program since 10/15 as well as some travelers who have gotten the correct test but failed to have the results returned in time.
Don, in answer to your question is yes. Just try getting any communications back from the safe travels staff. Calling them 12/9 I was told you’re 127 in line.
Thank you for your comment. Addressing the 4 Ws would be more relevant. The Beat of Hawaii Could use a more concise and useful format as in this article minus the ‘Thumbs Down’ and ‘Thumbs up’ section. But since this seems to be more like a blog, it leaves an open door for commentators. Some people learn by reading stories and others just like the specifics.
Dear BOH,
Thank you for your information summary. I could not agree more that travellers must pay close attention to the list of requirements on the Safe Travels website. Getting the exemption from quarantine upon arrival is a breeze if you comply and don’t assume discrepancies will be approved.
I travel to/from HNL monthly and have passed quarantine arrival screening 3 times: Oct, Nov, Dec. The anxiety is (1) waiting for the results from the lab and (2) making sure the date/time of the test is accurate on the results. I have even done redundant testing from 2 different approved labs for the same trip on the theory that at least one set of results would be correctly and timely issued. I’ve used CVS (October), City Health at OAK, Walgreens, and Hawaiian Air/Worksite labs. Don’t remember how many times I’ve stuck that test swab up my nostrils … but a necessary evil.
On one trip the “guaranteed results in 36 hours” was delayed and received in about 60 hours (in time to upload onto Safe Travels website, but nonetheless causing some anxiety).
Another test result “pre-dated” the test time making it more than 72 hours prior to flight departure (couldn’t get it corrected in time, but fortunately I had gotten a test from another approved testing partner with negative results correctly reported and in time for flight departure).
One test result post dated the test 14 days into the future. Was able to get it corrected just in time.
One test result showed the correct test date but no collection time for the test sample. I called the lab and was told Safe Travels did not require the collection time on the results. OK, I broke my own rule about not leaving it to chance and took a chance that it would work. It did. The minute I uploaded the results onto the Safe Travels website, it confirmed “negative results”. Nonetheless I printed a copy of my appointment date and time to show in case it was questioned. It was not questioned by the screener upon arrival.
Hi Jon.
Thanks for that very helpful information from your recent experiences.
Aloha.
Seems like a lot of out of pocket costs unless you are being reimbursed by your employer
Where was the 36 hour test? I’m going to US Biotek and they guarantee the same.
Thank you Jon for that info! I’m awaiting results from Worksite Labs in San Jose now, and I’ve been concerned because they aren’t listed on the State website. We received one result (of four) and it doesn’t have a time on it, so I’m also happy to know that you didn’t have any trouble with that. I will follow your lead and print out a copy of our testing appointment just in case.
Hi Kim,
Did you do the testing through the Hawaiian Airlines worksite labs program or at a seperate facility?
If you do it through Hawaiian Airlines with worksite labs as their subcontractor, it’s good but if you are just using worksite labs as your testing partner you may run into challenges. I’d encourage you to reach out to the Go Hawaii help desk for the official answer!
I’m doing it through Hawaiian airlines. So far so good! We’ve got all test results now. Our first attempt to fly over via tests with Kaiser blew up and derailed our plans when we didn’t get results in tie, so hopefully this attempt using Worksite labs will work! I’d recommend not using Kaiser. They are too overwhelmed to be able to deal with travel testing.
Worksite Labs appears on the SafeTravels website under Hawaiian Airlines in the airline section of the list of trusted partners. Also, no problem getting a live person on phone at Worksite and very responsive to email inquiries as well.
Thank you, I must’ve missed that! Yes, I agree, they’ve been extremely responsive to us. I was having trouble accessing two of our test results because of a problem with the confirmation number, and not only did they remedy it immediately when I called, they called me back later to make sure that I was able to download the results. They’ve all been very, very nice and helpful. I’ve now got all test results in under 36 hours!
Hi,
Headed to our home in Kauai early January. With Kauai’s mandatory 14-day quarantine, I’m wondering if my husband and I should even bother getting tested before we fly. FYI we have been staying at home, not going out or socializing with others, so we feel fairly confident we won’t get infected before flying.
Thanks for your help!
Maggie
Hi Maggie.
Your question makes sense. In some ways it doesn’t matter, at least for now. On the other, you help protect others on the plane by getting tested.
Aloha.
We just got back from a week in Maui. We followed all the rules and had an idyllic time in a very special place. It was uncrowded, the locals were friendly, and the weather was epic. We flew on United out of SFO and chose to pay $250 for the 15 minute test at SFO. While it says appointments are required at the site, they do accept walk-ins. The people at the test site are super friendly. It costs a bit more, but the peace of mind was worth it. Several folks I talked to at the test site had been to other testing sites but testing results were so late that they had to come to the United SFO site and pay the $250 anyway. If you follow the process, everything works out great. (My one surprise: The test results aren’t thoroughly checked until you land in Hawaii. A few people on our flight got turned away or had to do the 14-day quarantine, once they landed in Hawaii. It would be much more efficient if Hawaii worked with the airlines (or TSA) to check the results before anybody gets on the plane)
Alaska has just such a program. But it’s on you to get the test results from an approved lab and within the 72 hrs. So not much of a benie unless idk HNL it took like 10 minutes in KOA. And yes don’t believe the nonsense that carbon health has a drive up location in northgate mall for $170 that doesn’t exist. Pretty much down to discover health in south ctr mall (hilton) for $250.
I used Carbon Health drive up in Bellevue on 12/1 and recieved results the next day, no problem. I did have an appt
Can someone confirm which test is needed when you leave from SLC Utah? Apparently the one through Costco has no guarantee re time!
Walgreens in Taylorsville is no more. Now what? Going to Maui at end of Feb 2021.
Used Vault twice flying from SLC. It’s the best choice but depends on your travel day because of UPS pickup/delivery limitations.
We just returned home from Kauai. We used Walgreens POS test. While we had to drive 83 miles to get the test, the rest of the process worked well. I had my results on my ride home from the test! My husband had to wait as he was driving and couldn’t access his email. My son didn’t get his right away as we had a mixup with his email, which actually worked well as we called in and got a better report for him. Our initial reports didn’t include the fact that they were from Walgreens or the fact that we were in a different time zone than the West Coast so when we saw his more detailed COVID test report (rather than just saying we were negative and the date) we called in too and got those more detailed reports, downloaded the to safe travels and they instantly showed up as negative reports on that part. Then 24 hours before our flight we did the questionnaire with no problems and got our QR which we printed too. Airport process was a breeze – took about a minute each. Rental car not so fast. They want to see your QR and proof you’ve been through screening. also had backup as we were there on 12/1 and many moved up their flights to avoid shutdown. Kauai was great as we had beaches and condo facility to ourselves. Ran into a few rude islanders who didn’t wish us well but for most part, people were friendly.
Keep your great articles coming, BOH!
Hi Janet.
Thanks. Glad you had a great time on Kauai and that the processes went well.
Aloha.
Nor worth the risk to travel to Hawaii right now, with Mexico easier to get too and cheaper to boot, it might just be my permanent tropical vacation location, so long Hawaii, its been nice knowing ya
Great article.
Any new rumors on changes to the SafeTravel program?
I read your “Watch for Travel Shifts next week” article about possible changes that might be announced this week. We still have not cancelled our trip during Christmas time and my worry is that they will implement a last minute change.
Hi YF.
Thanks. There was a more recent update. In case you missed it, here it is. https://beatofhawaii.com/visitors-cancel-as-governor-wont-change-rules-who-pays-quarantine/.
Aloha.
What is the update? The other thread only says questions were asked. Any new changes? Will the implement testing on arrival in the next week?
I don’t believe they made that clear?. That’s really the main thing I am waiting for too. Testing twice would be a game changer for me.
We just got back last week. We used Vault on Monday (11/30) for our Thursday (12/3) flight. They received tests Tuesday morning and we had results Tuesday night. Everything went smooth with uploading to Safe Travels website and obtaining QR code for travel. It was stressful until we got the results and I didn’t fully exhale until after we landed and made it through the verification line..but after that, we were good to go! We followed all masking rules/social distancing guidelines and we had the most wonderful 6 day vacation! Tried a bunch of delicious food trucks on Oahu!
Thank you for always keeping us updated!
Hi Katie.
Thanks for sharing that. We are happy to be hearing lots of other success stories.
Aloha.
We were due to travel to Kauai on 11/30. A few days before we here about the impending 14 day quarantine. My wife decides she doesn’t want to go and be disrespectful to the locals which I understand. I text my friend who is a local and he tells me to get over there ASAP. We decide to go and followed all Covid related requirements. I have to say, after much trepidation and we have been to Kauai many times, this was the best trip ever and I am so glad we listened to my friend. I have never seen Kauai that uncrowded. We did the Vault test and had no issues.