So you’re jonesing for a Hawaii vacation but acknowledge that there has never been a weirder time to travel. We looked at how we can all reduce stress and still enjoy a Hawaii vacation during COVID. If you were one of the first to “bite the bullet” and fly here, please share your thoughts on what the experience was like and how others should plan.
Planning your Hawaii vacation includes testing and more.
Before going further, you’ll want to prepare for your pre-travel COVID tests to avoid the otherwise mandatory 14-day quarantine. Many comments posted have suggested Vault mail-in tests. There are many other options and we expect more to be announced any day. Just remember these keys to test success: The test must be done only through an approved partner. It needs to be within 72 hours prior to your “transpacific flight.” Test results must be uploaded to the Hawaii Safe Travels website, where a health screening questionnaire is also completed. And finally, be sure your phone is charged so that you can use it in the arrival process, including providing your essential Hawaii-provided QR code when needed.
Packing for Hawaii.
We’ve talked about packing for Hawaii for years, and have many hard-earned tips based on hundreds of times traveling from and to Hawaii. The discussion of packing, together with your comments continues. Leave the new white shoes behind, pack light for tropical days, and bring an unlined waterproof jacket for starters.
Getting through the airport.
Things have changed there. You will wear masks during the TSA screening unless told to not do so. You can also now bring up to 12 oz of hand sanitizer on board if you are so inclined. Food items of course need to be in a plastic bag that’s separately placed in a bin. Having things organized properly reduces the chances of prolonging your TSA experience through additional screening. If you keep everything, like phone, wallet, and keys in your carry-on, then you won’t be dealing with things coming in contact with shared TSA bins. Bring water, or an empty water bottle to fill up before boarding the plane, as inflight service has decreased.
On the flight to Hawaii.
1. Check when middle seat blocking will end. Southwest stops this safety practice on December 1, followed by Hawaiian on December 15, and other airlines mostly starting early January.
2. With middle seats not being blocked, look for ways to not sit 3 across. Those include flying on a plane that has two across seating (think Hawaiian Airlines’ A330). Or consider buying up the third seat.
3. Sanitize to the max. We have been sanitizing our entire seating area for years. Turns out it was good training for COVID. Before departure, we do a thorough wipedown of everything touchable.
4. Turn airflow up. For those planes that have seat air nozzles, once you sanitize them, use them to turn airflow directly on you, and to full blast. The sweatshirt with hoodie will come in very handy with all this ventilation.
5. Carry-on luggage only. Getting out of the airport fast has never been so important. And not having others handle your bags or waiting for luggage to arrive is easy.
6. Eat well at 30,000 feet. For years, we’ve been practicing and suggesting the motion to always bring your own food onboard. With airline and airport meal service options now falling between limited and non-existent, you won’t want to leave things to chance on long Hawaii flights.
7. Lavatory etiquette. (As suggested by commenter George S.): Wear gloves throughout the flight, except when eating, but especially in the lav. Bring your wipes, sanitizer, & paper towels on each trip to the lav.
On arrival in Hawaii.
Once you are screened and permitted to leave the airport in Hawaii, you’ll possibly be dealing with public transport, at least to get to your car rental. Regarding car rental, check your options and see what their disinfection plans include.
At your Hawaii hotel/Hawaii vacation rental.
Our accommodation industry including both Hawaii hotels and Hawaii vacation rentals is actively involved in widespread safety measures. Check where you are planning to stay to determine how they are protecting both you and their staff. Measures may include enhanced cleaning, social distancing, plus contactless check-in and check-out.
Ask whether back-to-back check-out and check-in is permitted or if there is a period between those to increase your safety.
Once at your accommodation, have at it. No matter what practices they have, we suggest you disinfect surfaces including switches, plugs, doorknobs, tables, lamps, countertops, desks, phones, remotes, and bathroom controls. If you have a kitchen, plan to wash everything that isn’t pre-wrapped.
After this, put on your swimsuit and mask, grab a towel, and head to the beach as your reward.
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We are flying United. Thanks for the info!!
Me and my wife are going to the big Island on November 28 on November 27 we will be doing a Covid test with urgent care in Phoenix Arizona I hope they except our test
My father in law tested at the V.A. and they didn’t accept it. He had to quarantine for 14 days. A deputy showed up 12 days in to make sure he was home.
Has anyone heard about the rapid test at SFO, that is ran by a trusted partner of State of Hawaii? We are traveling December 26th, and would like to utilize that testing service. There are no trusted partner testers near us, locally. Wondering about any experiences with the testing at SFO. Thanks!!
Hi Jackie.
United has rapid testing at SFO. We don’t think it is available to non-United travelers. The vault test by mail is available anywhere. More partners have just been announced by the state.
Aloha.
VaultHealth.com is what we are using. Easy to order at-home test which is observed via a Zoom conference by a medical person. You spit in a tube then send it off via UPS. It is quite expensive at 119.00 each but easy. Results are emailed which can then be uploaded to your Hawaii safe travels account.
We are leaving for Maui on 12/27/20 and trying to find anyone open due to the holidays to do testing or getting results back within 72 hours has been very challenging.. we have a “free” testing site but they will be closed.Looks like we will have to pay $260 through a virtual sample appointment. Hawaii is very restricted with whom they have as authorized testing labs/companies. We returned from Jamaica and they needed the test to come from a medical laboratory that has a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) registration or ISO 15189 certification. Hawaii needs to expand where we can get our tests/results.
Aloha! My family is scheduled to arrive in Hawaii (Hilo) the week of February 14, 2021. I know it is too soon to know but do you think we’ll be able to attend a Luau and do other fun Hawaiian activities? We are really looking forward to this much needed take your mind of the Pandemic vacation.
I just want to say thank you for all of the tips. We have a trip to Maui scheduled in April and all of the info you and your followers have provided really helps to alleviate my worries over how to travel safely. I can’t wait to go!
Hi Rachel.
Thanks so much. We hope your Maui trip all works out perfectly.
Aloha.
Just got back from Maui for 2 wks.
It is hard to see the number of businesses and restaurants that are still closed. Not a lot of visitors yet which was kind of nice. Open air markets were taking your temp and sanitizers everywhere. Gotta wear your masks and everyone is being careful. If you go….Enjoy.Aloha
I came into Hawaii on Sept. 11 2020
I did the 2 week quarantine.Then got a air bnb for a month. Then found a short term rental until April 1 2021. I am a senior citizen Snowbird.
The flight was great with Delta. I wore mask and shield. So when I ate I still had on a face shield. Just sanitize after everything you touch. Keep on that mask unless you are eating or drinking.
Now if you do not have a smart phone
Just have someone do your paperwork on the Hawaii safety page and give the agents at 3xits your email address and password. So they can access your QR code.
Thanks for the updates and info. Our family is looking forward to our Kauai trip in Late December. I would say your fixation with airplane surface cleanliness is a little overdone. Wear gloves the whole time? Yikes. Better to be very careful in the TSA line and the boarding jetbridge – the airplane cabin is quite safe.
Hello,
Thanks for all your helpful info!
I am flying from Oakland to the Big Island in the 2nd week of January. I will get a covid test 3 days prior to leaving Oakland. The flight stops at HNL to switch planes. After arriving in Kona we will stay a week. We will then fly from Hilo to Lihue. Do we have to test again prior to our flight to Lihue? Thanks again.
Hi Janese.
Yes, you do need to test within 72 hours of your flight to Kauai.
Aloha.
Have you heard anything regarding the saliva test no longer being accepted? I just paid and received 4 test from Vault.
We just returned from a two week stay on Maui. We got our test through Walgreens free and received within the 72 hour required timeframe. It took us 5 minutes to get through the airport required admission but we did have everything in order. We flew Delta that keeps the middle seat free. Very nice visit.
We discovered we should have added our Honolulu to Hilo trip on the travel website when we landed in Hilo. You need a NEW QR code every-time you are on an incoming flight. Also, we were required to do a second naso COVID test in Hilo and await results in the airport. There was no charge and luckily we were all negative. You do also go through an entire online enrollment in another health care registry system to obtain these results. I’d been following protocols and requirements closely prior to travel, but the second QR code and second test came as surprises. That being said, being able to enjoy Hawaii (if in an all new COVID Safe Way) is worth it. I appreciate Hawaii attempting to safely open its doors to a few respectful visitors.
May I just say that reading through that extensive list of precautions was the hardest work I’ve done all week. Is not everyone going to contract this virus sooner or later? (No I have not) Like any other virus or flu? How will we EVER get back to normal with such perpetuation? I have been to Hawaii (October 16-26) with no such precautions (nothing like what is listed here anyway) and here I am unaffected. May I suggest that anyone who would follow all of these suggestions should probably stay home. Exhausting! BTW it seems that California and Hawaii (most especially Kauai) are at the head of the pack initiating precautions and paranoia. Now vacationing currently in Florida there are no such circumstances-Google for yourself the difference in spiking statistics. If you want to be living under the bridge with your children and grandchildren keep it up.
I would say Beat of Hawaii covered it pretty well! Nice work!
Just one add-on: some hotels and timeshare units are asking to see the State of Hawaii issued QR code and the part beneath the code with your negative COVID test results which you get by going to the Safe Travels website as the emailed QR code doesn’t show your test results unless you have the Stare scanner.
We had a wonderful time in Kauai. No crowds and easy to get reservations at restaurants . What was sad was seeing some of our favorite restaurants and businesses closed permanently. Frequented the small businesses and farmers markets often to give them our
support. We felt very safe on the Hawaiian Airlines flights and commend them for blocking the middle seats and enforcing face masks and sanitation.
Hi Lee.
Thanks for your report.
Aloha.
I have purchased our at home covid test through Vault. It is a NAAT saliva test approved by Hawaii. I just heard they are no longer accepting this type of test. Have anyone heard anything?
Bring a printed copy of your Covid test in case there are issues with your qcode or phone!
Thanks for the tips, but they make traveling to Hawaii burdensome enough to stay home.
My parents and I flew out of Sacramento to Honolulu on the 1st Saturday of the pre-travel program. Got our free Covid-19 PCR tests (thanks Kaiser) at our local Kaiser on Wednesday and got our results Thursday night. We flew Hawaiian Air where they checked your temp at the gate and the flight attendants gave you a disinfectant wipe upon entering the plane. Seemed like everyone wore a mask or neck gaiter on the flight except for eating/drinking. Bathrooms were clean. My parents and I had our own sanitizer/disinfectant wipes so we used them frequently. We wore our masks and face shields as a extra precaution. Turned up my a/c vent for better airflow down. Upon arrival In Honolulu, we got in line to present our QR codes and printed Covid-19 test results since the website didn’t recognize my scanned PDF copies of our results. People in line to get verified weren’t maintaining social distancing and some were wearing their masks improperly (masks below their nose). The whole pre-travel confirmation process took about 20min. Staff that processed us was nice. Overall, I wouldn’t have a vacation in Hawaii now. Lots of businesses/attractions are closed down temporarily or permanently. Next year when the Covid-19 vaccine is widely available is probably the best time to go. We mostly went back to Oahu to check on our 2nd home and see some of our family with no big gatherings. If you do choose to travel to Hawaii, abide by their rules of wearing a mask in public and no large gatherings. If you can, tip big at local restaurants even if it’s to go. They could use the help. Very surreal to see barely anyone at Waikiki or Ala Moana but kind of good to as it’s not jammed pack like it normally is. Stay safe y’all!
Aloha! We aren’t ready yet to take another trip to the Islands, but I wanted to thank you for your great website and all of the advice and insight you give! I look forward to receiving it in my inbox and appreciate the great service you provide! I look forward to returning the paradise some day.
Hi Dean.
Thanks. We appreciate your being part of this.
Aloha.
Do you have any inside information if the new lab Governor Newsom built in partnership with Perkin-Elmer which opened October 31 in CA to process 150,000 labs a day might be added to the trusted partner list for HI?
Aloha,
We postponed our spring break trip to this Christmas.
We scheduled 3 islands.
Maui 4 days, Kauai 5days, Big Island 6days and 1 day to finish again at Maui and come back to our East Coast.
Do we (family of 4) need to do a test between each island ?
It seems more and more complicate to us to visit Hawaii …
Thank you
Hi Stephane.
You will need to have had a test within 72 hours of each leg, starting with trans-Pacific, and then each interisland flight.
Aloha.
Thanks for the information.
Are those test quick to do in each island?
Do I have to pay these test ?
Is saliva test available?
We are a family of 4 and my 2 little kids will not like the nose test 😓…
Thanks
Hi Stephane.
To not provide incorrect information, please refer to the state’s official testing partners page: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/. You may need to contact test providers.
Aloha.
Thanks for you help…
We are seeing states in the mainland with more and more closing. There are also states like California which reinstalled the 2 weeks quarantine…
What is your feeling about Hawaii islands for next month ? My feeling is 50/50 so far …
Hi Stephane.
We don’t have a sense of that yet. It depends on how things progress in the next 1-2 weeks.
Aloha.
We plan on spending a few days in Oahu, then flying to Kauai. Will we need another COVID test to go to Kauai? I cannot find this information on any of the Hawaii travel sites.
Mahalo
Hi Tony.
Yes, you will. At both Oahu and Kauai, the test will need to have been taken within 72 hours of departure.
Aloha.
My wife and and took the vault test on Friday 11/7 and we had our results by Saturday 11/8 in the evening. Our flight was a Monday 11/9 at 7:50 from Sacramento to Oahu and then another flight to Kauai. In Sacramento we were told we needed a QR code for each flight which no one on our flight was aware of. We had to go back to the Safe Travel site and get another QR code for our flight from Oahu to Kauai. At the airport in Oahu if was seamless. We were through the screener quickly. A lot of passengers were held up in Kauai because they did not get the connecting flight QR code and those passenger were doing that on their phones trying to get through the screening. All things considered I thought it went smoothly and I would not let the requirements for testing stop themselves from traveling.
We flew home on the on October 29th on Hawaiian from HNL to SFO. The middle seat was already full then. It was a bit of a surprise. Three seats on each side.
Overall, a great trip. Looking forward to our next! Aloha
Are we limited to carry on luggage only?
That was only a recommendation.
No, you aren’t, Joan. It’s just faster and more sanitary if you limit yourself to carry-on only.
We’re currently visiting Kauai from the San Francisco area. Unfortunately we leave tomorrow. It’s been a great trip and honestly hasn’t been too different from our normal Hawaii visits. We scheduled COVID testing with Kaiser at the 72 hour mark before our departure flight to Hawaii and got our results 28 and 36 hours after testing. Landing in Lihue was easy; we just had to show our QR code that included our travel info and negative COVID results. Everyone on the shuttle to the car rental location was obviously wearing a mask so no issues there. Mask wearing has been consistent with that of the Bay Area. People wear them 100% of the time indoors and whenever you can’t maintain social distancing outside. Walking to/from the beach, most people haven’t worn them (we stayed three nights in Princeville and three nights in Poipu) but that isn’t an issue since you’re able to maintain distance from everyone. Our experience with locals has been the same as usual; friendly and good. While we’ve been here we booked another trip to Maui in January and can’t wait to return.
Aloha,
I am planning to fly on a 10am Sunday flight from LAX. The covid-19 test needs to be within 72 hours, but the Vault mail-in test needs to be at UPS by 10am, 3 days prior. So my test time would likely be 73 hours before the flight. Do you think this will subject me to quarantine?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Howard
Hi Howard.
Others have commented that the Vault tests do not list the time, only the date. We can’t confirm that. Just wondering why would it need to be there at 10am? Most UPS locations can do priority overnight much later in the day and no matter what time you get it there, as long as it is before the cutoff, it still arrives the next day. Even here on Kauai, we can drop as late as 1pm for next day to the mainland.
Aloha.
Hi,
Thanks for your quick reply. Not knowing what level of shipping service is used by Vault for returning the sample to the lab, I was going by the chart on the Hawaiian Airlines site for when to order and submit the Vault test to UPS. I would guess you are correct, but will check with a local UPS office.
Hi Howard.
Please let us know how it works out. Thanks.
Aloha.
We did the vault test on Monday – got the results on Tuesday night and flew to Hawaii on Thursday. There was not a time stamp at all on our results only the day the test was taken. Make sure you bring a printed copy as our results did not upload to the online system properly. But as soon as we should the paper copy we were all set.
I suggest that you add lavatory etiquette to your list. Wear gloves throughout flight, except when eating, but especially in the lav. Bring your wipes, sanitizer, & paper towels on each trip to the lav.
Hi George.
Thanks. Added.
Aloha.