526 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Upheaval: Stakeholders Livid As Adversaries Now Concur”

  1. Considering a month long group trip to Oahu in Febuary if the virus numbers decrease, but this new restriction gives us pause. We may need to re-think those plans; not wanting to be on complete lock down.

  2. Huge issues with furloughs and job losses on the horizon. Long term. if everything opens back up and this ends now there will be fallout for a decade, but it’s not ending now. The Scriptures tell us that turmoil will occur in the last days and it is, who knew, but in hindsight I guess it makes sense that we would do it to ourselves.

  3. We had 5 wks of vacation planned…3 on Kauai and 1 week each on Big Island and Oahu.

    We were notified this week that Hawaiian Air cancelled our flights to Kauai… and the Big Island flight was pushed back 12 hrs…

    We were also notified that we would have to do additional covid tests to go to Big Island and Kauai. The total cost of covid testing for our entire trip would be approximately 1200-$1500.

    We have cancelled Kauai and Big Island trips and tentatively reserved the 5 wks on Oahu. We have 30 days to see if Hawaii can come up with better testing options…if not, we will be cancelling our trip and going someplace else warm…we have been coming to Hawaiian islands for the past 30 yrs…I hope they allow 96 hours to pre and testing upon arrival.

    This will be the first time in 30 yrs we are going to Hawaii.

    1. We canceled our family trip to Kauai schedule the first week of January and rescheduled everything to the Big Island. Crossing fingers they stay open!

  4. The mayors are now all in agreement on requiring a post-travel test in addition to the pre-travel test (but perhaps the pre-travel test timeline can be extended). No word on whether a quarantine will now be required before the post-travel test.

    1. Plan is post travel test done at the airport prior to being cleared using rapid tests. I think the issue will be volumes of tests and who pays for it as usual.

      1. To clarify, the proposed plan is actually to require the post-travel test a few days *after* arrival, however it’s not confirmed whether a quarantine will be required then. Hawaii now has enough data to know that the on-arrival testing at the airport doesn’t help much due to incubation periods.

        This will cut down on tourism further, but given the state of the mainland that appears that it could be partially intentional.

  5. Yes…the recent Kauai shutdown made me believe that the entire state would once again require the 14-day quarantine. I postponed my 2-week Maui reservations for mid to late January until Nov 2021. All in all, I have cancelled six weeks of travel to Maui so far for 2020-2021. I am quite shaken re: my substantial fractional ownership interests on Maui.

  6. The mayor is not thinking things through. Nor is he relying on the Lt governor and the governor. The mayor is all over the map and cannot even follow through with rules he has put into place. He is destroying the people of kauai and their ability to support their families. Kauai relies mainly on tourism. More homeless are being added to the homeless camps on a daily basis with no end on site. Very sad.

    1. We planned our first trip to Kauai for January travel and recently cancelled those plans. We are now planning qn Oahu vacation but are now considering canceling due to the uncertainty of the 14 day quarantine rules. Especially since we can travel elsewhere without such inconveniences.

    2. But it is all about politics and gathering votes for the next election. The level of cases is worrying but the facilities are being understated and we want Kaua’i tobe safe butt he circus on Kauai damaging businesses is about votes.

  7. I am sad to say we too are canceling our plans for Hawaii. We had airline tickets and reservations for this past August that we’re cancelled by our hotel and airline. We have been checking daily to see what happening. However there is just too much confusion and no clear path here. So guess Hawaii is off our list. This really saddens me as I am approaching 71 and this was our last trip there.

  8. So glad we were able to safely enjoy our trip to Kauai, Honolulu and the big island before these changes. From what we saw, visitors to both islands were responsible as are the restaurants and other businesses.

    The beaches in Waikiki were not very safe as far as masking. All airports were following procedures respectfully. Knowing what was approved from island to island is confusing and information is not presented in any one place well.

    That’s what needs to be fixed first. Travelers need clear guidance

  9. We are currently in a pandemic crises that is exploding across the nation and a person dies of covid every 35 seconds, it’s unfathomable that Hawaii politicians are opening the floodgates for tourists from every covid hotspot in the mainland to come here unchecked.
    I can say for a fact that most if not all tourists follow quarantine rules, they even brag about it.
    We don’t have the medical resources to handle a widespread covid outbreak here on the island, your all inviting death, it’s so irresponsible and we locals hate what you’re doing.
    Your covid response system is broken and so full of holes why bother.
    With what you’re doing Hawaii will become a covid hot zone in short time….all for the all mighty dollar.

    1. The bigger problem is retunring residents not visitors but that does not win votes. Read up about the couple in Wailua arrested by KPD and charged with Reckless Endangerment having deliberately flown with positive test having been told to isolate in San Francisco. California has a very high rate and that is a big market for Residents returning. Proper torough testing as they now have before travel is good and I like the LT Govener’s plan to do rapid test at airport when you land. Will pull out most cases and be manageable which the current system is not. Even Kaua’i would agree to that if the tests can be funded by the state,

    2. Don, You don’t say what island you are on, but for Kauai, as of this Friday there are only 14 active cases, one hospitalization, and there was one death a couple of weeks ago. That is out of a total number of infections, since statistics were first taken, of 138. And of those 138, 97 were residents, not tourists (41). Percentages are probably similar on the other islands. So, look to your own residents first before blaming only tourists. And what are the tourists doing? For the most part, they’re following the rules as you said, not disobeying the authorities like the 1000+ residents did at Polihale in Kauai a couple months ago. And those tourists are helping you survive by pumping millions into your economy. The world may be forever changed by this pandemic, but tourists will return to Hawaii. Adjustments will be necessary of course. Tourists will be willing to live with those adjustments. Will the residents?

    3. I’m not sure if your comment is real or a troll, but I am sure that you need absolutely need to learn more about COVID19. Look at Europe’s spikes compared to USA. They were far more restrictive and yet they had bigger spikes. If truly afraid, maybe figure out how to hide from an illness with an extremely high recovery rate. Go read the CDC’s own information on deaths from just covid. Like 10,000 YTD. Lots of complicating factors/co-morbidities (like heart disease) which strangely and coincidentally show a corresponding decline in the CDC’s “deaths from all causes” data for 2020. Explain how that occurred without using mental gymnastics and then we can agree to panic.

  10. Had planned a trip to Kauai until the mayor made a major decision to close the island, in the course of a few days and without consulting anyone. Canceled my entire trip. Very disappointed.

    1. I feel for your disappointment. I am having heck of a problem getting over to Hawaii and at present Kauai is blocked. The Mayor consulted his political allies as this has a lot to do with votes and elections.. Visitors who lose vacations, Locals who lose their jobs and Residents who get arrested for reckless endangerment do not figure in his calculations. Stay Safe Kaua’i.

  11. I’m surprised that all of the airlines that are providing trans-pacific flights from gateway cities on the mainland, haven’t stepped up to the plate to adopt the position that a customer must present documents that prove the passenger has tested negative for Covid-19 before being allowed to board an airplane to Hawaii. One of the early concerns of airline passengers was and is that “passengers who can not prove that they are negative for Covid-19” were being allowed on Hawaii inbound flights.

    I fail to understand why airline gate agents can’t examine each passengers negative Covid-19 documents at the time of boarding a flight at a gateway city; just as they examine a “boarding pass”. If a passenger at time of boarding, can’t present proof of a negative Covid-19 approved test, then they don’t fly to Hawaii. If “all of the Hawaii bound trans-pacific airlines” followed this process, it would be a win, win for both the trans-pacific airlines, passengers and Hawaiian communities. There would be no ambiguity or misunderstanding of this process by flyers. It’s time to do the right thing!

    1. Totally agree. Why would we get on a plane if we get tested but others don’t. Everyone would be safe if you had a negative test before you you boarded. Common sense. We have cancelled our trip because of this and we have come every year.

    2. The problem is that the airlines are private businesses. They don’t work for the state of Hawaii. Who is going to pay for them for extra gate agents to check documents, which would also slow the boarding process. Airlines don’t check passenger documents for intercity flights on the mainland, so why should they make an exception for Hawaii?

    3. Airline employees are not qualified to determine whether documents presented as being professional test are real or faked. With todays access to technology and home printers. Faked but formal looking documents can easily be created and could even provide a basis for an underground market of faked documents. Thank You.

    4. We flew to the Big Island yesterday (12/4). Had a negative test and came over just fine. The rules aren’t complicated just follow them. Don’t get on a plane without your results – period.

  12. Now that Hawaii residents have to quarantine for 10 days instead of 14 if they arrive without testing, there will be more folks on flights without having been tested as what they encounter when they get home will be less daunting. That is great for them but how does that diminishes the possibility of health security on flights even more!

    1. Hi Barbara.

      The new quarantine rules don’t (at this time) change travel quarantines. So let’s make that a little more confusing. That could come next, but it isn’t clear.

      Aloha.

      1. Should bold printed the words HAWAII RESIDENTS. You are correct, it does not affect travelers just returning residents.

  13. Original plans were Kauai. Those got scraped so we switched to Maui. Only tricky part is the pre travel program, if the company is no listed on the most recent report it is a no go. They do not announce delisted partners, in our case it was Quest diagnostics.

    1. If you book though Hawaiian Airlines they offer pre travel testing a few days before your flight. Originally we booked through them.

    2. They delisted Quest??? CVS is also out. What if they delist the provider we’re using before we fly? I’m thinking it’s time to cancel our own reservations. We were really looking forward to it. Providing some economic support to a state that needs it was definitely a big bonus and one of the reasons I wanted to go but we can’t risk losing thousands and being locked in a room for our whole stay.

  14. Traveled from Sacramentoto Kona wanted to get tested but no guarantee of test before departure so now quarantined for two weeks at home. Rules change by the hour are they rying to bankrupt the state and
    shutdown all business

    1. As a physican on Kauai. I take care of one of this highest risk populations for Covid: elderly patients with cancer. Kauai mayor’s decison to opt out of the pretravel testimg program has no basis in medical or scientific data. The collateral damage created by this narcisistically motivated, medically irrational decision will lead to far more damage to our islands medical, financial, and mental health than Covid 19 could ever do. The mayor has yet to feel the personal pain he has inflicted on the constituents he is supposed to humbly serve…not govern. He should be held accountable for these politically motivated actions and address his constituents with the respect and data they deserve. With thoughtful programs to protect our at risk populations and focused efforts to maximize our economic strengths, we can strike the rationale balance of safety and revitalization. Mr. Kawakami’s unsubstantiated tyrannical governance by fear needs to stop. Sane,rationale dialogue needs to replace emergency proclamations. Failure to change this track record of reckless mandates should be met with his recall as mayor and an emergency elecion to find his replacement.

    2. I was going to Molokai for a week followed by a week on Maui 1 month ago. Things were changing so rapidly even then I was nervous about going. With the testing pretravel and the potential of possibly having to quarantine on Molokai and the added test on Molokai before traveling back to Maui…it had too many moving parts and too much potential for problems, I cancelled my week on Molokai. I did have 2 weeks on Maui and it was beautiful as always. The lack of mask wearing on the island and the non-enforcement of wearing masks on the plane made the whole trip a little less enjoyable than usual. I will keep you Islanders in my thoughts and prayers that you keep your numbers down, stay healthy and get back to normal as soon as possible.

  15. Screw the island of Kauai if they elect or go along with these idiot politicians. They deserve what they get. Maybe they will wake up and recall these idiots out of office.

      1. Aloha – my spouse and I love Hawaii and have been to the Big Island 5 times since 2011. This pandemic is much too fluid right now for us consider traveling anywhere. We plan to come back in the future once this virus isn’t so rampant. I personally don’t mind wearing a mask, but the whole idea of trying to get tested and still risk not being able to go is too much (we have always spent 7 days in Hawaii). I feel for the residents of Hawaii – you’re basically stuck between a rock and a hard place. But I also understand the challenges you face presently and I don’t wish to contribute to those. We’ll be back,I just can’t say when. Hoping for 2021!

    1. Considering a month long group trip to Oahu in Febuary if the virus numbers decrease, but this new restriction gives us pause. We may need to re-think those plans; not wanting to be on complete lock down.

  16. “Mahalo you guy’s…well, the short answer would be due to the increased disreguard for Covid19 rules and a disturbing increase in the number of cases rising so rapidly in the mainland, this is why Hawaii Covid19 rules are always changing…they must always change to try to meet a safety system that we can implement within the counties inside the Kingdom of Hawaii…the saying now goes; 6 feet apart or 6 feet under?…do you want to choose…?” Once again, Mahalo nui loa readers….
    Shawn

    1. All these temper tantrums because people’s HI vacations are more important than the health of people and the health system. These people don’t have the Aloha vibe. Islands are better without their business. When it is safe to do so, my family will return to support local business in HI.

  17. Traveled from Sacramentoto Kona wanted to get tested but no guarantee of test before departure so now quarantined for two weeks at home. Rules change by the hour are they trying to bankrupt the state andbill shutdown all business

  18. We spent three fabulous weeks in Hawaii in November. One week on Maui, and two on the Big Island. After two COVID tests we felt very safe. My husband missed Hawaii even before we came back. I took advantage of Black Friday specials from Hawaiian Air and the Poipu Koloa Resort. These were to be a Christmas present for my husband. Now I don’t know what to do. I’m incredibly disappointed.

    Dana

    1. No offence, but it was not very well thought out to buy a future vacation during a pandemic. Especially during a time when all epidemiologists have said since the beginning, that we would see a rush. Just push back your dates, you’ll be fine, at least in this regard.

  19. The constant changea, even for only one island, make me second-think existing reservations. Get it together, folks, please

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