Is there hope on the horizon for Hawaii travel after this?
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227 thoughts on “No Recovery Yet For Hawaii Travel. Here’s Why.”
Is there hope on the horizon for Hawaii travel after this?
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We visited Maui in November and found the test requirements were not too bad, although it was stressful waiting for our results. Some of our favorite restaurants were still closed and we will not return until everything is open again. We have a trip planned to Kauai in September but if everything is not reopened and we do not feel welcomed, we will not come. We have our vaccines, why is that not enough? We have visited the islands more than 60 times, but now we just don’t feel Hawaii wants us anymore. Please let me know your response. Thanks.
Hi Chuck.
It isn’t clear what response you are looking for. Will you be welcome? Yes, you will be. Why isn’t vaccination enough? Because there needs to be guidance from the CDC followed by the state before that happens. That will come.
Aloha.
I am concerned that October is 8 months away almost 7 months away starting march 1 and that the gov hasn’t announced that the people with the covid19 vaccine will be available to avoid the quarantine and testing too
Thank you
P.s
Keep me update. i hope before April 1 !
Thank You
P.s keep me updated i would appreciate that
Hi Greg.
Will do.
Aloha.
We are traveling May 1 from Longbeach Ca on Hawaiian Airlines and have made an appt to get tested at a testing site set up by Hawaiian Airlines at the airport 3 days before our flight. The results are suppose to be in by the day of us traveling and uploaded as well as print out of our results on a new app. We will also be vaccinated before our travels so that is another issue that the Gov. needs to get info on. Thanks for your time.
We would love to visit Hawaii but it has become to much of a hassle. I just went to Florida for a week and most restaurants and lodging are open. Plus it’s a lot cheaper! Both of us flew non-stop round trip from Ohio to Orlando for $385.00 Next stop Mexico and and then a cruise in late fall in Europe. Get your act together Hawaii. Sorry
Couldn’t agree more… And my job is directly tied to Hawaii travelers. And I’d still recommend Florida. Simple fact is, you go to Florida and it a breathe of fresh air. Everyone is smiling and happy like normal. You travel to CA or HA and you can feel the instant depressed mood. What a way to live, depressed and sad and anxious..
Congrats HI and the rest of the West Coast States… spending 2+ years depressed is awesome! You win!!!!
Sean, I live in CA and you ate right, we are feeling very depressed, hence the potential of Gov Hairgel. We are locked down and have economic armegheddon for a virus which one has a 1% chance of contracting and a more than 99% chance of surviving. We’ve gone from a 2 week lockdown last March to “flatten the curve” to what seems to be a permanent prison. We love Maui and Kauai, go to both frequently, but we won’t spend our money to trade one prison-CA-for another-HI.
We are using the Hawaiian Airlines testing option. Hoping for vaccination approval, since I am a healthcare worker and have already received mine. Thanks for keeping us updated!
Hi Jolene.
Thanks for letting us know. We hope that the Hawaiian Air option works well.
Aloha.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that airlines are changing schedules. With fewer people traveling to Hawaii, they do need to change schedules. I’m sure when you made your reservation, they anticipated they would be doing a direct flight. Airlines are cutting their losses. The cancellation of our direct flight to Kona added three hours to our travel time; however, the 11 days in Hawaii was totally worth it.
Aloha im coming to oahu from augusta georgia in August 2021. I have a card saying i have had my two shots of moderna. Do i still need a covid test.
Dear Emma, first you have to register with Hawaii Safe Program because it is an requirement. Then 72 hours before you leave on your final leg of trip to Hawaii you have to take a covid test & result be negative in order to bypass the 10 day quarantine. Hawaii will only accept a few tests from their trusted partner. I’m planning a trip to Oahu next year & it has always been my dream vacation to go to Hawaii. My Grandfather was in Pearl Harbor & he survived! I’ve always wanted to go to Pearl Harbor to pay my respects! I will be getting a vaccine passport so you may want to get one too. Walgreens does vaccine passport. I have already completed my itinerary. Good luck to you! Aloha, Andrea:)
I’m going to Maui in may, can you tell me more about walgreens vaccine passport?
Thanks!
Hi Kimm.
Not sure what you are referring to when you say Walgreens vaccine passport. There is no vaccination-based travel to Hawaii yet. We’ll report as soon as that happens.
Aloha.
As of now, yes. Keep checking the news.
Folks, i Googled “airlines who do covid testing.” American uses Lets Get Tested. Their website offered a test and i got results back 24 hours before my flight. United and Hawaiian had similar testing partners.
Do you think the gov will announce that people with the covid19 vaccine won’t have to quarantine i hope by April 1 or may 1 or soon
Before September 1 for October
Thank
You
I hope people won’t have to do quarantine after getting the covid19 vaccine for October
What will people have to show proof of at the airport tbat they had the covid19 vaccine
Hi Greg.
We will update this as soon as there is more information.
Aloha.
When you get your first dose the card that is given to you is your “proof”. You may want to do a vaccine passport from walgreens because I’m going to do that. Also I think that eventually people who want to visit Hawaii will be able to upload their vaccine status electronically through the safe program. Good luck to you!
My testing was seamless. AA had a link to a CA company called Lets Get Tested. They mailed me a covid test kit overnite and suggested i schedule a UPS pickup. Exactly 72 hours before my last flight to Maui, the company facetimed me. I showed an ID, they guided me thru taking the test and repackaging it. UPS picked it up and the sample arrived in the lab the next day. I received the results 24 hours after that and had plenty of time to upload the results to the Hawaii travel site. I will take a printed copy with me. I live in SC and no place local was a Hawaii partner. Local CVS nor Walgreens knew what I was talking about! Google airlines who do covid testing.
Good idea to have it in printed form also! You may want to do a vaccine passport from walgreens!
The Airline option ONLY works if your originating flight has a testing option there. Our flight originated in Palm Springs. United Testing option was in San Francisco (our connection to Kona). We could NOT use this option because proof of Negative Test had to be shown at the airport on your Originating Flight, not your connection.
I need information on who to best get a Covid test from on Oahu as I will be flying interisland in mid April and if things don’t change I will need a Covid test to get into Kauai. I appreciate any feedback you can give on this.
Hi Steve.
Check the state’s website. Others have recommended the Kidney Foundation. https://www.hawaii-guide.com/hawaii-trusted-testing-partners
Aloha.
The whole situation is just sad. We cancelled our trip due to COVID and won’t reschedule until Ige gets his act together. I work for the largest healthcare entity in the US yet their lab isn’t approved for my COVID test to come visit the islands. Ridiculous. We’re going to Florida instead. I hope we find it reasonable to visit one day again to Hawaii.
I’m sorry you had to cancel your trip!!:( In 2020 I had to cancel 2 other vacation trips so I know how you feel!!
I’m planning a trip to Oahu next year & it has always been my dream vacation to go to Hawaii!! I’m using the rest of this year to save $$. Good luck to you, Teresa!
Just returned from Maui. Living in the Seattle area made getting the Covid test easy. Some stress waiting for the results, but the results were back within 36 hours. Wearing a mask when required & following other Covid restrictions were not a big deal. Overall, there was nothing in the travel requirements that would prompt me to cancel a Maui vacation, & we all had a great time.
Did you have to be masked everywhere?
That’s all they care about out here.. Apparently wearing a mask is gonna save the human race and taking it off for even a second with kill everyone…. Yet, here we are a year later, masked up a whole year, and numbers are still relatively the same. (or in Maui’s case increasing…hmmmm)
Fun way to spend 10 minutes… Take a look at trends in non-mandated States vs. mask mandated States… Same spikes, same troughs…
N.Dakota finally issued a mask mandate in November.. S.Dakota never has… Both States very similar population density wise.. Both States case trends nearly identical.
N. Dakota cancelled their mask mandate in January… AND…..no appreciable increase in cases. Go figure.
Bottom line, masks and lockdowns have made no difference in States with mandates vs. more relaxed States..
Now look at Europe (UK, France and Germany in particular) UK- forever lockdown, same with Germany, and France is close to doing one. All three countries have had severe restrictions and mask mandates sine the Fall, and yet here they are going on 5 months, and STILL needing to keep restrictions. ( I think it’s BS, but the fact is they are indeed still on lockdown or near lockdown)
Glad to hear it! I’m planning my dream vacation for next year to Oahu!:) I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii & I’m very excited my dream is coming true!
Just wondering if now that vaccination is taking place, if you have received both doses and 2 weeks after 2nd shot and proof enough to by pass the COVID-19 test and quarantine time on the islands???? Ready to return to paradise!🌴🐬🐋🌺
I dont get it. We are in a pandemic! Getting on a plane and traveling anywhere should not even be a thought or consideration. People need to just sit their okole at home and accept the changes that this pandemic has created.. My home, these islands, should not be a place for people to come to for vacations. Because with the vacation mind set, comes loose behavior and a non compliant attitude.. No need come.. Stay home
yawn….
Travel is all about reducing stress. Why risk having to literally cancel last minute if you or someone in your party tests positive for Covid? Most hotels have some sort of fee for cancelling less than 72hrs ahead and airlines aren’t giving your money back. Yes the airlines will give you credits that you can use at a later time but your money is still tied up with them. The costs of the tests add several hundred dollars to a vacation if you travel with your kids (like I do). So it is very realistic to be out over $1,000 with a (possibly false) positive test not to mention the money tied up with an airline which may be difficult to use to fly to other destinations. We traveled to Florida in Dec. 2020 and had an awesome, stress-free vacation, and we are going back there again this year. We usually make at least one trip to Hawaii every year but it is off the list for us indefinitely. From what I read it sounds like many locals are just fine with us staying away and spending our money elsewhere.
We just got back home in Florida from Maui. The process worked for us, but the whole time it seemed risky and worried we wouldn’t get the results on time. Using United Airline’s screening partner ADL helped a lot. United pre-screened our test result at the airport gate in SFO, put wristbands on those that held negative results before boarding, and on arrival at OGG we bypassed the 200+ travellers waiting to have their results checked by the Hawaiian officials. Risky, because we had to take the test on a specific day, send it overnight by UPS and if UPS missed the delivery by a day or the lab took an extra day we would be sunk. If your negative result arrives after you land, even if it’s the same day, you’re still put in quaratine. 72hrs is very tight to take a test, UPS it, and wait for the lab. 96hrs would have greatly helped and given us and extra day if problems happened. It’s expensive, there’s no guarantee UPS will get the test to the lab on time, and no guarantees the lab will get your results on time. If you don’t go United then you have to look through a list of partners that aren’t listed by state, so you have to go thorugh the USA partners one by one. Normally I would say it’s too much worry, but I really wanted to visit HI.
Lastly, you’re not going to see Canadians anytime soon, their govt requires them to do 14 day quarantine every time they return to Canada since last March and now the first three days have to be at a hotel at a cost of $1000, give or take. Not many can do that.
Here’s to better times
I let you know , going to kauai April 9
Vacation travel is a luxury thing for most people. The state of Hawaii has built such a maze of requirements that most people would prefer to just avoid the confusion and let this whole thing pass before they see Hawaii as a viable choice for their vacations. Sadly, I don’t see Hawaii travel getting close to pre-Covid levels for a couple more years.
Thanks for allowing my experience. We have found no assured way to get COVID test results within 72 hrs. We are not Kaiser members, and CVS said flat-out they could not guarantee results in that time. The third place is far away and they don’t answer their phone. We are members of Sutter Health, a huge provider in California, and yet they’re not on the list of trusted vendors. We canceled a two-week stay because of this problem. Help! Thanks.
Jean S
Hi Jean.
There are the mail-in tests using Vault and there are tests at many of the California airports. Neither CVS nor Kaiser would be the first choice for testing although Kaiser has come through for a lot of those who are commenting. We are not hearing a lot of complaints “recently” about the ability to get timely test results.
Aloha.
That isn’t true – I just came in from California. There are “clusters” of testing locations (San Diego, LA, San Francisco and Oakland) BUT if your flight doesn’t originate in one of those cities, you can’t test there. We had a three hour scheduled layover in San Francisco and no local trusted partner in Coachella Valley area other than CVS and Walgreens who both admitted there was NO WAY our results would be returned in time for our flights as they send their tests out to labs outside the area and results were taking 5-7 days! If you don’t have your Negative Covid results before boarding, you cannot take the test at the major airports (SFO, LAX etc) for your Hawaii flight.
Check Walgreens. Only Walgreens offers an approved NAAT rapid test approved by Hawaii, called ID Now.
Results in less than 24-hours. Had mine in less than an hour.
Depends on WHERE your Walgreens is located and what labs they are using. Ours had NO RAPID test and lab results were 5-7 days. Not an option.
Dear Jean, I’m sorry you had to cancel your trip & I know how you feel!! In 2020 two of my vacation trips were cancelled:( I’m planning a trip to Oahu next year because I want some issues to calm down & I’ve dreamed all my life of going to Hawaii for my vacation! I’m using the rest of this year to save $$. So, for now I will keep on dreaming about the day when I’m finally sitting on the airplane traveling to Hawaii! Hang in there & when your time is right you will be in Hawaii:)
Jean, go to the vaccine passport to start in 3 phases under the beat of Hawaii . Read those
As an ex-resident of Hawaii (1967-1983), a hospitality professional (started my 52 year hotel career with the Reef Hotels in 1969) in Hawaii and California, the plight of Hawaii tourism saddens me on so many levels.
I return to Hawaii almost every year consistently (except last year) and am looking forward to returning in November – this time back to Maui. We usually go to Kauai but not even thinking about it yet due to the restrictions.
In my retirement I am now an independent travel agent specializing in Hawaii travel. I read your newsletters every time to try to stay up to date on what is going on for my own edification as well as to keep my clients informed on the “latest”. What a struggle to understand the constant changes right now! It’s sad because the demand is there – only being held back by the continued harsh restrictions and confusion.
I will keep hoping!
Hello Kauai’s Mayor and Hawaii’s Governor, Here’s today’s New York Times COVID ZERO IS NOT REALISTIC. “In the coming months, Covid will probably recede, as a result of vaccinations and growing natural immunity. But it will not disappear. “Some people have gotten this idea that we’re going to get to ‘Covid zero,’” Dr. Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins University told me. “That’s not realistic. It’s a fantasy.
The reasonable goal is to make it manageable, much like the seasonal flu.
Israel, the country that has vaccinated the largest share of its population, offers a case study. One recent analysis looked at 602,000 Israelis who had received Covid vaccines and found that only 21 later contracted the virus and had to be hospitalized. Twenty-one is obviously not zero. Vaccines are almost never perfect. But the Covid vaccines are turning it into the sort of risk that people accept every day.
Here’s a useful way to think about Israel’s numbers: Only 3.5 out of every 100,000 people vaccinated there were later hospitalized with Covid symptoms. During a typical flu season in the U.S., by comparison, roughly 150 out of every 100,000 people are hospitalized with flu symptoms.
And yet the seasonal flu does not grind life to a halt. It does not keep people from flying on airplanes, eating in restaurants, visiting their friends or going to school and work.
The vaccines will not produce “Covid zero“
Hopefully Gov. Ige and the dictator of Kaua’i will read that article and come to a sensible conclusion. Sadly, I doubt it, though.
Atleast you get it… Problem is the uninformed, the gullible and the people that cannot think for themselves, think there will just be this magic date where Covid is done….
Hawaii will not recover while we have an governor that can not get legitimate testing centers on the mainland approved for Covid testing in a timely fashion. It’s idiotic to think tourists are going to flock here especially when there is a limited 72 hour window from getting the test results to actually boarding the plane. On top of that the average tests cost $150 and there are a lot of false positives (I know because it happened to me and I lost the money on the test when returning home here) so the beneficiary in the tourist business will be Florida and Mexico, not Hawaii. There is long term damage to the US economy even if the virus was to stop dead in its tracks tomorrow and all the unapproved vaccinations center limitations that Hawaii has is not helping the matter. You can never completely eliminate covid 19 because the vaccinations are not 100% effective, and who really knows how long the immunity lasts once you get the vaccine. Governor Ige needs to communicate these facts in an comprehensive manner. Reply’s are appreciated, thanks.
We were on the Big Island from January 16-29 and had an incredibly positive experience all around. Perhaps a bit stressed finding the right Covid testing location. The easiest option seemed to be Carbon at PDX, but because we booked our trip relatively last minute, we were unable to schedule tests within the 72 hour window (there were no openings). We ended up going to AFC and SO happy we did. It was closer to home, we stayed in the car the entire time, and got our results in 15 minutes. We were able to book appointments online 4 days in advance of when we needed the tests (which was better than many other labs which either were walk-in or just a couple days ahead of time which seemed too risky). AND, our insurance paid 100% of the cost (Carbon would have been $200 each out of pocket). We flew Alaska (on refundable tickets) and had a great experience both with the Pre-Clear program and the flights themselves (flights were not full, airline staff was great about ensuring social distancing and mask wearing). We ensured that all of our lodging (1 hotel and 2 Airbnb) had flexible cancelation policies just in case we had any issues. We had to have a second (free) test at KOA when we arrived, but it was a mild inconvenience. Had to show our negative tests when picking up the rental car and at the hotel our first night, but then put them away for the rest of the trip. We had a wonderful time – the locals were friendly, social distancing was easy and mask wearing was expected in indoor places. We felt safe and welcomed – and everything was much less crowded than usual. Sure, some places were closed, but we managed just fine (beaches are all open, as are the majority of restaurants). Since returning, I’ve encouraged several friends and co-workers to visit. Some are planning to do so, but others are very anxious about the risks of traveling during a pandemic, which is understandable.
My son and daughter in law got tested from an approved vendor on website, only to arrive at airport and find out the vendor was only approved at one of their locations.
There was no information on Hawaii’s site or the vendors site. They used the link directly from the Hawaii safe travels web page.
They were not allowed on the plane and had to cancel their flight.
These are the stories that cause people to hesitate coming.
As to hotel vacancy rate: I think the problem is eating at restaurants which is only choice when staying at hotel other than room service.
We own several vacation rental condos in Kihei and our vacancy rate since Christmas is only 30%. Our complex is starting to fill up as well. I think people feel safer with a kitchen where they can cook their own food
What are the “rules” for a person that has had the Moderna vaccine..both shots???
Same as for everyone else. Vaccinated or not, it makes no difference at this time.
It is not accepted. Google “airlines covid testing” and you will find companies who mail tests. It was an easy protocol.
Like the other comment says, there’s no difference, implying that the vaccine doesn’t offer enough effectiveness to warrant getting it, according to these standards of course. The cool part is you can say you’re a GMO now!!! How awesome is that?!
I have been to Maui twice in the last 3 months. The procedures are not overly burdensome and work. The island was quiet and relaxing. Yes some if the tourist activities were closed but no crowds! It is how maui used to be 20 years ago!
Here’s the dealio…I’m not coming until HI opens up completely with no restrictions because ineptitude abounds with the government processing of these results as well as with those partners who supply the results. Scores of people report that their results were not available within 72 hours or the results came back “inconclusive.”. What??? There is NO way I’m booking a flight and making reservations when I won’t be allowed to use them and instead will be forced to stay at some government approved “bubble resort” while I’m forced to quarantine against my will. Forgeddabowdit! If the intention with all the rules is to keep people away, then they have the right plan in place. Until that time there are other states with warm sun that will let me in with no restrictions where I can recreate and vacation. Hello AZ! Hello Tucson!
I wouldn’t come here either…
It is almost comical when people say “oh it’s not that bad”. Or having to test, download apps., risk quarantining even if healthy, is normal.
Same with tier 3 being started. People in Oahu are thanking the Mayor and Gov. Really?!!! People are being conditioned to think basic human (US) freedom is a luxury. Being conditioned to think it is normal for a handful of people (4 or 5) to dictate what thy can or cannot do for a year, and going on 2 yrs soon.
I am traveling with three children, ages 10yrs, 13yrs, and 17yrs, for Spring break. We had to cancel last year due to Covid. After reading all of the nightmares with the testing not getting back in time; I have decided to get the test at the airport, through United, for $200. each. That’s an extra $800, do you think the tests will be coming down in price or some kind of a rebate offered through Hawaii tourism? I’m praying we still have a great time at the Grand Wailea, they are at 25% occupancy for spring break.
Thanks,
Wendy
Hi Wendy.
We don’t have any reason to think that those tests will come down in price or will receive any kind of rebate. There are other lower-cost paid and even free options. Many commentators report that their insurance has paid for tests as well.
Aloha.
My brother and I are planning on a trip to Maui in May and we both have been vaccinated. Will the vaccination document be considered enough “proof” without a Covid test or having to be quarantined?
I have been traveling to Hawaii and lived on Oahu for 10 years.
My last two trips since Oct 2020 have been the easiest ever when following the given rules. Make an appt. for your test, fill out the Safe Travel forms and wait for test results.
After arriving there is literally 1 flight of people. Covid Neg results go one direction and no Covid testers go another. Easy, easy, why would ANYONE not get tested? $90 for test, thousands for breaking quarantine. Hawaii is an island people. Keep it safe!!
With no exports and tourism the main income generator, the governor and mayors are screwing the people over. Not only should they report COVID cases, they should tally how many business closures, increased substance abuse hospital visits, domestic violence police calls, and depression diagnosis’s.
We have been traveling to Hawaii at least once a year every year for the past 20 years and would love to come back ASAP. We love the culture the history and the people ,, also the awesome beauty of all the islands. My problem is the 72 hr. negative test results is going to be a roll of the dice. I live in Albuquerque NM and there are no rapid test locations that are on Hawaii approved testing partners list that can say we can provide results in 24 hrs. We have got both COVID vaccines as of last week and are ready to come back to our favorite travel destination.
I was hoping proof of the vaccine would open the door for travel because I can’t gamble that Costco , Walgreens or CVS can guarantee a 72 hr. test results before I get on the plane. Keep us updated,, Thanks
Hi Lonnie.
Thanks. You didn’t mention when you will be traveling. We should know more about vaccine based travel relatively soon.
Aloha.
I just went to Hawaii from Colorado. From what I could tell, there were only two places to get a test—afc and Kaiser. If you don’t have Kaiser you have to go to afc. They charge extra for tests that ensure you have within 72 hours. I paid 850 for a family of 4 tests. That adds a lot of money to an already pricey trip. All of the uploading required could also be confusing to older people. I have to help my parents in April figure it out. Overall it was worth it for me, but this process is definitely not sustainable for travel in the long term.
You make stupid rules, you get stupid results. Hawaii will go bankrupt due to these very bad policies.
100%
Agreed, there is some confusion on the entry requirements and approved testing partners. Planning on arriving in HNL on 2/26. Originally, scheduled PCR test at CVS, but noticed that they outsource their test to Quest Diagnostics, and the safetravels website specifically stated they would not be accepting tests from Quest. So, rescheduled to Walgreens, and await the results. In my experience, turnaround time in the Chicagoland area is about 24hr for the NAAT (PCR). Will update with actual experience. Fingers crossed.
I visited Maui in December. I would never recommend anything but a test with results in an hour after my experience. Most places send the test overnight to a lab. If there is bad weather at the origination, the hub, or the destination, you are out of luck. If the test results were available within 24 hours of getting to the lab, that would be about 24 hours before the flight. Instead, the results didn’t come until 10pm when I had a 6am flight. I was ready to book another airline which had local testing in the airport if I didn’t get my results on time.
The worst part about it is that if you have taken a test and don’t have the results, the current rules, at least on United, don’t allow you to fly off you have taken a test and haven’t gotten results, so I couldn’t have even taken my flight which connected to my flight to Hawaii even if my results came back before the Hawaii leg. If you can’t take a non-stop, waiting to get to a hub airport with testing is risky, as if it comes back positive, you are stuck in a strange city, with your bags on their way to Hawaii.
I have a decision to make as our family of 5 is planning to spend 2 weeks in Hawaii this July! At this point, in leaning towards canceling the trip because of the requirements to wear masks on the beach and in the restaurants (as you’re seated at your table)! For me, it’s not worth the time and $$ to travel there and have all these restrictions!
I’ll be taking my family and $$ to a different place this year!
Appreciate the travel update especially to Kauai. My question is what office is responsible for contact tracing?
Hi Lehua.
We believe it is the health department.
Aloha.
Have bagged the idea of Hawaii, maybe for very long term, but writing this sitting on the balcony, looking out on the beautiful sands and surf of Puerto Rico. There was pretesting for COVI yes, but recognized many testing sites, and gov website to travel, was easy to negotiate prior to our visit. Even I at 75 could manage it. People here wearing masks and taking this seriously, but still loving and enjoying life. Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.
Cheers,
L&S