The Hawaii Department of Transportation has just released its tips for Hawaii travel this summer. We know it will be very busy, with more than 150 flights a day on average heading to the islands.
See the state’s tips below, and we’ll add many of ours as well. However, this is not the usual season. Due to the pent-up demand, combined with a lack of rental cars, it’s time for some innovative strategies and planning to keep your cool under the hot Hawaii summer sun.
Also read our Summer Guide to 2021 Hawaii Travel During COVID for all details, tips, and tricks.
And: Hawaii Summer 2021 By The Numbers | How Busy Will It Be?
The DOT wants “anyone flying into or out of Hawaii airports to expect a busy summer travel season. Preliminary visitor statistics show 23,423 passengers arrived in Hawaii on May 23, which is approximately 70-percent of pre-COVID numbers.” And that’s well before the peak season even begins.
What Hawaii DOT says:
1. “Plan for peak travel time. Peak time for arrivals at Hawaii airports is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. If your flight time is within that window, plan and prepare using the tips below.”
2. “Consider getting a ride to the airport.” Airport parking lots are filling up fast.
3. ” Arrive at the airport ahead of time.” TSA and DOT recommend “arriving more than two hours before departure and checking baggage to save time at security checkpoints.”
4. “Make sure you’re aware of COVID-19 travel recommendations or restrictions.” It’s critical to know all the rules beforehand. Don’t get caught by surprise on pre-travel testing and post-travel testing on Maui and the Big Island, among other things. Interisland travel has separate rules too.
Beat of Hawaii Suggestions for TSA Screening.
TSA lines in Hawaii are hard to predict. Be prepared for a long wait, and be happily surprised when there isn’t one. Don’t miss a flight as we did.
Arrive at the airport early. TSA is recommending travelers arrive well in advance, especially when flying from HNL. At other Hawaii airports, 2 hours is probably adequate, although as we said, that isn’t always reliable.
Look for other checkpoints. Check to see if a line in another area of the airport is much shorter. That is a trick we’ve used frequently.
Avoid prohibited carry-on items like liquids. “Just keep that in mind with prohibited items, they do cut down on the efficiency and speed of people making it through the security checkpoint.” — TSA.
TSA PreCheck. That frequently saves time, but not always.
Avoid TSA’s busiest hours. Those are Thursdays through Sundays, and 9 am – 1 pm and 7 pm – 11 pm. That is when the majority of Hawaii departures occur (both inter-island and trans-Pacific).
Keep carry-ons organized. Make it easy to remove electronic devices and food not to hold up the line.
Easy on and off shoes. Anything hard to take off is bulky or cumbersome, inevitably slows down the process.
Contact TSA with your questions. They can be reached under the handle AskTSA on Facebook and Twitter.
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Please let me know the COVID restrictions, if any. Thank you.
Hi Graciela.
Please check this: https://beatofhawaii.com/ultimate-guide-to-hawaii-travel-during-covid/.
Aloha.
Is there any one out there who can explain
What Covid test Maui want people to have ,I read
on line that you need to get the NAAT Covid
test. Here in NJ can not find anywhere that has
this nuclear test and to have it 72 hours before
You land is almost impossible. If you. Know
A company we need help thank you.
Hi Rob.
Not impossible with over 1/2 million people a month arriving and most of them vaccinated. https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel. Let us know if you have any questions.
Aloha.
ROB… There are three kinds of Covid Testings – PRC Testing and Rapid Results Testing – both of which are NAAT tests and the Antibody test which NOT an NAAT test. YOu would know if someone was offering only the antibody test as 99.9% of the testing out there is OTHER THAN antibody and therefore NAAT. As far as testing in New Jersey, I cannot belive that every Walgreens and/or CVS or many many other offer the PRC and/od Rapid Results tests. In fact, Xprescheck, which offers Rapid Results, has facilities at both Terminal B and Terminal C at Newark Airport as well as a site at JFK. BTW – you are incorrect that you need the results before you land – you need the results before you board you final flight to Hawaii.
I have to say that we were surprised that the airports are not all allowing TSA precheck for all flights. I was told once by a TSA agent at the Kona airport, that, nah, it wasn’t going to be an option today…which was fine because there was no lines anyway so I get that, but we did pay TSA for the ability for this option so TSA should probably allow it at all flights? I mean didn’t I pay THEM for that? We travel often and it’s the only place this has happened (except for a pre dawn flight out of LAX and we were the only flight going so we didn’t need it). We just hope that with the craziness that is accompanying the “return to Hawaii” that this becomes more important to keep staffed. Would allow for some ease of the lines facing so many. We are looking forward to our Oahu trip in October with more vaccine policies in place for guests (we are fully vaccinated) and less restrictions. Haven’t been back to Oahu for 9 years as we usually spend our trips on the Big Island…looking forward to just relaxing at our resort and soaking up all that Hawaii is to us–peace! Thanks for your updates
Hi Collette.
Thanks for your first-time comment. Staffing at TSA has definitely been an issue in Hawaii and apparently that is still the case.
Aloha.
Don’t know if this will actually help ultimately but a poster’s comment about a “blue band” brought it to mind.
ImmunaBand is being used more and more by restaurants, etc to show that people are legitimately and fully vaccinated. (Restaurants are using it for PR so diners know their server is vaccinated.)
It is a sturdy blue “rubber” wristband with a stainless insert that has a QR Code that, when read, shows you Covid Card. You order it on Immunaband.com for either $20 (no name) or $25 (with your name an vaccine type). (If you need to tell them apart, you might want the name on it.) Once they process you payment, you are given a specific site to which to upload pdf of your vaccine card. You also then receive an email which gives you a web link to your uploaded card (and the pin to access it) and the QR code itself.
As time goes on, it could be more and more useful but for the moment, I’m going to feel proud when I wear it. (BTW… This is not the look alike that a college in Florida is selling – this one actually allows access to your Covid card.)
TSA Precheck is the way to go if you fly regularly. No removing jackets,shoes, electronics, etc and the line is usually shorter and faster. I did not have it for 6 months and and was reminded big time why we got it.
Here’s to a successful Summer season and an abundance of Aloha from locals and visitors alike!
Mahalo Rob and Jeff for your stellar updates and awesome insights.
Beat Of Hawai’i is the go to place for all the best information, all the time.
I wish you both a blessed Memorial Day weekend and a wonderful unofficial start of Summer.
Aloha 🌺
Hi Pam.
Thanks for your ongoing help and inspiration! Have a great weekend.
Aloha, R/J
TSA PreCheck on some islands isn’t as great a deal as it was before the concept caught on but for the average of $15 PER YEAR ($85 for the 5 year registration), it is still SO worth it!
We just returned from an amazing two weeks on Oahu.
Our flights were completely full. HNL looked like a ghost town. I have never seen the airport so empty. Almost all the shops and restaurants were closed.
We stayed on Oahu the entire time due to the uncertainty with testing requirements.
We used Vault testing for the 72 hr pre-arrival Covid test,they were very efficient. We thought the condition was no more than 72 hours ‘exactly’, so we had counted the hours to make sure our second flight departure would fall within those exact hours. They measure in days (3 days). Leave Sunday, test Thursday.
IMPORTANT* Show your Covid test paperwork to your airline and get your wrist band at your departure gate before boarding your final flight to Hawaii!
United did a last minute gate change on a tight connection for our second flight and by the time we got to the gate they were already boarding so we just jumped in line and forgot all about getting the wrist band.
When we got on the plane and noticed all the wrist bands, we asked a flight attendant who told us no problem, just show your paperwork after getting off.
We were very lucky the line was not long when we arrived. Everything went very smooth. HNL had it very organized with people to guide you through.
We did watch the people who had wrist bands walk right through with no line.
When we were flying home (May 23) the Covid arrival lines were much longer.
Be prepared to write your name, address and phone number down in a log almost everywhere you go, and temp checks.
Make sure you have a QR Code app on your phone because most places do not have physical menus, they ask you to scan the QR code to pull up their menu.
Be prepared to wait in line at every restaurant. Long lines everywhere. Eat off hours.
Tickets for tours, Kualoa, USS Arizona were non-existent while we were there.
With distance/seating restrictions it is not the fault of the restaurant/tours.
Be patient and kind.
Hawaii is still Heaven on earth!
Thank you
Hi Sharon.
Thanks so much for your Oahu trip report. We’re glad to hear you had a great time.
Aloha.
Beat of Hawaii helped us so much.
I was very lucky and I had reserved a rental for a week when I booked our flights. I paid a little more per day for having a free cancellation reservation thinking I might get a lower price later. (ha ha)
We considered booking another car for our last day since we had a late flight.
That didn’t happen when a ONE day rental was $730 and up!! (one day!)
I did see quite a few U-Haul trucks at tourist destinations.
Thank you for a great up to date site!
Hi Sharon.
Thanks! Glad to hear every worked out and you got a car, period.
Aloha.
Our son is on Kauai right now. A surf shop employee told him that he and his friends were renting their personal cars for between $300 and $400 a day. People are arriving on the island with no car reservation and didn’t realize they would be sold out.
On hold with Hawaiian Air for TWO HOURS last night.
Aloha,
Thanks BOH for keeping us travelers intimately informed. We appreciate you!
My family of four just returned from 12 days in Kauai. We are from Maryland. We stayed with my sister near Kilauea for most of the time. After getting through the so called ‘6 easy steps’ from the safe travels program (anxiety pit! – that process made us MORE ready for a vacation), we entered into the deep rest of the garden island of Kauai. I guess the island doesn’t know a pandemic is happening. BTW, get the blue band form the departing airport from the mainland. We had United Airlines and we stumbled upon that shortcut in LAX. Helped us breeze through in Lihue.
Overall, masks indoors pretty much everywhere, and some outside masks in Lihue and Kapaa town, but that’s fine…Hawaiil covid numbers are low and they want to keep them that way. Cool. To travel to Hanalei or to the end of the road, you just need to know when to go and when to wait. Again, once you’re on the Island it’s pretty much the same place.
Love the ‘slow yourself down’ feel and the island just ministers to you peace, ease, and relaxation. Can’t wait to return to see family and the lovely jewel of Kauai.
Hi Justin.
Thanks! We’re glad to hear you had a good time on Kauai and are excited to return again.
Aloha.