What
Guests heading to Hawaii from the Western U.S. now have access to drive-through and walk-up COVID-19 testing clinics in several major cities, thanks to a new initiative from Hawaiian Airlines. The testing sites will serve clients flying to the Aloha State from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland, Ore. and Seattle. Guests who obtain a valid negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of a scheduled Hawaiian Airlines flight can bypass the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine (of which Kauai is excluded) as part of the state’s Safe Travels Hawaii program.
Why It Matters
Hawaiian Airlines’ announcement is the latest in a string of initiatives designed to offer Hawaii-bound flyers quick and reliable COVID-19 testing, but advisors should remain cautiously optimistic about such promises. After CVS Health initially partnered with Hawaii to offer timely test results, it later clarified that results may actually take longer than 72 hours to process, especially during times of peak testing demand (such as the holidays). Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines’ testing sites are guaranteeing results within 36 hours. Although these testing partnerships are a step in the right direction toward rebooting Hawaii’s tourism scene, travel agents would do well to advise that clients have back-up testing options, as well.
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Fast Facts
- Travelers from Los Angeles have access to the carrier’s exclusive testing site in Culver City, Calif., which offers $90 shallow nasal swab tests from Worksite Labs. Additional Worksite Labs locations include a clinic near San Francisco International Airport and across the street from the Main Street Hotel in Las Vegas. (Note: Las Vegas-based travelers can also receive testing from University Medical Center of Southern Nevada at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the UMC Advanced Center for Health or any of UMC’s nine Quick Care locations.
- Travelers from Portland, Ore. and three locations in Seattle (Shoreline, Redmond and Tacoma) have access to US BioTek testing sites for nasal and saliva tests.
- Hawaiian Airlines is also offering a mail-in testing option through Vault Health.
What They Are Saying
“We know how important it is for our guests to have convenient, reliable access to pre-travel tests and we are pleased to bring them more options in key gateway cities,” said Avi Mannis, senior vice president of marketing at Hawaiian Airlines. “Our dedicated testing locations guarantee guests will receive results within 36 hours of being tested, so they can meet the state’s requirements and focus on enjoying safe travel.”
The Details
Hawaiian Airlines
www.hawaiianairlines.com
