Covid Tests for Travel

[Pauline]

Many airlines and countries now require negative results from a Covid test taken 72 hours before the flight.

Friends of mine were flying to Hawaii and needed a test to fly but the results did not come back in time for their flight and they cancelled their trip! This was in May and in New Mexico. Hopefully it is better organised now.

Although I recently read on Twitter about an American expat returning from the US west coast to Italy, and she missed her connecting flight on the east coast and was told she had to do another test, which she did, then was told on checkin she didn’t need it.

Has anyone had experience with these tests for travel?

 

[NoSpin]

We went to Bermuda in late May for a week. No more than five days prior we had to submit a negative PCR test to the government along with a $75 pp payment. Also if vaccinated, our vaccination card. Then they sent back a "Travel Authorisation" form. It was necessary to present the negative test result and the "Travel Authorisation" before Jet Blue would let people board the plane.

Once in Bermuda, before even getting to customs, they checked all the paperwork. If you were vaccinated you received an orange wristband, if not you received a different color. The difference was non-vacc'd visitors had to quarantine at their hotel for 4 days.

After customs you were directed to an area where you were given another PCR test. Within a day they notified you of the results and gave you a place and time 4 days later to show up for another test. If we had stayed longer there were mandatory tests on days 8 and 14.

Masks were required everywhere and mnay places took your temperature before allowing you in.

It was a complete hassle and I wouldn't have gone except my wife insisted we go because several friends were going.

 

[susan]

Hawaii still has pretty strict rules. The latest from Hawaii News Now:
"Those who have been vaccinated in Hawaii will be able to forgo the 10-day quarantine without getting a COVID test.
However, those who were vaccinated anywhere else will still have to take a test before flying to Hawaii. If not, they will need to quarantine for 10 days."
"When the state hits a 70% vaccination rate, all travel restrictions will drop."

The estimation is sometime in August to reach this rate. Right now they are at 55%.

From what I understand, they are pretty picky with the companies performing the COVID tests.

 

[Andrew]

I'm posting elsewhere about my frustrations with an American Airlines booking on their COVID-tested program to Italy. Their page on testing locations is at best incomplete. Of the sites they link, eMed could be most convenient for a video-guided self-test that you do whenever you wish within the allowed time before departure. It's clear that it's good for testing before flying to the U.S., not super-clear about it for leaving the U.S., and it partly depends on the destination country's rules. If an EU country says an antigen test is valid, it appears to be good, but some people worry about the test being on a list with good accuracy, and that the results report is in the right format.

Of the others, the one that calls for sending a home test away for results doesn't look so good when you need to test within 48 hours before departure, and the other two don't cover many locations.

What should be good are tests done at CVS, if you search their site checking the box that you want rapid-result testing. It might depend on your insurance and location, but it's reported that if you say you're testing for travel, they'll charge $130, and there's a temptation, even encouraged by their employees, to say you have a minor symptom and the test will be free.

For a test before leaving Italy, it's reported that they're widely available at pharmacies.

 

[vicogirl51]

We are on Maui now and the Covid test we used for Hawaii trusted partner travel was the Abbott ID Now done at Walgreens . Results in a couple of hours plus it was free!! Hawaii requires a NAAT Covid test and this one is! Results are sent in pdf form and uploading to Hawaii site was the hardest part of the process for me! Once landed whole process took 15 min! Bring vaccination card!!
In August we fly on a Covid tested flight Newark to Rome on United. Their site indicates a molecular or antigen Covid test 48 hrs prior to departure . Our flight is a Sunday evening ! Our CVS’s doesn’t do the rapid test in our area Florida Space Coast !
I assume We will go to an urgent care. Not sure yet. Any ideas ?
I also read somewhere that it’s the agent when you checkin at the airport that looks at your results snd if they don’t recognize the test they reject it. That’s what scares me is that some one lacking the knowledge of Covid test will say no. What I don’t understand is do you bring a paper copy or do airlines have a site to upload? United didn’t know when I called

 

[Andrew]

United has a Travel-ready center: it looks like they give detailed information when you enter your confirmation code. There's a reference to "Uploading your test results."

 

[artnbarb]

United has a Travel-ready center: it looks like they give detailed information when you enter your confirmation code. There's a reference to "Uploading your test results."

Too bad American doesn't do the same. I see pages and pages of Covid related stuff, but very little actual information. I guess we're just supposed to go to a drugstore or lab for the quick test.

 

[vicogirl51]

I went to the United travel center site but when I click on upload it says not needed . So do we just bring a paper copies of Covid test? We are getting 2 different test just in case as I don’t trust the people who check us in…the Abbott ID Now a rapid molecular NAAT test at Walgreens and the rapid antigen from CVS or an Urgent Care. Maybe by August they will accept our vaccination cards. My cousin did tell me this morning that the Covid #s are way way down and they are removing mask wearing outside!!
A friend is traveling to Italy via Delta Atlanta to Rome snd will let me know how her Covid tested fly went.