After the state of Hawaii opened back up to tourism in October 2020 after a lengthy Covid shutdown, many travelers have been scratching their heads over the new Hawaii travel restrictions, myself included.
When I got the opportunity in March 2021 to head to Maui with Hawaiian Airlines on their new direct flight from Long Beach, California (my hometown) to Maui, I jumped on the chance. I wanted to go through the new Hawaii travel restrictions to see how I can clarify the process for future travelers.
As the state’s home airline, Hawaiian Airlines makes travel to Hawaii as easy as possible during these uncertain times. In fact, they have a whole section of their website dedicated to travel to Hawaii during Covid!
I’ll list the steps here for what you need to do before your trip in order to comply with all of Hawaii’s travel restrictions during Covid:
Hawaii Travel Restrictions
1. Make an appointment for a Covid test with one of Hawaii’s Trusted Testing partner labs. Your test must be with one of these approved labs, and it must be within 72 hours of the last leg of your departure to Hawaii.
We tested with Worksite Labs, who partnered with Hawaiian Airlines to test right in the parking lot of the Long Beach airport. It cost $90 each, was super fast and convenient, and we stayed in our car and received our results less than 36 hours later. Click here to book an appointment!
2. Register for the Hawaii Safe Travels website before your trip, and input your trip details and upload the PDF with your negative test results. This will generate a QR code that you’ll need later. This all must be done before you leave!
3. Travel to Hawaii!
4. Show your QR code and Safe Travels info to the authorities at your arrival airport for inspection. You’ll need this information several times, so I recommend printing out your QR code and test results and keeping the Safe Travels website open on your phone.
– As a side note, Kevin and I were lucky enough to Pre-Clear at the Long Beach airport. Hawaiian Airlines employees checked all our info at the ticketing counter and we were given wristbands. Once we arrived in Maui, we showed our wristbands and were allowed to bypass all the lines and breeze out of the airport. Hawaiian Airlines only does this at certain departure airports, click here for a list.
– Also, at the time of writing, the Big Island is requiring a second Covid test when you arrive at the airport there. This is offered free of charge and is compulsory. This may change, so check the most updated info before your trip.
5. Keep your info on hand for your rental car and hotel check-in, as it was our experience that they’ll verify your Safe Travels info and test results for themselves.
6. Enjoy Hawaii responsibly! Follow the state mandates of wearing masks in public places and keeping physical distance of 6 feet from those outside your household. And always remember to respect the locals, the land, and the sea, both now during these crazy times and in the future!
Wasn’t that easy?
It sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s not bad. The most complicated thing in our opinion was the timing of the tests, since it’s a small window of time. Be prepared to pay a premium for the convenience of a fast turnaround time!
As for our experience with Hawaiian Airlines, we thought it was all very well-handled. They walk a fine line between providing a travel service and keeping their passengers safe and healthy, and I think they did it well.
Here are some of the precautions Hawaiian Airlines is taking to reduce the risk of illness:
– Cleaning and disinfecting their planes after every international and trans-Pacific flight
– Ensuring all employees and passengers wear appropriate face coverings throughout the entire flight
– Handing every passenger a sanitizing wipe for use on their seat and high-touch areas
– Limiting service to reduce contact with flight attendants
– Using a HEPA filter onboard to greatly reduce the risk of viruses surviving
All in all, I found that navigating the Hawaii travel restrictions with the help of Hawaiian airlines was pretty straightforward.
In order to help passengers ease their minds and take all the necessary steps to visit Hawaii, pretty much everything you need to know is conveniently found in one place on the Hawaiian Airlines website.
We very much enjoyed our experience with Hawaiian Airlines and look forward to flying with them again out of the Long Beach airport and definitely post-Covid when we’ll be able to enjoy a Mai Tai inflight!
