What to Expect When Traveling to Hawaii During the Covid-19 Surge
And Steps to Help You Travel There Safely
First let me say, “Wow! What an experience.” There was much more stress involved in this trip compared to past vacation travel. From Covid-19 testing and health paperwork to the general anxiety of traveling with strangers in a plane, there are some major considerations you will face.
In this article, I will cover 5 steps to ensure your safety and have a wonderful time in Hawaii.
At the time of booking our tickets in September, Hawaii was still locked down and requiring all entrants to self-quarantine for 14 days. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill quarantine. If you break quarantine, you could face a hefty fine and jail time so taking it seriously is the only option. If you planned on staying there for 10 days, you’d never leave your room so why bother going at all?
That said, we decided to stay for 30 days. After all, our teenagers are remote learners, my wife’s job is remote, and my jobs are remote. The only downfall to non-vacation remote school and work is the time zone difference, which for us was a 2-hour difference. Getting up between 5:30–6am to prepare for the day is tough but manageable.
Around mid-October, Hawaii removed the mandatory lockdown and began accepting negative-Covid-19 tests to skip the quarantine process. It all begins on the State of Hawaii — Safe Travels website.
If you plan on skipping quarantine, you do need to make sure you select a state-accepted company for Covid-19 testing. In our case, we used Vault Health, which was a very easy process. However, it did come with a few stressors. Let’s talk about those a little later.
Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for, the steps!
Step 1 — Are You Ready to Travel?
Is it worth the risk to you and/or your family? We battled with this question for weeks. Being a family with higher risk factors, we struggled and wondered if we could be “safe.” What does “safe" even mean in the era of Covid-19? Being in the airport around people from all walks of life, and then sharing the same recycled air in the plane with potentially infected people were the biggest and scariest factors for us. We decided, with proper preparations and family training, we could protect ourselves from the virus.
Before you begin planning and making preparations, know the answer to this question. If the answer is maybe or you’re not sure, don’t do it. It’s not worth the stress to you or your family.
Step 2 — Planning & Preparations
Fees, fees, and more fees. Your trip will start to add up quickly so make sure you’ve accounted for the hidden costs. We’re a family of four. This means we have a 4x multiplier for everything below. Also, the airlines have changed significantly. There is basic economy, economy, business, business+, first class, and I’m sure there are other variations; this is just for United Airlines. They did remove change fees during Covid-19, but they did add some new hidden costs that will make your jaws drop and your wallets empty.
The Costs of Your Trip
- Airline Tickets — Round trips from SFO to Hawaii range from $300-$1500+ depending on the time of year, how early you book, and what class you purchase.
- Airline Seats — Depending on the class you purchase, you can choose your seats for an additional cost that ranges from $12-$110+. Is the extra 3–6" really worth it? That’s for you to decide.
- Airline Baggage Check — Another surprise if you choose the cheapest fare is the fact that you cannot carry on your luggage. The costs will range from $25-$75 for the bags and checking your bag.
- Covid-19 Tests — Skipping quarantine comes at a premium to the tune of $100+. These tests must be administered within the 72 hours prior to your flight. This is stressful because you must receive the tests, follow the directions, join the doctor or nurse Zoom session, and then mail them off within the window of time and hope that you receive a negative result within 24–48 hours after they receive the test. Talk about a tight timeframe!
- Airbnb/Hotels/VBRO/Property Management — Choose your destiny. We choose a property management company, which requires monthly rentals if you are on certain islands. It was the cheapest route. Our house was $10K+ more on Airbnb because it was during the holiday period. Going through a property management company saved us significantly so do your research!
- Rental Cars — Lyft and Uber may still be operating but comes with risks. Completely up to you, but we opted in for a rental car and found great deals on VIP Cars.
- Personal Protective Equipment — Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, face shields, goggles, wipes, etc. The costs of these materials vary from $5/ea. — $20+. High risk families should consider the full list. We opted in to wear shields, masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer for each person in the family. We preprepared baggies with PPE for each family member, so we were fully loaded.
- Fuel —With a rental car comes fuel. Budget it into your trip to prevent money leaks.
- Groceries or Grocery Delivery — Do you want to go shopping or have it delivered. Make this decision and budget into your trip the cost of food. It’s often a hidden cost
- Entertainment & Attractions — Restaurants, attractions, charter boats, etc. are still operating but be respectful. Make sure you review the Covid-19 requirements before you arrive to ensure you are following protocols appropriately. Again, these costs can add up quickly.
After all the PPE and costs, one big tip for you to consider. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE. I’ll repeat this. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE. When out and about limit the amount of face touching, eye rubbing, etc. This will severely decrease the potential exposure if you’re following all the rules. Remember, there isn’t a magic person walking around disinfecting everything. Use your best judgement.
Step 3 — The Airport
Checking in is a breeze. The crowds are significantly smaller. Pre-TSA will still be helpful, so you don’t have to pull your laptop out and take off your shoes, etc. It was difficult wearing PPE (personal protection equipment) the entire time. I thought we would be the only worriers wearing face shields, masks, and gloves, but we were surprised by how many people were also wearing them. It made us feel better.
Arrive to the airport on a full stomach and do not expect to buy your last-minute items. There were no stores or restaurants open when we arrived at the airport. Maybe we missed the open ones, and this could change, but it makes sense to limit the possible exposure points to other travelers.
Back to the boarding process. Typically, you have to stand in line to wait for your boarding group. This time was different. Instead of boarding groups, the airlines called 5–10 rows at a time, which still led to lines. Maintaining social distancing recommendations was hard to be aware of your surroundings. I will never understand why airlines do not start boarding from the back of the plane to limit the waiting in lines and exposing first class passengers or earlier boarders.
Step 4 — The Plane and Flight
When you arrive to the plane door, you are greeted by the staff and handed an alcohol wipe for cleaning your seat, touch screen, and tray table.
Like the airport, there were no food or drinks for purchase on the plane so come prepared. However, they did pass out baggies of water and other snacks, which didn’t make sense. You are required to wear masks on the plane except when you eat or drink. Seems like a flawed approach.
Finally, the last flaw in the airline’s safety protocol is filling out the declaration paperwork. If you do not have a pen, you have to borrow one to fill out the declaration card. Might not be a big deal but it is a potential risk if you touch the pen and rub your face. Again, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE unless you know it is 100% clean.
Step 5— Once You Arrive & Deplaning
Deplaning was the worst part. They attempted to deplane in an orderly fashion, but it was like watching a cattle run. Again, airlines should do a better job to maintain traveler patience. If you are going to deplane 5 rows at a time. Let the 5 rows completely exit before calling the next 5 rows. On our flight, 5 rows were called every 60–90 seconds. It was just like pre-Covid-19 deplaning, which was very concerning.
Once you arrive to your destination, the lines can be long so hit the bathroom on the plane before you land. They will split you into multiple lines. Lines for people with the QR coded bypassing quarantine and those who have to quarantine. If you have to quarantine, you will be responsible for reporting to the Hawaii Safe Travels site once a day for 14 days. Make sure you do this to prevent any fines, penalties, or jail time.
Outside of the airport, you’re on your own. The fun may begin!