Since I just got back from Oahu, I thought it would be useful to write about the updated COVID Hawaii travel requirements. I wrote an extensive post back in March 2021 and since then, a lot has changed. Please keep in mind that this post is specifically for Oahu. I know some islands can have additional requirements so please check with each island’s local guidelines. For this post though, I will go through the exact steps I took to be able to enter Oahu last week.
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Flying Alaska Airlines LAX>HNL
Alaska Airlines was having a major Buy One Get One Free sale during the holidays so my best friend and I decided to book a quick trip to Honolulu for some girl time. We booked the Main Cabin fare (middle tier) since it had the most flexibility. The total cost came out to $326.02 so only $163.01 per person round trip! If we booked the Basic Fare, it would have been even cheaper but we couldn’t pick our seats and there’s a “no change” policy associated with the Basic Fare.
Hawaii Pre-Clear Program
The Hawaii Pre-Clear is a new program where flyers can now be pre-screened ahead of their flight to bypass the screening at your Hawaiian destination airport. It is a partnership program between the State of Hawaii and certain airlines (Hawaiian, United, Alaska, Southwest, Delta, and American) where you get to skip the screening lane when you land. The caveat with this program is that even though you have a lot of airlines participating, not every airport has the Hawaii Pre-Clear Program though. So make sure your airline AND airport are participating in the program by checking out the links below.
If you are flying an airline and leaving an airport that does participate in the program, there will be instructions sent to you for what you need to do once you get to the airport. Once at the airport, you will be required to show your QR code to your airline and then will receive a wristband in return. This wristband is very important so do not tear it off too soon. During our trip, we were asked to show our wristband at the car rental agency and the hotel so I recommend leaving it on for at least the rest of the day.
Hawaii Travel Requirements During COVID
Please keep in mind that you should always double-check what the current Hawaii travel requirements are. What I went through might not be current by the time you read this blog post. Also, the process described below is only needed if you want to bypass the 5-day mandatory quarantine (reduced from 10 days effective January 3, 2022) and if your airport+airline is a part of the Hawaii Pre-Clear program.
Step 1: Safe Travels Account (Pre-Flight)
The first thing you want to do if you’re traveling to Hawaii during COVID is to sign up for a Safe Travels Account. You want to do this at least a couple of days before your flight. This is where you will be uploading your negative COVID results and answering questions about yourself and your flight.
People that are vaccinated are also now exempt from the quarantine requirement and do not have to take a COVID test. You can upload your vaccination card to your Safe Travels Account just like you would your negative COVID test. This is nice since you only have to upload it once so in the future, all you have to do is add your new flight information. I had my vaccination card uploaded already from my last trip in October 2021 so all I had to do was enter my new January 2022 trip information.
Once you’ve completed all the required sections, you will receive an email with your QR code. This is important since you will have to show this QR code at the airport to receive your Hawaii Pre-Clear wristband.
Photo Courtesy of https://travel.hawaii.gov/
Step 2: Getting Your Hawaii Pre-Clear Wristband (At the Aiport)
Once you’ve arrived at the airport, there will be signs that will direct you to the Hawaii Pre-Clear counter where you will have to show your proof of identification and your QR code. In Alaska Airlines’ case at LAX, the Hawaii Pre-Clear counter was located at Gate 60B. There will be Alaska Airlines employees standing there checking QR codes and documents. Once you are approved, they will clear you in the Safe Travels system and put a wristband on you.
Just as a reminder, if you are renting a car or checking into a hotel, they will ask to see your wristband of Safe Travels account so make sure you don’t rip off the wristband too early.
Step 3: Going Through The Expedited Lane (Landing in Oahu)
This step is literally like going to Disneyland and being able to either go through the FastPass lane or having to wait in the regular line. If you got your wristband ahead of time, you get to go in the “FastPass” lane. All you have to do is flash your wristband at the airport employee and you are off to explore the island.
If you don’t have this wristband, you will have to wait in the “regular” line to have all your documents checked off. Not sure how fast this line moves, but I took this picture from the plane and it looks like at least a hundred people deep. So, if you don’t have Hawaii Pre-Clear at your home airport, make sure you factor in extra time when you land.
The “Regular” Line (People that don’t have Hawaii Pre-Clear)
Hawaii Pre-Clear Lane at HNL
Step 4: Rental Car and Checking Into the Hotel (After Leaving the Airport)
Just in case you missed the other two times I mentioned it, don’t tear off your wristband too soon. It’s not the end of the world if you do but it’ll make your check-in process for rental cars and your hotel easier. All we had to do is show them our wrists with our Hawaii Pre-Clear wristbands and we were good to go. If you accidentally tore it off, you’ll just probably be asked to just show your Safe Travels account. Also, if you are looking to rent a car, make sure you read about how to find the best deal on rental cars in Oahu here.
Conclusion
That’s it! This time was so much easier than what we had to do back in early 2021. At that time, everything was so confusing and stressful that we were even sure if we were going to make it past the airport. Luckily, it seems that there’s a standard procedure now, at least for Oahu. Hoping to find a cheap flight to Maui or Kauai next. If I do, I’ll be sure to post it on my Instagram or send out a newsletter so make sure you follow both!
