Planning a Maui vacation during Covid

 I looked at my last post date in this blog and can't believe that it has been that long! Like you, life as we knew it basically stopped in March  2020.  It is good to be back! 

So, in case you are wondering whether it is really possible to visit Maui during the pandemic, here is proof of happy mainlanders getting ready to enjoy a sunset dinner at Humble Market Kitchin at Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort. 

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​And proof of sea turtles welcoming mainlanders back to Maui.

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Fishermen still fishing and the sun still setting...

And Mama's Fish House is still serving the best fish in a perfect tropical setting...and did I mention sunsets already?

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So, how do you get to Maui during the pandemic?

1. Hawaii has made it very simple. The best place to start the process is to get a nice overview of Hawaii's travel policies at this website: https://Hawaiicovid19.com/travel/ 

2. The next step is to create an account at the Hawaii Safe Travels website.  ​https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/
You will type in your travel dates and flight information, to start with. You will also need to upload a current picture of yourself (with plenty of Aloha).

 Covid-19 Test and Negative Result
Not more than 72 hours before your flight departure, you need to get tested for Covid-19. Many of the airlines flying to Hawaii have made this a fairly painless process, by partnering with one or more of the Hawaii-approved testing companies. Check with your airline to see what it has to offer.

Flying Alaska Airlines? Awesome!
We live on the west coast, so we always fly Alaska Airlines, and Alaska has made the testing procedure super easy. In Portland, Oregon, where we live, Alaska has partnered with Carbon Health (Hawaii-approved), and Carbon Health has a pop-up testing station just outside the Alaska ticket counter. You sign up for a testing time during the 72-hour window and we had our results back within 2 hours! If you are taking Alaska Airlines, be sure to go to Alaska's website and click on the Pre-Travel Testing menu.
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Once you have the negative test result documentation, save it in pdf form and upload it onto your Hawaii Safe Travels account. Also, print a copy of the pdf test result for your flight.

24 hours (or less) before your flight
Log into your Hawaii Safe Travels account and complete the health questionnaire.
If you did everything correctly, you should get an email with a QR code, which you will need when you arrive in Hawaii. Make sure you have the QR code before your flight departs!!
If you don't have your QR code or you have questions that only Hawaii can answer, you can give Hawaii's travel division a call at:
1-800-GOHAWAII at 1-800-464-2924

Did I mention that we love Alaska Airlines? Alaska does all the pre-travel checking before you get on your flight, a representative tapes a nifty band to your wrist, and voila! You don't have to go through the line at the Maui airport, which checks each passenger's QR code, test results, and ID. (It was kind of a long line for the passengers arriving on other airlines).