Sep 25, 2020, 11:19 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
For general discussion of the Hawai'i test-out program and /or discussion of non-UA partners (CVS, Walgreens, your local provider, ....), please use COVID-19 - 14-Day Trans-Pac Arrivals Quarantine/Oct. 15 [Target] Pre-Arrival Test-Out
United Airlines Becomes First U.S. Carrier to Make COVID-19 Tests Available to Customers
1) Day of Travel Rapid Test option
GoHealth Urgent Care will offer at airport COVID testing for UA passengers traveling to Hawaii starting Oct 15
Appointments ??? Hawaii SFO COVID-19 Testing ??? (unverified)
2) Advance of Travel Option (The latest word is Hawai'i will not accept the mail-in option at this time -- change of mind?)
3) Drive thru test at SFO in advance of travel
Color has opened an (qualifying) in-person drive-thru testing site in a United Airlines parking lot right outside of SFO. $105
Customers taking the drive-through test option – administered by Color – can schedule an appointment in advance online and should make the appointment for 48-72 hours before their flight departs. Walk-in appointments will not be available. Once a customer takes the test, they will receive an electronic copy of their results in 24-48 hours. The testing facility is located at United's San Francisco Maintenance Center parking lot at 800 S Airport Blvd – a short drive away from the airport. Customers must take the test within 72 hours of their flight's departure and will receive their results electronically.
appointment link
For more non-airline specific info on Hawaii's test-out and quarantine programs, see
COVID-19 - 14-Day Trans-Pac Arrivals Quarantine/Oct. 15 [Target] Pre-Arrival Test-Out
Other carrier options
Hawaiian to offer drive-through testing at sites near SFO and LAX - $90 for results w/i 36 hours, $150 day of travel.
Oakland Airport will offer free COVID-19 tests for Hawaii-bound travelers (Oct. 15th)
United Airlines Becomes First U.S. Carrier to Make COVID-19 Tests Available to Customers
1) Day of Travel Rapid Test option
GoHealth Urgent Care will offer at airport COVID testing for UA passengers traveling to Hawaii starting Oct 15
- Presenting negative test results on arrival to Hawai'i officials will exempt the traveler from the 14-day quarantine
- Appointments are needed and with results in 15 minutes
- The ID NOW COVID-19 test is a rapid, molecular point-of-care test that detects COVID-19 in 13 minutes or less.
- Test location is arrivals level SFO International Terminal, pre-security
- Present cost is $250 (paid to the tester - GoHealth)
Appointments ??? Hawaii SFO COVID-19 Testing ??? (unverified)
I watched an interview with a representative from the testing company on Fox News today. The takeaways I got were:
- Test will be administered land side, not airside
- Part of the "agreement" is that a positive test will be shared with the local health authority and you will be unable to get through security, let alone board a plane
- The results are NOT shared with UA (or subsequently any other airline partner).
-A positive test will get you sent home if you are local or into local quarantine if not
- The test and paperwork take less than 20 minutes to process and get a result
- The intent is to expand to other airports and other airlines once the pilot is successfully rolled out
- There was no discussion of cost
- Connecting passengers would need to go landside for the test. If the test is positive UA would be notified to offload bags if necessary. That is the only "involvement" with UA
Those were the salient points that I remember. Others who saw the interview please add anything I missed.
- Test will be administered land side, not airside
- Part of the "agreement" is that a positive test will be shared with the local health authority and you will be unable to get through security, let alone board a plane
- The results are NOT shared with UA (or subsequently any other airline partner).
-A positive test will get you sent home if you are local or into local quarantine if not
- The test and paperwork take less than 20 minutes to process and get a result
- The intent is to expand to other airports and other airlines once the pilot is successfully rolled out
- There was no discussion of cost
- Connecting passengers would need to go landside for the test. If the test is positive UA would be notified to offload bags if necessary. That is the only "involvement" with UA
Those were the salient points that I remember. Others who saw the interview please add anything I missed.
- 10 days in advance request a physician-ordered Self-Collection Test from Color and return no earlier than 72 hours of travel (arrival to Hawai'i?) via overnight mail or to a dropbox at SFO.
- Color then processes those tests at their local, CLIA-certified COVID-19 testing laboratory and returns results via text and/or email within 24-48 hours.
- Present cost is $80 (paid to the tester - Color)
3) Drive thru test at SFO in advance of travel
Color has opened an (qualifying) in-person drive-thru testing site in a United Airlines parking lot right outside of SFO. $105
United Airlines COVID-19 testing program
United Airlines is partnering with Color to enable fast, reliable test results for people traveling directly out of San Francisco International Airport to Hawai’i starting October 15, 2020.
If you are traveling to Hawai’i on a direct United flight out of SFO, you should expect an email from United seven (7) days before your scheduled flight. Please contact United for more information at 1-800-864-8331 (1-800-UNITED-1).
United Airlines is partnering with Color to enable fast, reliable test results for people traveling directly out of San Francisco International Airport to Hawai’i starting October 15, 2020.
If you are traveling to Hawai’i on a direct United flight out of SFO, you should expect an email from United seven (7) days before your scheduled flight. Please contact United for more information at 1-800-864-8331 (1-800-UNITED-1).
appointment link
For more non-airline specific info on Hawaii's test-out and quarantine programs, see
COVID-19 - 14-Day Trans-Pac Arrivals Quarantine/Oct. 15 [Target] Pre-Arrival Test-Out
Other carrier options
Hawaiian to offer drive-through testing at sites near SFO and LAX - $90 for results w/i 36 hours, $150 day of travel.
Oakland Airport will offer free COVID-19 tests for Hawaii-bound travelers (Oct. 15th)
UA Pre-flight COVID Testing for SFO-Hawai'i (and other destinations)
Jul 5, 2021, 11:35 pm
#541
formerly wunderpit
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Jul 6, 2021, 12:41 am
#542
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Yes it's better. But getting rapid covid tested is pretty easy these days. The Hawaii process (including having to show your clearance screen to rent a car or a hotel room), OTOH, is a pita, and that's not going away. At least UA does the preclearance. Made the mistake of flying AA this trip. No preclearance.
Jul 6, 2021, 6:57 am
#543
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,340
Yes it's better. But getting rapid covid tested is pretty easy these days. The Hawaii process (including having to show your clearance screen to rent a car or a hotel room), OTOH, is a pita, and that's not going away. At least UA does the preclearance. Made the mistake of flying AA this trip. No preclearance.
Contrary, creating online accounts, uploading pdfs, waiting in line at LAX for 2 minutes for pre-clear was simple, and the employees great. Flashing clearance to rental car and hotel…I forgot about that until I read your post!
Looks like we’re going to disagree
Jul 6, 2021, 11:16 am
#544
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
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As a resident, I was able to upload my vaccination card for my trip I had in June in Vegas. That detail saved me $95 for a test. Saved me rental car cost which I otherwise didn't need and we know rental cars nowadays aren't cheap. I feel my time is valuable - so I didn't have to wake up early to get the car. Drive downtown - wait in line - test - drop off the car - walk back to hotel. That saved me at least a couple of hours not having to do that like previous trips.
What I'm curious about though for mainland travelers - will they outright preclear at the airport based on digital submission - or, need to have physical vax card verified at preclear - or, potentially have physical vax card verified at the Hawaii airport.
Jul 6, 2021, 11:22 am
#545
formerly wunderpit
Join Date: Dec 2009
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But it is a significant detail.
As a resident, I was able to upload my vaccination card for my trip I had in June in Vegas. That detail saved me $95 for a test. Saved me rental car cost which I otherwise didn't need and we know rental cars nowadays aren't cheap. I feel my time is valuable - so I didn't have to wake up early to get the car. Drive downtown - wait in line - test - drop off the car - walk back to hotel. That saved me at least a couple of hours not having to do that like previous trips.
What I'm curious about though for mainland travelers - will they outright preclear at the airport based on digital submission - or, need to have physical vax card verified at preclear - or, potentially have physical vax card verified at the Hawaii airport.
As a resident, I was able to upload my vaccination card for my trip I had in June in Vegas. That detail saved me $95 for a test. Saved me rental car cost which I otherwise didn't need and we know rental cars nowadays aren't cheap. I feel my time is valuable - so I didn't have to wake up early to get the car. Drive downtown - wait in line - test - drop off the car - walk back to hotel. That saved me at least a couple of hours not having to do that like previous trips.
What I'm curious about though for mainland travelers - will they outright preclear at the airport based on digital submission - or, need to have physical vax card verified at preclear - or, potentially have physical vax card verified at the Hawaii airport.
As to your last point...that is a great question. I'd say we'll know by the end of the week! My guess is that we still have to pre-clear the same way. I am going to be flying the one daily SNA>HNL in September, so by then it will be very clear I imagine.
Jul 6, 2021, 11:41 am
#546
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Why is anyone paying for Covid tests? We get Walgreen's rapid tests for free. Results typically arrive within an hour.
Jul 6, 2021, 11:52 am
#547
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
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It does still say this on the Walgreen's site: Test results for travel purposes cannot be guaranteed in time for travel.
Jul 6, 2021, 12:00 pm
#548
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I can go to CVS down the street and get a covid tests free for days, but the only one that is guaranteed (albeit with an *) costs money.
Jul 6, 2021, 2:17 pm
#549
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Because no one, specifically Walgreens and CVS, could guarantee a fast turnaround, we paid $200 each for instant-result tests, however our travel companion went to HA's official provider out in Long Beach which was too far for us and paid $95 for a 24hr turn time, but they had their results that evening....we felt somewhat duped, but decided the risk of missing the results and wrecking the trip was too high. Glad we can skip this going forward as vaccinated travelers, but with the chaos that is Hawai'i tourism right now, we won't be going back anytime soon.
Jul 6, 2021, 2:47 pm
#550
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It is unnecessary stress and consumes time getting the test done etc. just scanning up a vaccine card is much preferred. I can’t believe there would be debate about that.
And hopefully later this year, zero process required whatsoever.
Jul 6, 2021, 2:58 pm
#551
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Sep 30, 2021, 1:35 am
#552
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Has the UA Color PCR test near SFO long-term parking been closed?