After telling people to stay home, Hawaii is ready for travelers to come back next month
Hawaii has had a rather tumultuous reopening experience, to say the least.
But now, Hawaii is preparing to truly welcome back travelers, according to Hawaii Gov. David Ige, who is targeting a Nov. 1 reopening.
"It is now safe for fully vaccinated residents and visitors to resume nonessential travel to and within the state of Hawaii," said Ige, according to local news station KHON. "We want to invite and encourage fully vaccinated visitors and residents to travel for business or leisure, transpacific and interisland."
The Aloha State initially reopened to visitors in the fall of 2020. Since then, it instituted mandatory pretravel testing and only began waiving that requirement for fully vaccinated visitors in July. Then, in August, the state asked tourists to stay home due to rising COVID-19 cases.
Even though Hawaii is open for travel, there are still pretty strict entry requirements. The Safe Travels Program remains in place, but fully vaccinated travelers no longer have to get a pretravel test or quarantine upon arrival. Under these guidelines, individuals vaccinated anywhere in the U.S. can skip testing and quarantine mandates, starting on the 15th day after completing their vaccination.
Vaccinated travelers must provide a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with their name, birth date, type of vaccine, date(s) vaccine was administered and lot number(s) for each vaccine dose. Additionally, travelers must create an online account and register with the State of Hawaii Safe Travels Hawaii web program -- and this is not optional.
The only way out-of-state visitors who are not vaccinated can skip the mandatory 10-day quarantine is with proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a trusted facility.
Unvaccinated U.S. travelers 18 and older must register through the mandatory Hawaii Safe Travels online program. Within 72 hours of departure time, each traveler 5 or older must undergo an approved COVID-19 test with negative results through Hawaii's trusted testing and travel partners. The negative test result must be in hand when boarding your final flight leg to Hawaii. Travelers must complete the Safe Travels health questionnaire 24 hours before departure and then produce the code for local officials upon arrival in Hawaii.
Unvaccinated travelers who don't have proof of an approved negative test must quarantine for 10 days.
Hawaii has recorded over 82,000 cases of COVID-19 and nearly 900 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. After a worrying surge in cases and deaths in August and September, cases have decreased, which the governor cited for the decision to reopen for nonessential travel. Currently, 70% of residents are fully vaccinated.
Now that Hawaii is welcoming travelers with open arms again, you're probably wondering how to get there -- and where to stay. If you're planning a trip to the Aloha State, there are several ways to get (and stay) there using miles and points. Check out these guides about using your points and miles to travel to Hawaii and where to stay when you're there.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
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- No foreign transaction fees
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
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- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
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- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
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