The moment the announcement came that international borders were open and we could travel, I got straight online and booked tickets. Jetstar Airways were having a sale and flights were so cheap that it would have been rude not to buy tickets. Hawaii here we come!!!!
The last time I was in Hawaii
I was 21 and had booked a trip with my boyfriend at the time (who I broke up with beforehand, so I took my sister instead). I loved Hawaii, so much so, that when booking my round-the-world ticket for my gap year after Uni, I made Hawaii the last stop with the intention to somehow figure out a way to stay there permanently. Life, however, intervened and I met my now-husband in Thailand, came to Australia and never left……and never made it back to Hawaii…..until now.
Alright, with the backstory out of the way, let’s talk logistics.
Here’s everything we needed to travel from Australia to Hawaii
ESTA – this is the visa for USA – when we went to USA pre-pandemic, we of course still needed the ESTA, but it was electronically attached to our passport and no one wanted to see proof of it. Now we have to bring a printed copy.
Attestation form – needed to be printed out and we left it in a box just before boarding our flight, no one really looked at it. Essentially, it’s a form saying we’re vaccinated and that we don’t have covid.
International covid vaccination certificate – easy to download from the Medicare app, again they wanted this printed out. The check-in lady looked at it and that was it.
Covid negative result – we had to have a negative result 24 hours prior to boarding. We chose to go to the testing site at the airport to make it simple. It was quick and easy, no queues, results straight to our phones within 15 minutes and the test centre would print out a copy for you. They did recommend to book online before coming, but every time we tried to book the site kept crashing, so we turned up without a booking and it was fine. Only needed a RAT which cost around $25.
At check-in, I was asked to provide emergency contact details of someone both in Australia and the US. Fortunately, I’ve got family in both countries, so gave their details. On previous trips to the US, I had never been asked this before. Not sure what you would do if you didn’t know anyone in the US? I wonder if giving the address of a Pen Pal would pass muster???
We had heard so much about chaos at the airport, so got there 5 hours prior to our flight – it all went smoothly and we were sitting in the airport lounge with 3 hours to kill. So of course, we had a few snacks and drinks and used the Wi-Fi.
Wearing a face mask in the airport before the flight and on the plane was compulsory. However, once we arrived in Honolulu airport, face masks were no longer required.
The flight itself, was absolutely packed…we were in basic economy…so let’s be honest it was quite uncomfortable – but when you pay $179 to fly to Hawaii from Australia, your expectations are not high.
Our flight arrived at 6am, by the time we collected our bags and got through all the queues it was 8.30am. After hearing about everyone losing their luggage on the first flights post-pandemic we were a bit concerned but, happily, our bags turned up – so no complaints!
A lot has changed in Hawaii since I last visited
But it is still wonderful and magical and I loved it has much as I did the first time. We didn’t experience any covid restrictions whilst in Hawaii. There were social distancing signs up and masks were optional but that was the extent of it. We loved it so much we looked at extending our stay….alas, I couldn’t find any other flights that worked for us (I had to be back in Australia by a certain date).
On return to Australia
All we needed was to download the DPD app and answer the questions which were all pretty straightforward. We had to link it to our passports and with the expectation that we needed to present it before check-in at Hawaii but no one in Australia asked to see it. Also, we spent a few extra dollars and flew the Jetstar Business Class on the way home. I know some people will say that Jetstar’s version of Business Class is not really Business Class at all but if you’re like us and always travel budget, it was pure luxury – shortened check-in lines, large comfortable seats, unlimited drinks and snacks. Loved it and would definitely book these seats again.
I am so happy borders are open and we are free, once more, to roam the world (my bank balance, however, after 6 weeks living it up in Hawaii was not so happy).
Back to the grind to replenish the coffers….and begin planning for the next trip.
Happy travels!