Where to get a pre-flight COVID-19 test?

[Berlin]

Only show Visa/Mastercard as option on their registration page:

4Cyte Pathology - Travel

www.4cyte.com.au

Sigh. I feared so!

 

[henrus]

Random question but do you happen to know if they accept American Express for payment? $120 is the cheapest I've heard of and the Valley might come very convenient for me on one of the next slightly longer trips...

Already mentioned above but 4Cyte only accepts Mastercard/Visa online. They don't do the payment on the spot either, you must buy a voucher online before showing up but don't need to book in a specific time/location.

Don't be an idiot like myself either... you really need to bring a printed copy of the "referral" form they email to you after purchase plus your passport. I brought neither and luckily they were able to print it out on the spot plus I had a picture of my passport page on my phone which was sufficient.

 

[Beano]

In melbourne, being in essentially lockdown I had no access to a printer. 4cyte accepted my email and printed it off themselves.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Sigh. I feared so!

Can you use your Amex to buy a pre-paid Visa/MCard Gift Card? (Hopefully when there is a decent offer/discount available.)

 

[henrus]

In melbourne, being in essentially lockdown I had no access to a printer. 4cyte accepted my email and printed it off themselves.

They did the same but the person wasn't too impressed.

 

[Anna]

On another site I have read a post that SA Pathology will do free covid tests for travel as well as the usual covid testing. Haven't verified it for myself though and no source was cited.

 

[louie-m]

On another site I have read a post that SA Pathology will do free covid tests for travel as well as the usual covid testing. Haven't verified it for myself though and no source was cited.

I think that got a mention in the AFF Podcast 63 interview with madrooster.

 

[Anna]

I've done some more hunting and for me it sounds risky to go with a free travel test by SA Pathology because of this wording I found on the Air NZ website (YMMV, personally I'm not going to chance it):

• COVID-19 testing and result certificates for travel clearance are only accepted if provided by private pathology clinics.
• Free community testing clinics do not comply with New Zealand Government requirements.

​

 

[neozelatino]

I've done some more hunting and for me it sounds risky to go with a free travel test by SA Pathology because of this wording I found on the Air NZ website (YMMV, personally I'm not going to chance it):

• COVID-19 testing and result certificates for travel clearance are only accepted if provided by private pathology clinics.
• Free community testing clinics do not comply with New Zealand Government requirements.

​

Sounds like a proper lab though and not one of the typical free testing clinics where you just get the sms.

 

[Anna]

Maybe it is, but there won't be a NZ govt official at checkin to say 'ok'. There will only be Air NZ staff who will do what they have been told, which appears to be 'no free tests permitted'. It's just not an argument I want to be faced with at the airport when I'm trying to get on a plane. Again, YMMV.

 

[henrus]

Maybe it is, but there won't be a NZ govt official at checkin to say 'ok'.

That's changed recently. From Brisbane yesterday there were two flights to Auckland. The Qantas flight was checked by Qantas staff who were being very strict (100% checked) before you could even approach a check in desk. Air New Zealand didn't care or even ask at all (I just used a kiosk and didn't even speak to anyone). There was a NZ govt official in Brisbane (standing between the QF and NZ kiosks) who was able to provide advice if needed.

Upon arrival both flights landed at about the same time and those coming off the Qantas flight who could show their boarding pass were allowed to use smart gate. Those coming off the Air New Zealand flight (or didn't have a boarding pass) were sent into a different queue for manual processing. At the front of the manual processing queue they were checking covid tests, if you had it easily accessible and could show that name, dob/passport number and negative result then you were allowed to go and use a smart gate instead. Because of this the manual queue moved quite quickly and didn't take any more than a few minutes before I was sent off to use a smart gate.

 

[Anna]

Great. Because there was someone at BNE yesterday I'll assume there will also be someone at my completely different departure city on a completely different day. And that I'll get to have the argument after landing in NZ rather than at checkin. Big help. Thanks so much.

 

[henrus]

Great. Because there was someone at BNE yesterday I'll assume there will also be someone at my completely different departure city on a completely different day. And that I'll get to have the argument after landing in NZ rather than at checkin. Big help. Thanks so much.

No need to be rude about it. You didn't even provide a departure and arrival city, I was simply giving my experience from yesterday traveling BNE-AKL.

Based on my conversation with staff at Auckland airport it seems that they're going for 100% checks on arrival from Air New Zealand flights probably because the Air New Zealand staff haven't been checking.

As for the argument after landing you plan on having... I realise you're being sarcastic however there were a couple of people who were arguing about the validity of tests and even a few who didn't seem to have a test. Official NZ gov policy is that those who don't meet the testing requirements should return to Australia or go into MIQ however who knows if that's what's actually been happening.

 

[Berlin]

No need to be rude about it. You didn't even provide a departure and arrival city, I was simply giving my experience from yesterday traveling BNE-AKL.

Based on my conversation with staff at Auckland airport it seems that they're going for 100% checks on arrival from Air New Zealand flights probably because the Air New Zealand staff haven't been checking.

As for the argument after landing you plan on having... I realise you're being sarcastic however there were a couple of people who were arguing about the validity of tests and even a few who didn't seem to have a test. Official NZ gov policy is that those who don't meet the testing requirements should return to Australia or go into MIQ however who knows if that's what's actually been happening.

I can only agree- that was indeed quite a rude response if you ask me!

We've flown out of Brissy en route to Auckland yesterday and it was the same situation. I must add that both Qantas employees at the gate were extremely unfriendly while not knowing their own rules properly: We had been in Queensland for well under 72 hours and explained calmly and friendly that therefore we don't require a test. Both the one at the front of the queue and her supervisor at the other end didn't want to hear any of it and treated us like criminals because we didn't have test results on us. After a lengthy discussion in an extremely condescending tone, we were finally sent to the NZ customs official who luckily was on standby close by. Needless to say- he straight away confirmed that we didn't need a test and asked seemed rather surprised about this question and asked us whether we had tried to explain to the Qantas staff. So they definitely should have known, especially before acting like a rude know it all towards their business class passengers.

Even after all this, dealing with the Qantas super dragon again, she kept doubting us and interrogating us as if we had made a mistake while it was clearly herself and her supervisor who didn't bother studying the rules properly. We were finally reluctantly allowed to move on to the check in counter but I'm quite sure that she still didn't believe us (or the the NZ government official!).

Given Qantas let go of so much great staff, why the have to take back these Uber-grumps for all, is beyond understanding to me. Even the lounge dragons are (usually) friendlier and better informed than those two were. I get the feeling that many little men and women who miserably failed the entry test to become a cop many decades ago, now use the Covid rules to finally boss people around. Not a good look for Qantas though, not at all.

 

[henrus]

We had been in Queensland for well under 72 hours and explained calmly and friendly that therefore we don't require a test.

Out of interest did you have to show documentation (boarding pass/flight tickets etc) showing you'd been in Australia for less than 72 hours?

Something that caught a lot of people out is that Smart Gate now asks an initial question like "have you come from Rarotonga or Australia (and met the NZ govt testing requirements)" with the answer being yes and then it asks about 5 questions like "do you have a fever" "cough" etc and the answer to them should be a no.

I guess the fact the first question needed a "yes" as the answer and then the following questions "no" fooled a lot of people as many were knocked back for manual processing due to incorrectly answering questions.

 

[Berlin]

Out of interest did you have to show documentation (boarding pass/flight tickets etc) showing you'd been in Australia for less than 72 hours?

Something that caught a lot of people out is that Smart Gate now asks an initial question like "have you come from Rarotonga or Australia (and met the NZ govt testing requirements)" with the answer being yes and then it asks about 5 questions like "do you have a fever" "cough" etc and the answer to them should be a no.

I guess the fact the first question needed a "yes" as the answer and then the following questions "no" fooled a lot of people as many were knocked back for manual processing due to incorrectly answering questions.

We had show all of this to both the NZ official in Brisbane as well as to the immigration lady on arrival in Auckland- the e-gates were deactivated for all passengers. And the immigration lady herself also didn't know here own rules so she had to call a supervisor about the 72 hours- at least she was super friendly, unlike the Qantas dragon.

 

[Mattg]

I'm off tomorrow. I'm happy to get stuck on either side of the Tasman but given past history, I think it's much more likely to be stuck in Australia rather than being stuck in NZ trying to get back to AU.

I got my test done at 4-Cyte which cost $120, in Brisbane (Fortitude Valley) they've got an office setup to deal with international travelers only, I was able to pay online and then walk in two afternoons ago with no wait time to get tested. The result was returned exactly 24 hours later.

Others I know got tested Sullivan Nicolaides at a cost of $145, they rocked up first thing in the morning, had to wait for about an hour but did get the results about 9 hours later.

I got a test from 4-Cyte in Fortitude Valley on Tuesday, and the result arrived by email pretty much exactly 24 hours later on Wednesday (yesterday).

I prepaid for the test online and printed the form. When I arrived at the pathology clinic (with my form but no appointment), there was no queue and I was in & out in 2 minutes. Happy with the service.

 

[zainman]

Anyone know if the $50 rapid antigen test at SYD airport by Histopath is accepted for US travel? CDC says Rapid tests OK but don't want to take any chances.. anyone have any experience?

 

[Scr77]

Anyone know if the $50 rapid antigen test at SYD airport by Histopath is accepted for US travel? CDC says Rapid tests OK but don't want to take any chances.. anyone have any experience?

Also, will airline accept a Rapid test?

 

[anchew]

Also, will airline accept a Rapid test?

I've been reading through the Qantas website (I'm going to LAX in late Dec) and it doesn't seem that they specifically require a PCR test to fly. All they require is for one to be fully vaccinated. Therefore, I'm assuming that given the US allows a rapid test, then it should be accepted, at least on QF flights. I would assume that US flagged airlines would be the same.