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

Is anyone aware of a reasonable service in Melbourne to get a pre travel RAT that isn't Histopath at the airport? Not sure I fully trust the linked "supervised" zoom one to be accepted by SQ...
 
Is anyone aware of a reasonable service in Melbourne to get a pre travel RAT that isn't Histopath at the airport? Not sure I fully trust the linked "supervised" zoom one to be accepted by SQ...

I was going to use Histopath at MEL. Any particular reason you don’t want to?
 
Thanks for sharing that resource. Certainly something I'll take into account when I'm flying back to SYD. I think I'll stick with Histopath on the outbound since the "domestic" destinations I'm going to likely require a PCR test. That being said, I'm curious if there might be something a little bit cheaper for rapid-antigen testing? For me that's a big turn off for travel to such destinations, although I'm willing to bite the bullet every now and then if it means enjoying paradise for a week or visiting relatives.

-RooFlyer88
I understand. I felt it was a bit of gouging too. But, I would rather get my test in a private clinic, on site at a resort where everyone else is practicing safe infection control, than to go to a medical centre where sick people are….. I have to isolate a week before going back to work due to working in a high risk environment, I want to keep that isolation to a minimum.
 
I was going to use Histopath at MEL. Any particular reason you don’t want to?
Nothing against Histopath. Just circumstance of timing for work and this trip. Arriving with 24 hours or less before travel is going to be impossible for me other than on the day. I would rather do it earlier so I know all will be OK...but arriving 30-36hrs before the flight might be pushing it if they ask for itineraries.
 
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Nothing against Histopath. Just circumstance of timing for work and this trip. Arriving with 24 hours or less before travel is going to be impossible for me other than on the day. I would rather do it earlier so I know all will be OK...but arriving 30-36hrs before the flight might be pushing it if they ask for itineraries.
Anecdotally,, the calendar day before has been OK.
The wording is confusing and the entire page is contradictory but the histopath web site indicates you can get tested from any time the day before international travel at least in one part.
For all other travellers, testing is only provided within 24 hours of travel date.
 
I'm based in SYD and it's my understanding that the best bet for COVID19 travel testing is the Histopath at the airport (in terms of price and speed). My question is for the reverse: travel back to Australia from other regions. In particular, I've got a "domestic" long haul to HNL booked for May and a "domestic" ultra-long haul to Eastern Canada in June and am wondering what would be the best options for testing in those regions for return travel back to SYD.

-RooFlyer88
Hi kangarooflyer88. Apologies if it is a stupid question, but can you elaborate on what you mean by "domestic" when referring to your long-haul flights? Thanks so much.
 
I'm based in SYD and it's my understanding that the best bet for COVID19 travel testing is the Histopath at the airport (in terms of price and speed). My question is for the reverse: travel back to Australia from other regions. In particular, I've got a "domestic" long haul to HNL booked for May and a "domestic" ultra-long haul to Eastern Canada in June and am wondering what would be the best options for testing in those regions for return travel back to SYD.

-RooFlyer88

I used SameDay on the mainland (one of the listed QF providers) and can't speak highly enough for them. It's a little expensive (I think it was $125 for PCR), I made a booking but got their 30 minutes early.

I was literally in and out so quick, I could almost have caught the same Uber that dropped me off.

My flight to Australia was from HNL and I found it difficult to find testing there compared to the mainland - most don't do RATs (only PCR) and in the end I decided to get it done on the mainland (extra bonus of not wasting my time in Hawaii getting tested - I was only there for two nights). HNL international was dead so I don't think they're really geared up for international travel as much as other destinations that are more back to normal (eg the East Coast with European flights).

Hi kangarooflyer88. Apologies if it is a stupid question, but can you elaborate on what you mean by "domestic" when referring to your long-haul flights? Thanks so much.

I'm guessing something like HNL-JFK which is a domestic flight but as long as SYD-HNL.
 
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Oh my gosh .. just did my head in figuring this out (it shouldn't be hard and I swear Matt G of AFF wrote an article on this but I can't find it). I am in Canada at the moment destined for Fiji before returning to Oz. I have a separate flight and overnight stay at LAX. I depart LAX Monday the 28th at 10:45pm. I am trying to avoid having 2 RAT tests (because of the gap in my itinerary laying over in LAX) to get to Fiji so thinking 1 PCR test would be better (the costs end up being the same as having 2 RATs).

I depart Los Angeles on Monday the 28th at 10:45pm. Based on the Fiji requirement for PCR below I understand this as the earliest I could test would be Saturday the 26th at 12:01am. The word within always throws me .. I often think that it includes the day of departure. If anyone could point me to resource it would be helpful .. jet lag is not doing me any favours either!

  • FIJI: Travellers (12yrs+) will need to take a PCR test within 2 days prior to departure and test negative.
 
Thanks mate ..yes good spot for a Rapid Antigen test at LAX ..but I need to know how long before departure in Toronto I must honour to be “within 2 days prior to departure”
It is two calendar days. So any time from 26th as you indicate.
Travellers 12 years and over must show a negative COVID-19 test result before travelling. This can be a PCR test (taken no more than 2 calendar days before scheduled departure), or from 9 February, a negative supervised Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) (taken within 24 hours of your flight’s scheduled departure). You must show your negative test result and and proof of full vaccination at check-in.
 
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Oh my gosh .. just did my head in figuring this out (it shouldn't be hard and I swear Matt G of AFF wrote an article on this but I can't find it). I am in Canada at the moment destined for Fiji before returning to Oz. I have a separate flight and overnight stay at LAX. I depart LAX Monday the 28th at 10:45pm. I am trying to avoid having 2 RAT tests (because of the gap in my itinerary laying over in LAX) to get to Fiji so thinking 1 PCR test would be better (the costs end up being the same as having 2 RATs).

I depart Los Angeles on Monday the 28th at 10:45pm. Based on the Fiji requirement for PCR below I understand this as the earliest I could test would be Saturday the 26th at 12:01am. The word within always throws me .. I often think that it includes the day of departure. If anyone could point me to resource it would be helpful .. jet lag is not doing me any favours either!

  • FIJI: Travellers (12yrs+) will need to take a PCR test within 2 days prior to departure and test negative.




Relevant sections/extracts perhaps...no clear example given

FIJI TRAVEL PARTNERS ENTRY CONDITIONS


Travellers coming from a Fiji Travel Partner country do not require any prior approval. However, the following conditions apply, where the negative test and proof of vaccination will be verified by the airline.

Prior to Arrival

arrival.png


1. Negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT): Travellers 12 years and above will be required to produce a negative RAT test taken no more than 24 hours prior to the commencement of journey of continuous flight(s), if applicable. This applies to all travellers disembarking in Fiji.

Travellers must present evidence of a negative test that has a specimen collection date indicating that the specimen was collected no more than 24 hours before the flight’s departure (or first flight in a series of connections booked on the same itinerary). Serology (antibody) tests will not be accepted.

RAT to be performed using nasopharyngeal, nasal, nasal mid-turbinate or oropharyngeal specimen collection methods.

OR

Negative PCR:
Travellers 12 years and above will be required to produce a negative PCR test taken no more than 2 calendar days prior to the scheduled day of departure. This applies to all travellers disembarking in Fiji.

Travellers must present evidence of a negative test that has a specimen collection date indicating that the specimen was collected no more than 2 calendar days before the flight’s departure (or first flight in a series of connections booked on the same itinerary).

PCR tests to be performed using nasopharyngeal, nasal, nasal middle-turbinate, oropharyngeal or saliva specimen collection methods.

Accepted COVID-19 test results
Your COVID-19 test result can be paper-based or electronic, and meet the following mandatory requirements:

  • travellers name and date of birth;
  • test result (such as ‘negative’ or ‘not detected’);
  • method of test conducted e.g., PCR/nucleic acid amplification test (NAA) or RAT;
  • type of specimen collected;
  • brand and manufacturer of the test (for RAT tests);
  • date of specimen collection for the accepted COVID-19 test; and
  • date of test that the specimen for the test was collected, and the test was carried out by or under the supervision of and, signed by an authorised person (see below).
If this information is not provided, you will not be able to check in and board the aircraft.

For a PCR test, the laboratory will provide you with your result.

...

FIJI TRAVEL PARTNERS

Fiji’s Travel Partners as at 14 February 2022:


American Samoa, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norfolk Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Palau, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

Epidemiological assessments will be undertaken regularly when determining Travel Partners.

....

TRANSIT
If transiting, you may do so if you have a valid outward ticket within 72 hours of arrival, are fully vaccinated, and have a negative COVID-19 test, which may be a PCR or rapid antigen test, that is required for entry into the country of your final destination.
Travellers transiting through Fiji for 10 hours or longer are subject to stay/quarantine until their connecting flight at a CFC hotel if they have originally departed from a Travel Partner Country or at a Fiji Managed Quarantine Facility if they have originally departed from a Non-Travel Partner Country, respectively.


I assume you are not transiting, which seems to have different requirements.
 
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Has anyone had a RAT in the US (specifically LAX) and if so where do you get one without paying a fortune?

I can see RAT's are offered at LAX for US$80 (~AU$108) which doesn't seem right given a PCR test only costs $79 at BNE/SYD/MEL.
 
It is kind of the going rate to be honest .. you are strictly buying convenience. Many people were getting tested at the Sheraton Gateway LAX last weekend when I was there in the lobby. A guy mentioned to me he was going to this place nearby for 69$


..I walked 20 minutes behind the hotel down Sepulveda Blvd and there were some places doing tests there but they all seemed equally pricey like this one I walked past:

911covidtesting.com/travel-clearance-testing/

Long story short it is the ‘going’ rate unless you can organise a Telehealth appointment that is cheaper but likely splitting hairs at this stage.

Not sure how long you have but you could do a free PCR test at walgreens problem is it could take at least 2 days to return results.
 
Hi all,
For my return trip back to SYD from the USA (via DFW) in a few weeks time, I am intending to use the Australian based remote testing company COVID – 19 Rapid Antigen Testing Supervision for Air Travel as mentioned previously on this thread by another member.

My thinking is that doing a Zoom session is going to be a convenient way of doing the test and at a reasonable price in Aussie dollars.

Has anyone had any experience with using this remote service for a flight back to Australia? (or a similar remote test?).

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi all,

After some advice for upcoming trip to US via Singapore. Our BNE-SIN flight departs at 10.20am and we have an overnight layover in Singapore.

My original plan was to get tested the day before, then test again at Singapore airport on arrival at the airport to meet both the arrival ART requirement for Singapore and the US 1 day before test requirement.

After doing some research it appears that the QTC at Changi doesn't seem to test kids (we're travelling with a 2 and 4 year old) so this makes testing pre-departue more complicated. A few questions:

- Is there much risk in getting tested at the airport the morning of the flight? I read early on that histopath had some issues but assume they've been reliable recently?
- Does anyone have any experience testing with kids in Singapore?
- Can the same test be used as a departure test and Singapore arrival test?
- Has anyone done a telehealth test in Singapore, and are there places to get RATs at Changi if doing an online supervised test?

Thanks!
 
I read early on that histopath had some issues but assume they've been reliable recently?
I used brisbane recently. It's moved to level 1, same floor as airline offices and link to carpark. My test time was about 7pm on a Friday afternoon and they were efficient. No queue and they were putting same day tests in a different pile for priority.

Can the same test be used as a departure test and Singapore arrival test?
Depends if the location provides proof with enough details for travel (they should indicate this during booking). My recent trip to Singapore two weeks ago was just before the change from PCR. I was spending less than 72 hours in Singapore so my Australian departure was good enough to cover my return. The scoot staff actually asked for my email results in Singapore and used that instead.
 
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Planning on Travelling MEL-SIN-BKK with SQ around beginning of May.
I too would prefer to get my RT-PCR test done 48 hrs in advance at a private clinic and want to pay around the $150 mark - any recommendations?

Also if I'm getting my RT-PCR test done in advance, should getting to the airport 3 hours before my flight be fine or would 4-5 hours earlier be better?
 

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