Where to get a RAT?

Agreed on the Hough - quite a few complaints on my local forums that the torch didn't work or battery was flat.

But the reality is most people take what they can get.

Most kid friendly I found was Orawell. Instructions are to cough into a tissue. Then only mouth scrape. But then you have to keep the scope under your tongue for up to 2min to get enough saliva into the unit to take the fluid past the control line.
Try VCHEK saliva for kids
nice big lollipop to swab mouth is easy to use and V high sens
 
I arrived back from USA yesterday, without any RAT kits. I looked for but they are scarce in the US as well.

Needing to have a RAT or a PCR test within 24 hours of coming home, I went to the nearby 4Cyte pop up at Overton Road (near Frankston) that I had used a couple of times.

They indicated there was no need for PCR testing. I was asked for my Medicare card and after showing it was handed 2 RAT kits per name listed on the card then sent on my way.
 
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I arrived back from USA yesterday, without any RAT kits. I looked for but they are scarce in the US as well.

Needing to have a RAT or a PCR test within 24 hours of coming home, I went to the nearby 4Cyte pop up at Overton Road (near Frankston) that I had used a couple of times.

They indicated there was no need for PCR testing. I was asked for my Medicare card and after showing it was handed 2 RAT kits per name listed on the card then sent on my way.
Being that CVS/Walgreens is where you buy your booze in the US, I went to many of them during my stay which included multiple states. Every single one of them had signs saying no tests available. I think the only way is to order them online but when I looked it was 2-3 week wait for delivery.

I had a box from Australia that I took with me and tested negative last night after returning. Who knows how accurate it is - with the extremes of temperature it’s been exposed to (high 30s here through to -10 in New York). But I got the control line so assume it’s still ok.
 
Hi @
Aloha!

We were supposed to go to Hawaii and repeat our Honeymoon in March 2020. Out first part of the trip was interrupted on day four, and we made it back a day before the borders shut. Now here we go….

The trip includes, J flights on HA, F flights inter island on HA, and stays at Prince Waikiki, Grand Hyatt Kauai, and Four Seasons Wailea.

I’ve started the this thread a day late, but will go over pre-flight, the flight over and day 1 and 2.

Pre-trip/pre-flight

Despite my partner being an international FA, and thankfully back at work, we were fairly anxious about this trip. So many naysayers about taking a holiday “so soon”, and the “uncertainty”: we said, normalcy has to restart sometime, let’s make it now.

We read up on everything y’all had to say about pre-travel, insurance, etc.

We had booked everything months ago, flights with AAdvantage miles (125k for two return flights in J on HA), cars with Hertz and Avis, and the hotels mentioned above. Prices have gone up and up since booking, I’ll share the post apocalypse prices with you as I go. No judging. We splurged a bit, ok, a lot, but this trip was special for us, and we saved a lot over lockdowns 1 through 3.

We took our pre-travel COVID test through Rapid Antigen Supervision (.com.au) for $130,00 for two. The morning of our flight we clicked the zoom link, and 20 minutes later we had our certificates (tests supplied by us).

We got to SYD 3 hours and 40 minutes early, so early HA check in wasn’t open yet. It finally opened around 630pm for our 940 departure/850 boarding.

Being second in line for Business, it went fairly quick, but as fast as it used to. Documents were checked at a desk before you could proceed to the counter. One….passenger/group…..at……a…..time.

At the counter, it took about 10 minutes for passport and visa checks, and baggage.


We proceeded through immigration, with no wait, a total of 2-3 minutes. No priority line, but not needed.

Next, was TRS, and again, no wait, straight to the counter. No mention was made of the new rules about not being able to include in your returning duty free allowance, but it is on the receipt.

Next stop, “The House”, included with our HA J tickets. We watched a gentleman with Qatar J tickets try to enter and was denied. Qatar had no lounge access, only a meal voucher for Perroni Bar. Food was decent (buffet style), there were no offers of showers, full bar was open (although the “bartender” made me a Bombay martini with what tasted to be 50% vermouth, when I asked for it bone dry, she didn’t understand why I wanted a glass of gin shaken on ice, and that’s all.

The flight was probably only half full, with no spares in J. The “invited” several passengers to come forward before pre-boarding, where they quickly learned they won a free extra screening. One “gentleman” wearing what looked like at-shirt around his face, was asked if he had a surgical mask to wear, to which he smugly said “nope” and walked past the gate agent asking, she caught up to him, got in front and said he would be denied boarding without one, he seemed surprised. He bashfully said “oh, do you have one I can wear?”, and she didn’t miss a beat, saying “nope, you’ll need to go buy some”. Loved it. I hope the knuckle head didn’t make it back on board. If he hasn’t figured out how to wear a mask by now, tough s&*t.

Boarding was fast. And since it was so early, I was able to throw back three of HA’s signature Mai Tais.

We departed on time. Drinks and snacks resumed not long after 10k feet, with drinks, Maui chips, and Honolulu cookie company biscuits.

Dinner was single option, beef short rib, which was not that great. The salad with blue cheese, and the coconut panna cotta were really nice. I stuck with Mai Tais.

We sat in 1C and 1G. Apparently the best seats for couples travelling together. I found the whole cabin lacked privacy. The seasons we ok, but I’m a big dude, and didn’t sleep well, even with the better foot rest area. I’m a side sleeper and it wasn’t happening in these seats. The tally was pretty loud too.

I managed to get about 4 hours of sleep, partially reclined. Breakfast was an omelette, sausage, and croissant.

We disembarked from doors two, behind business, but they held all passengers until we all were off.

Customs was dead in Honolulu. We were pointed right to an empty desk on the USA Citizen side as I’m still dual. There were no forms, those are all collected at check in, no passport scanning either, and then the border agent asks questions about how long you’re staying and where? Ours was very friendly, a laughed about people using global entry as it took longer.

We then got our bags, no customs inspection, just waived through. We walked to hertz, went to the gold counter and picked up our Porsche Macan. $637.00 for three days, but was $300 less than a mid-size SUV to fit our 4 suitcases and 2 carry ons.

We checked into Prince Waikiki into an ocean front one bedroom suite. Very clean hotel experience, everyone wearing masks (staff wear two), sanitiser everywhere, vaccine certificates checked.

I’ll post dinner and day one tomorrow, it’s way past bedtime for me…..


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Hi there - thanks for this post, very helpful. I am also going to the US shortly and wanted to ask about www.rapidantigensupervision.com.au/ - tried googling and there weren't any reviews...would you recommend their service and did you have any issues with the travel certificate at check-in? Does it have all the required details (i.e. name, DOB, test result, method, brand and make of test, date and a statement that the test was taken under supervision)?
Many thanks
Steph
 
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Hi there - thanks for this post, very helpful. I am also going to the US shortly and wanted to ask about www.rapidantigensupervision.com.au/ - tried googling and there weren't any reviews...would you recommend their service and did you have any issues with the travel certificate at check-in? Does it have all the required details (i.e. name, DOB, test result, method, brand and make of test, date and a statement that the test was taken under supervision)?
Many thanks
Steph
They were great. We used them before going to US and to come back. No issues with the certificate. Had good laughs with both our nurses while waiting for results. Would 100% reccomend them.
 

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