They don’t do them now for domestic flights. What do you say to that?
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It’s hanging over people’s heads the fear that you will not be able to return and it’s ruins the experience. My kids were happy they tested negative before returning home and nobody even asked for negative test when they were boarding their flight. How is it different from domestic travel that doesn’t have same requirements? Is it ok to board domestic flight while positive? I am so glad that it’s not required for my kids flight at the end of the summer!
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I wouldn’t fly if I was sick. Let’s face it though, no test is going to stop Covid from spreading globally. I think now we need to get back to the best version of normal that we can.
Tourism is a HUGE part of the global economy. A lot of people and businesses are hurting. I want to see the world. People want to travel. I’m vaxxed and double boosted. I’ll do my best to keep myself and my family safe, but at this point in time, I am no longer willing to sacrifice my mental health. I want to live again. People have to take measures to protect themselves when they travel. Personally, I will probably always carry masks and use them anywhere indoors, regardless of where I am.
If the virus becomes more deadly, or some other nasty development occurs, I will reassess. I’m looking forward to planning some more trips now.
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The problem is that testing isn’t exact and there were still people who had Covid yet had a negative test that were traveling. There were people (this is less likely) who had false positives. It was getting to be extremely complicated and not a good indicator of actually being positive and spreading Covid.
A zero Covid policy doesn’t work. Being quarantined in a country that dropped their policies, didn’t work.
If you travel, you are assuming the possibility of contracting Covid. Can’t be 100% avoided with testing, so why test?
The only option anymore is not traveling and not interacting with other people. Most people have decided that they aren’t willing to do that.
I’m not trying to debate this and I certainly understand those who are immunocompromised. But now, any activity is difficult, not just travel.
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Just came back from Germany and want to report that the airline DID check to confirm a negative COVID test for each passenger – so it was not always the case that testing was required “but no one checked.”
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I think this makes sense at this point because there is no reason to think that we covid isn’t already here…it was different maybe at the beginning of the pandemic. I wouldn’t mind having a requirement to show vaccination OR a test…We know neither vax nor testing is foolproof.
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I would say any responsible person should test themselves before being in groups of people, as in on a plane, if they have symptoms or have had a close exposure. And that tests have a very very low false positive rate so there is no reason to be worrying that you will test positive and not be infectious.
I just don’t get why it would ruin your vacation to know you need to test and not ruin your vacation to wonder if you will get Covid. Except if you are thinking that even if you get sick you will get on the plane and not let it disrupt your plans even if you infect others.
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Actually my kids don’t fly if they tested positive, that’s why one cancelled the Oregon trip, her friend tested positive after a work outing. What makes you think they are irresponsible. But some of these tests are false, in fact her friend tested at home 3 times and it’s not registered until the friend went to Kaiser. My kids test themselves often, especially the kid that interacts with other people frequently.
I don’t get why you don’t get it. It ruins a vacation because of the stress of not knowing when you can fly back to USA. The anxiety is what keeps everybody from going. It takes an enormous effort for many people. I had to upload my eMed test on Verifly, I had to create an account on Verifly, I had to carry extra tests just in case one didn’t work, I had to make sure I have Wifi to take the test, it rained in one day and Wifi didn’t work, etc… lots of things that could go wrong. Maybe it’s not a big deal to you but it’s a big deal to other people. I travelled a lot before the pandemic, now I barely travel.
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Your second paragraph is perfect for someone like me. I’m the kind of person who stresses about anything and everything that could go wrong and tries to prepare accordingly. We are planning to go to vienna for Christmas taking our kids and girlfriends. This is a HUGE expense for us and I just want it to go well. Our family has very little experience with testing. A couple of the home tests and I got swabbed once when I had the flu. That’s it. The thought of figuring it out when catching a flight back to the US was on the line was not appealing. I would have done it, but I’m so glad I might not have to.
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I guess this is just further disincentive for me and others concerned about people flying with covid, now that there will be no testing requirements. People who probably would have tested before (because it was required) will just say no need, I will just fly with everyone else. 
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It’s not just the testing. It’s having to be insanely careful while you’re on vacation. Basically no eating indoors, avoiding groups and masking everywhere. It takes something out of the trip. I’m relieved we all had it in May. Pretty confident we don’t need to take those precautions unless required. We do prefer eating outside in the summer but some restaurants don’t have the option.
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I went to a lot of theaters in London, practically everyday after we passed the Randolph test, but the last few days before flying, we didn’t do anything so we could pass the test, if we didn’t we would have stayed at the area we were before driving down to London. We were there almost a month.
But there’s never been testing on domestic flights.
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You can get Covid multiple times—it’s NOT one and done. My Physical Therapist’s co-worker had had it 3 times so far, twice in 2 months. Yes, being less careful increases the chances that more on the planes will be infected and increase spread.
There used to be testing to get into HI (or full VAX card). Our numbers have massively surged since that was eliminated.
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It seemed like such a great idea for Hawaii to have those requirements about vaccines or testing. The first trip I made once Covid started was to Hawaii. It wasn’t totally my choice (had family reasons) but I felt good about it knowing that everyone on the plane had tested or been vaxed. It seemed so sensible! I figured all the anti-vaxxers would just go somewhere else. But I can see how eventually the people in charge in Hawaii felt like it was putting their tourism industry at a disadvantage if people felt it was easier to go somewhere else. I really wish ALL flights, domestic or international, required testing or vax. But since most of them don’t, it seems unnecessary to just make international flights coming into this country different from everything else. And it is stressful getting the testing done at the last minute, whereas getting your vaccine card in order and checked can all happen ahead of time and just be DONE.
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I just really wish we could get Covid under control, but that doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon. I guess we will continue to mask, distance and hibernate until better treatments are available. Long Ovid sounds dreadful from all reports and not well treated.
For me the stress about testing isn’t just about if you’re sick or not. It’s about having to make sure that you’ve crossed all the t’s and dotted the i’s according to the powers that be on that particular day. And you’re at the mercy of testing places that all seem to vary with how long it takes, what forms you have to fill out, etc. and if you do one thing wrong, bam you’ve missed your flight. Not to mention you have to navigate all of this in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language! And for people in LCOL areas, remember flights expenses are a huge percentage of one’s income. We are talking 10x our mortgage amount for economy seats. I know there’s insurance but that’s a huge pain to deal with as well and it’s rare that kind of thing ever works out in my favor.
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I don’t understand why a plane full of vaxxed people makes you feel more comfortable about flying. Also, as several posters have noted, there is no vaxx requirement or testing for domestic travel. Will you not travel within the states?
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Since January I know over 20 people who tested positive. Two good friends have it right now. One got stuck in Mexico with no symptoms. EVERY SINGLE ONE was vaxxed and boosted times one with some boosted times two. I still do not and will never understand the idea of showing a vax card. I honestly don’t understand why someone would feel “safer” in a plane full of vaxxed people.
What is vaxxed now, anyway? 2 shots? 3shots? 4 shots?
Being vaxxed now means you are protecting yourself from serious illness or hospitalization. It does absolutely nothing to protect other people.
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I agree. Before omicron being vaxd seemed to help a lot as far as getting sick. With omicron, not at all. It only seems to help staying out of the hospital. Which is a big deal of course, but not much if you’re trying to avoid it altogether.
I would rather the airlines kept the mask mandate and dropped the testing. Especially if the test is 2 days before. Aren’t the people who come down with it 0-2 days before the flight more contagious than those 2+ days? And with nobody wearing masks?
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