.
Costco's AZOVA COVID-19 Saliva Test Can Now Be Used for Travel to Bermuda. The Costco AZOVA test is already one of the Hawaii COVID-19 Testing partners, along with Vault Health and other providers. The Costco test can be ordered online at Costco.com, you need not be a Costco member to use it.
The Costco test costs $140, which is more expensive than the Hawaiian Airlines Vault Health cost of $119 for travel to Hawaii, as well as the JetBlue Vault Health cost of $119, and since both tests rely on UPS shipping, there isn't a strong reason to use the Costco test unless its lab proves to be more timely in returning results over peak demand times, such as holiday periods, than Vault Health.
That's not evident, given the very mixed 5 star and 1 star reviews within the past week. That said, Bermuda's requirement is to take a test within the 5 days prior to arrival, which provides more time to receive results.
Here are more details on the test:
- PCR saliva test that is taken at home while being monitored by a health provider via Zoom, similar to the Vault Health test
- Currently you may NOT take the test if you are physically in Nevada, Maryland or Pennsylvania when you take the test
- Once purchased, neither the voucher nor the redeemed test kit is eligible for return
- After purchasing, a voucher is emailed to you from Costcomember@azova.com. You must then redeem your voucher at https://www.azovahealth.com/costcotest
- For questions or concerns regarding missing vouchers, test kits or test results, contact Azova at 844-692-9682
- Test results are provided via the Azova app within 12-48 hours from the time the lab receives your test sample
Because the Costco test is from a third party, Azova, it's unlikely that it will earn 5X even if you purchase it with a Chase Freedom card in Q1 2021 when Wholesale Clubs, Internet and Streaming are 5X categories.
It's good to have more choices when it comes to PCR tests, and it's certainly appealing to be able to do a saliva test in the comfort of your home rather than having to go out for one–the issue, particularly during peak holiday travel periods, is 1) whether UPS will deliver your sample results to the lab quickly; and 2) how long the lab will take to provide your results, especially for destinations such as Hawaii that require the test to be taken within the 72 hours prior to the departure of the final leg of your flight to Hawaii.
For Hawaii, we can't stress enough that we do NOT recommend either the Vault Health test or the Costco Azova test if your flight to Hawaii departs on Tuesday or Wednesday, since UPS doesn't operate on Sunday. The ideal Hawaii use cases for the Costco and Vault Health saliva tests are non-holiday flights to Hawaii that depart Thursday-Sunday.
If you've used the Costco Azova COVID-19 test for Hawaii or Bermuda travel, what was your experience?
Recommended Posts
Updated: Bermuda COVID-19 Testing: Our Experience
Alaska Airlines Hawaii Pre-Clear Avoids Lines on Arrival
Four Seasons Lanai: Free Lanai Air Offer Extended
Will Hawaii Change COVID-19 Testing Requirements?
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube and TravelSort on Instagram for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits