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12/16/20 Update: A number of recent commenters in early December have had more positive experiences with Vault Health; their timing as likely helped, as the early December period is usually a lull for travel, between busy Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's travel.
11/20/20 Update: Currently we can't recommend Vault Health, at least during peak holiday periods, as it appears to be overwhelmed by demand and unable to provide responsive service to clients, especially given the fast turnaround required for Hawaii. Please scroll down to read the most recent commenters' experiences. Also note that as of 11/24/20, Hawaii-bound travelers will need a negative COVID-19 test result *before* boarding their departing flight in order to avoid quarantine.
This is our Vault Health COVID-19 Test Review based on our October 2020 coronavirus PCR testing experience. Vault Health has partnered with JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, the state of Hawaii and other organizations to provide the requisite COVID-19 PCR testing prior to travel to certain destinations.
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Ordering the Vault Health COVID-19 Test
Ordering our test was straightforward. Since we would be flying with JetBlue, we went to the vaulthealth.com/jetblue site and created an account for each of us. This was the only part I was a bit frustrated with: I needed to create three separate accounts, each with its own unique email and login, which is somewhat cumbersome for a family. Many destinations do require children to also take a COVID-19 PCR test, so your child will need his/her own account. Always double check the COVID-19 testing requirements of your destination, especially as these can change.
Since I placed the order earlier in the week, on a Tuesday, the test kits arrived the very next day, Wednesday. Note if you're trying to get your kit the very next day, avoid ordering on a Friday, since it won't arrive until the following Monday at the earliest. Thursday orders may also not arrive until Monday, so place your order Monday-Wednesday if at all possible.
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Taking the Vault Health COVID-19 Test
We took the Vault Health COVID-19 test on a Monday, hoping to receive our test results on Wednesday. Be sure to not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in the 30 minutes before you provide your saliva sample.
After logging in, we requested an appointment with a remote supervisor. Before we were placed into a remote “waiting room” we had to confirm that we hadn't eaten/drunk anything within the last 30 minutes, that we had our entire test kit, and that we had the Zoom app with camera and audio enabled on our device.
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Our waiting times ranged from 7-20 minutes, even though the estimated waiting time for all of them was 10 minutes. Once the test supervisor appeared, I had to confirm my name, date of birth, and show my driver's license. For those testing their family, it's possible to have everyone conduct their supervised sample in one Zoom call.
After that it was time to provide the saliva sample, by spitting into the tube (which helpfully has a funnel attached to it, to make it easier). The sample amount has to be at or above the black line, so be sure to drink an ample amount of water *before* the 30 minute cut-off time prior to the sample, to make it easier to provide enough saliva.
Once that was done, I removed the funnel part and screwed on the cap, which has a blue liquid to preserve the sample. You're instructed to shake the vial for 5 seconds to mix everything together. After that, it's time to place it inside the cardboard box, and then into the postage paid UPS envelope. The antiseptic wipe is to wipe down the envelope immediately prior to handing it to your nearest UPS facility.
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Getting the Test Confirmation
Just as we'd hoped, the following day we received confirmation that our samples were received by the lab (roughly 28 hours after mailing it).
And the very next morning, so within about 18 hours after the lab receipt confirmation, we received our test results; fortunately, negative. Vault Health does warn you that in addition to “positive” or “negative,” a small percentage of samples, roughly 2%, are deemed “inconclusive” where the test is not able to definitively determine status.
If needing to upload a one page pdf, this will be in your Vault Health account. Note that Vault Health does NOT provide a time stamp for the time the test was taken, monitored over Zoom, only the date. This is fine for the State of Hawaii, which is aware of this issue and still partners with Vault. If, however, you take a different COVID-19 test (not with Vault Health) that is time stamped, it's critical that it be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to the departure of your flight to Hawaii. In the case of connecting flights, for example DEN-LAX-OGG, you would need to take the test in the 72 hours before your departure time from Los Angeles LAX (*not* 72 hours prior to your departure from Denver DEN, as that would be too early).
You'll also want to print out your negative test documentation; at least one commenter has noted that the line in Hawaii for those with printed documentation was much shorter than for those who only had it on their mobile device.
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The Verdict
We were pleasantly surprised at how efficient and easy everything was with ourVault Health COVID-19 tests. We received the tests the day after we ordered them, we were notified the lab had received our samples the day after we mailed them, and less than 24 hours afterwards we had our negative test result.
If you've used a Vault Health COVID-19 test recently, what was your experience?
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I’ve really been enjoying your posts about hawaii reopening as we’ve been navigating our upcoming trips. Thank you!
Glad our Hawaii posts have been helpful! Since I’m from the islands and many of our clients are planning Hawaii travel we continue to monitor the situation closely.
Does the negative result have a timestamp of when you took that test? or date stamp?
We plan to head to Hawaii in November and our flight leaves at 10:45am so we would not be able to drop off the sample early as they suggest since we technically can’t take it until 10:45am 3 days prior
Our more detailed result (which can also be submitted to insurance) only had the date the sample was taken and the date and timestamp of when the negative result was declared, not the timestamp of the sample. That said, Vault Health is a partner of both Hawaiian Airlines and the state of Hawaii, so Vault is especially focused on getting a 24 hour turnaround (from when the lab receives it) for Hawaiian Airlines passengers.
I’m traveling at 12 noon on Thursday to Hawaii. I’m supposed to test 72 hours in advance of travel. It is Sunday today I was planning to take the Vault test today but realize that that is not 72 hours. Please advise will it be okay if I take the test on Monday morning will there be time enough to get the results back before I fly on Thursday noon?
Ariaa, if your flight to Hawaii departs on Thursday at 12noon, you would need to take the Vault Health or other Hawaii approved partner COVID PCR test no more than 72 hours prior to your departing flight, so that would rule out Monday morning–you should take it Monday just after 12noon. Vault should receive your sample late Tuesday and you should receive your results within 24 hours of the lab receiving the sample, so late Wednesday.
Thank you so much I will do precisely that! I really appreciate your reply Hilary!
Don’t do it, you won’t get results in time
They said 24-72 hours. Actually take more than 4 – 5 days to get the results.
We plan to use Vault for our trip to Maui. Our whole family is going. Four adults and two children. Can we have our zoom meeting all together at the same appt time? We leave for Hawaii on Nov 18th at 8 AM, so plan to take the test Sunday, Nov. 15th. When is your first appt on Sunday the 15th?
Unfortunately you can’t have the Zoom appointment all together, because each person (including a child) has his/her own separate log in. If you have multiple computers you can of course log in to each of your six accounts at the same time and get placed into the waiting room queue, but be aware that you’ll likely need to help the kids make sure they provide a sufficient saliva sample and also close up the sample properly. We are not Vault Health, please go to the Vault Health site at https://www.vaulthealth.com/ to create accounts and arrange.
My husband and I did our zoom calls separately, but the different administrator on each call asked us both if we had anyone else with us that needed to be tested because we could all do it at the same time
We just completed our zoom meeting and they were able to accommodate my family of 4 at the same time. All family members have to log into their accounts FIRST: register their tube #, UPS tracking package, then only one account joins the zoom meeting. When you checkin for your virtual visit, it will tell you the approximate wait time in the “waiting room”. We had another computer registering everyone into their account, while we waited for medical provider to let us in the zoom session. Our wait time was about 15 min and our session took about 10 min.
Please let us know how long it takes to get your results back. I am trying to use Vault for our flight to HNL on Sunday and am concerned with thanksgiving that there’s no way they’ll be able to turn the test around on Saturday
Hi Candice, My family (4) just completed the Zoom appointment for Covid testing yesterday. We were able to use the same Zoom session. We stayed in the meeting while the next person logged in to Vault website and entered the test number (serial number) plus tracking number. Once we did that the Vault rep was able to pull up the test and we continued. All 4 of us took 50 minutes to complete (it took awhile to produce enough saliva to fill the tube for some of us). Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing your experience Tricia, good to know!
Also, four of us are traveling on Southwestern and part on United. Will the turnaround time to get the results be the same?
The fastest turnaround time is promised for Hawaiian Airlines customers (within 24 hours of the lab receiving the sample) but our experience with JetBlue was also fast, with us receiving our result <24 hours after the lab received the sample. The actual turnaround depends on how many samples the lab receives on a given day.
We have a tues PM flight which means there is no way to ship the sample until Monday morning (ups closed after 6 on sat and all day on sun). Should we just wait and take it sun night, send it Monday first thing and hope for the best (results back before we land?)!
This is exactly the reason we recommend not arranging flights to Hawaii earlier than Thursday, if at all possible. If shipping your sample first thing Monday morning, the lab should receive it Tuesday but you’re unlikely to receive the result until Wednesday morning (and it could potentially be Thursday if there’s either a delay with shipping or with the lab, due to many other samples). If you can, we recommend changing your travel to Thursday.
You should put this on your main site now we have to cancel our Monday trip because my husband got his results but I did not and the vault is closed on Sundays so you reach no one. Horrible service.
Vault is not closed on Sundays, UPS is
This is unacceptable. Tickets were booked well in adv as once the rule changed anyone flying Tuesday just gave you free money.ups is closed on Sunday an to let people wait an wonder if they can go anywhere almost 12 hours before departure is a total letdown.
Unacceptable or not, that is due to the State.
Question – my fiancé and I ordered our tests (separately) at the same time but only my test kit can with return packaging. Is that normal? Do we ship both tests in the same Laboratory Pak or should we each have gotten one?
Kristen, each of your Vault Health test kits should have come with its own UPS envelope to return the sample in. We recommend reaching out to Vault Health about this issue.
Are the zoom calls to take the test available at any time. We are going to need to take our test around 6 am MST on a Thursday, before our Sunday flight. We will be able to do so that early?
Great question. Currently, per Vault, the available hours are 8am-8pm ET Sunday-Thursday, and 8am-6pm ET Fridays and Saturdays. Since 6am MT is 8am ET, you should be able to be tested around then, although please allow time in the “waiting room” for a staffer to become available.
Is it possible to get an appointment time ahead of time, or I can assume that I’ll be able to log in on a Friday morning and 3 of us will get a zoom appointment before 10 am drop off at UPS? (our flight is at 9:45am on Monday
Beckie, while it shouldn’t be an issue at all to get a Zoom appointment on Friday morning, the issue is that, if this is for Hawaii travel, you’re only supposed to take a test within the 72 hours prior to your flight’s departure to Hawaii. If your flight is at 9:45am on Monday, this means you can’t take a test until 9:45am Friday. If you’re right next to the UPS location this could be possible, by being placed into a waiting room at 8:50am, but it would be tight and you may not make the 10am UPS drop off. Equally… Read more »
I called Vault. The 10 AM time is generic. Check with your local UPS store for their UPS Air/overnight pick-up time. You can find it online but I advise calling to confirm as well.
I took a Vault test as a dry run for a future trip last week. Very fast results! Took the test at noon on a Tuesday and had results by the end of day Wednesday.
I noticed on the results sheet it only gives the DATE of the test, not the time? Is the state of Hawaii able to verify the test time directly with Vault, or do they accept the date alone as sufficient?
Tom, that’s a great question. We also noticed that only the date of the test is provided on the results. Nevertheless, the state is explicit in its directive of not taking the test prior to 72 hours before one’s flight departs to Hawaii, so we recommend sticking to that and booking departing flights for Thursday or Friday if possible, so that testing and mailing the sample can be on a Monday or Tuesday.
My wife and I are planning on flying to Hawaii on Dec. 26. Any idea how much the holidays will impact the receipt of results?
Unclear, but we’re recommending that clients fly Hawaiian Airlines and use the Hawaiian Airlines Vault link at https://learn.vaulthealth.com/hawaiian/ since Vault is prioritizing those tests so as to provide results within 24 hours of lab receipt.
Vault is now asking if this test is for air travel? We went and requested tests just through Vaulthealth.com. Do you feel as though due to that question they prioritizing those tests as well? We fly american.
Tiffany, is this for Hawaii travel? If so we recommend using Vault Health’s State of Hawaii link, for prioritization: https://learn.vaulthealth.com/state-of-hawaii/ Depending on where you live, another option is Go Health, which is also a Hawaii travel testing partner and offers 15 min. rapid COVID-19 testing in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.
Hi Hilary. In terms of the results documentation, Hawaii states they require an upload of a PDF of a 1 page report showing your name, the name of a trusted testing partner, the date/time the sample was collected, the test result and the type of test. You mentioned in the responses that there was not a timestamp on your results, just date. Otherwise, did the results come in a PDF report for upload in 1 page?
Michael, the details came in an email titled “Insurance reimbursement details for your COVID-19 Testing Kit” but were in the body of an email (not pdf) although you can get a pdf version by logging into Vault. The email and the pdf that can be downloaded when logged into your Vault account include name, DOB, test date, test result, result date and time, and type of test (RT-PCR test, run by the Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory at RUCDR Infinite Biologics).
Hilary! you should work for Vault- they don’t answer calls or emails and I have been so confused what to do! We ordered 4 tests for our family. We depart Alaska Airlines at 5.30 pm on Sunday. I assumed the earliest we could test was 5.30 pm on Thursday, but Vault closes at 5 pm West Coast time on Thursdays. So this leaves Friday morning – with that said that means we hope the test arrives by Saturday and they get the results to us by Sunday evening (but it is the weekend before Thanksgiving so I am sure there… Read more »
Lara, sorry to hear Vault isn’t being responsive, and that this process is becoming so stressful. I think what you’re seeing on the Hawaiian Airlines Vault page is the test and shipping schedule. Because some UPS facilities have a 10am cut-off for next day delivery, it would mean dropping off your sample by 10am Thursday in order to be delivered to the lab by Friday and receive results on Saturday. Other facilities have a 4:30pm cut-off or different pickup time. But you still need to adhere to the state of Hawaii’s mandate to test in the 72 hours prior to… Read more »
No, most UPS facilities do NOT have a 10am cut off for next day delivery. It’s typically late afternoon, more like 5-6pm. They also say not to use a drop box, but the only benefit to using a staffed facility is the reassurance of handing the package to someone. I dropped mine in the box in the afternoon and Vault had it the next morning.
We leave SC on Sunday morning. I called our UPS to verify when their packages are picked up everyday- luckily 5pm (the 10am thing on vault threw me off,too). Took our tests Thursday at 3pm since our last leg departs at 12pm Sunday, got tests to UPS before 5, & had our results Friday night! Keep in mind, the tests aren’t going to Vault so the closing time wouldn’t apply to the lab.The results only say the date you took the test, not the time & I’ve read plenty of forums where people say they used Vault for their HI… Read more »
Oh yes we have the same problem cannot contact Vault have called numerous times emailed texted etc. our flight Alaska airlines leaves out of Oakland at 9 AM. We have our Vault test boxes and they even charged me and mailed me one I didn’t need. Anyway I would like to take the test Monday through Zoom but after reading previous post to be within 72 hours that would mean taking it Tuesday. However as far as UPS and the 10 AM information, UPS says they don’t do anything with the package until 4:30 in the afternoon to fly it… Read more »
Gary, we’ve updated our post to no longer recommend Vault Health, at least when testing must be within the 72 hours prior to flight departure, as it is for Hawaii. Unfortunately the company appears to be overwhelmed by demand, and isn’t able to turnaround all results in time or respond in a timely way to voice mails and emails. Correct, for Hawaii you must take the test itself within the 72 hours prior to flight departure time; the 72 hours is *not* for the time you receive the results back. If you haven’t already ordered the Vault test, we recommend… Read more »
Thank you Hilary. Too bad I already ordered test’s I forgot to mention the plane leaves on Friday out of Oakland at 9 AM. I was also worried about the fact that Thursday is a holiday. So taking the test Tuesday after 9 AM for the Friday flight sounds like I’m rolling the dice.
Gary, if not wanting to risk Vault Health providing your result in time, you could always keep the Vault test for future use, as the unopened test kit has a shelf life of 2 years. You could go with another State of Hawaii test partner instead. Just make sure you test no earlier than 9am Tuesday if your flight to Hawaii departs 9am Friday.
I can report excellent results from Carbon Health (in San Diego, at the airport for Alaska Air pax). Tested 11:30 am Fri and received email and text at 3:00am Sat with results. $170.
Neither the insurance reimbursement email nor the actual results show the time the test was taken
Hey does the test results come with the name of a physician that ordered it? I see some countries require this and I realize the test does not require a physician order to take it.
The Vault Health test result includes the name of with the name and signature of a physician under “These results have been reviewed, approved, and signed by” but as you say, the Vault Health test itself can be taken by anyone with or without a physician’s order.
My husband and I fly to Maui on hawaiian airlines December 28th at 9am. Our saliva test should be done December 25th Christmas day at 9am Are they open at that time to Zoom?
Dawn, Vault Health Zoom supervision hours for 12/25/20 are 8am-12noon ET, so when you mention 9am it depends which time zone you’re in. If it’s PT 9am would be too late, since 8am-12noon ET would be 5am-9am PT. See all of Vault Health’s Zoom supervision holiday hours at https://www.vaulthealth.com/blog/articles/2020-holiday-schedule
Here’s my recent experience with Vault. Ordered 2 tests for myself and my wife, 1 was lost. I had enough time so I ordered second test, second one was lost. I thought this was a great idea to test at home. Vault has never answered a single email that I have sent. I got through on the phone after multiple hours of trying to get the second test sent out. (I also had to pay for it) Right now, I say run don’t walk away from this if you are going to fly and need a test ahead of time.… Read more »
Mike, sorry to hear of your disappointing experience with Vault–it seems they’re really struggling to cope with the current volume of tests in a way they weren’t in October 2020 when we used them.
Hi! i have a multileg journey on Saturday that connects in HNL. SAN-HNL-OGG SAN-HNL leaves at 8:30 am PST, and HNL-OGG leaves at 3:30 Hawaii Time (5:30 pm PST). What time do I need to take my test ?? 72 hours prior to first leg or prior to the HNL-OGG leg?
Andrew, I’m revising my answer based on what is on the Maui County site: actually you’d need to test within the 72 hours prior to your HNL-OGG flight. It wasn’t clear (at least to me) on the state’s site, but according to Maui County: “Transpacific and inter-county travelers seeking exemption from Hawaii’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine must take a State-approved test within 72 hours prior to their final leg of travel to Maui County.” https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=10457
Thank you so much it was impossible to find an answer to that question! Do you have any source you got that from? I haven’t seen anything talk about the inter hawaii connection
Andrew, I just found conflicting info on Maui County’s own site, so I amended my answer above. Unfortunately you will need to test within the 72 hours prior to the final leg of your travel to OGG.
My flight to hawaii is departing on saturday at 11:30am. I took the vault test today (wednesday) at 11:00am, 30 minutes before my exact 72 hour mark. Would this be okay?
No, that’s in violation of the State of Hawaii rules that it must be within the 72 hours prior to when your flight to Hawaii departs. That said, if Vault still presents its test results with only the day and not the time of your test, you should be fine because the pdf you upload wouldn’t have the time of your test and Vault Health is an accepted State of Hawaii test partner. This means that Hawaii accepts Vault Health test results without the time stamp of the test. For all tests that do have a time stamp of when… Read more »
I had a terrible experience with vault health, I needed a new shipment label , no one returned my my calls or answered my email ended up having to go to another lab for the covid test, horrible customer service
Sorry to hear–this seems to be a trend now, it seems Vault Health hasn’t staffed up appropriately to be responsive to clients.
I wrote a pretty good review of Vault earlier, but I can no longer recommend that test. When the process works, it’s great, but they are unreliable. Sent in 6 tests on Tuesday. Vault received all 6 the next morning, and had results for 4 by the end of the workday. A day later now and no sign of the other 2 results. All packaging was clearly marked for expedited processing for Hawaii. I have called vault for 6 hours straight, and it is clear that they are just putting people on hold for 3 minutes then dumping into a… Read more »
They did the same thing to me. I sent them two tests for a trip to Hawaii on Tuesday for my flight tomorrow on Friday morning and they have not returned the results. They will not answer the phone, call back, or respond to emails. THis trip may be ruined because of them.
Scott, thanks for sharing your Vault Health experience from this week–it’s disappointing that Vault seemingly hasn’t expanded its testing capabilities to deliver on the fast turnaround required for Hawaii trips. Hope that you receive your test results soon enough to be able to avoid quarantine and enjoy your Hawaii trip.
Tom, thanks for sharing your most recent experience–did the other two results arrive in time for your flight to Hawaii?
We had a terrible experience with Vault. We ordered 4 tests for travelling to Hawaii. We took the four tests this Monday for flying Thursday, Nov 19. One of the tests was shown as not received by Vault, even though UPS shows that all four tests were delivered. I began calling and emailing Vault about this on Tuesday. I must have left five voice mails and sent 4 emails. The test was never shown as processed. We had to cancel our trip (could not meet my parents who were already there). I am still contacting Vault to request a refund.… Read more »
Am i allowed to put both mine and my daughters test in the same ups bag?
Michelle, each test result should be sent back in its own prepaid UPS bag.
Our tests are for Hawaii, are they supposed to be marked as such?
That’s a great question; because our tests were via JetBlue and not for Hawaii I’m not sure, but Tom upthread notes “All packaging was clearly marked for expedited processing for Hawaii.” Hoping Tom or one of the commenters above can chime in with an answer to this.
I thought I’d add some tips about the Vault Health COVID test for Hawaii. Give yourself 2 hours to complete your test with the Vault rep on Zoom. They get very busy. My tester told me to begin filling the tube with saliva and said she’s leave the Zoom conference but return in 5 to 8 minutes. She was gone for 35 minutes. I remained on Zoom, but also called Vault and asked for someone to contact my rep and ask her to return to the videoconference. She seemed annoyed when she returned. I shipped my finished test at the… Read more »
I am in Alaska and am super nervous about us getting our results in time for our Hawaii trip set for departure on Dec.10 at 5:30pm. Everything up here has to be sent to labs very far away. I am doing multiple tests to hope that all 3 of us get our results in time. With our evening flight on a Thursday, it means that we could conduct the test the evening o Monday the 7th, but it won’t go out to ship until Tuesday the 8th- do you think this will be enough time for us to get results… Read more »
Jen, I wish we could reassure you but, based on recent commenters here, Vault appears to be overwhelmed. Some people get their results back in time, but others don’t, and with Hawaii requiring a negative result *before* boarding the flight, as of 11/24 (see https://travelsort.com/hawaii-covid-19-testing-answers/) we’re recommending that Hawaii-bound travelers find a local option that provides same day/next day results and not rely on Vault.
Thank you, Hilary. There are 3 other HI-approved options here in Alaska, and we will likely do multiple of them as well as Vault to improve our chances of getting our negative tests in time. We’re going for 7 weeks and are prepared to quarantine if need be, but oh my goodness this is stressful!! Thanks for your response!
BEWARE!!! For anyone traveling to Hawaii, I would not recommend using Vault Testing for your covid test even though it’s one of Hawaii’s approved partners. I ordered 4 covid tests for my family 11 days before our trip. I received only 3 tests, which arrived the day after placing my order. Vault DID NOT ship the test for my 18 year old son, but they did send him a tracking number (which was actually the same tracking number for my husbands kit (MISTAKE BY VAULT). I logged on to my son’s account on the Vault Health site, and it only… Read more »
Angela, sorry to hear of your incredibly frustrating and stressful experience with Vault in terms of your son’s missing test, lack of follow-up, and long time on the Zoom call. Your and others’ recent comments indicate a disturbing trend. Hope that you receive your results in time for your Hawaii trip.
I was tested on 11/18 and haven’t received my results. On Thursday a call from David was left on my answering machine to call which I did and I couldn’t get thru. Please leave my results at the below e.m. Thanks.
They got the names on the tests incorrect so they were useless for use for the hawaii requirement. 100 calls and they never answered a call or returned a call or email. Trash.
My flight leaves 645 from San Francisco on Tuesday which means I need to ship out my test on Saturday wilI I have enough time
I spoke with a representative from the Hawaii Safe Travels department and I was told that they accept the Vault results without a time since this is how the company releases their results.
Yes, this is what I mentioned upthread in my reply to Sandy. I’ll add it to the post itself for easy reference.
What did you upload to your safe travels account? It says it must be in pdf form but I didn’t receive a pdf on my results it just says “negative” on my account.
Cheyanne, while our Vault Health test wasn’t for Hawaii, you can view the pdf by logging into your Vault Health account and looking under your “Orders.” You should be able to click on the arrow and see a couple of “Download pdf” links, one for your negative result and the other for insurance reimbursement.
Two of us took the test Friday afternoon and dropped in UPS Box. Arrived at Lab Saturday. Just got results before 9 am EST Monday.
I was starting to get worried this morning reading these comments and was about to look at alternatives. Fortunately where we are going your test and results need to be within the 5 days prior to your day of travel, which is much more reasonable.
Glad that your Vault Health results came through in time for your trip. Safe travels!
My son is going to Hawaii. He leaves the east coast at 6am. His last leg from Lax to OGG leaves Lax at 2:20 so what time can he schedule his appointment does it have to be after 5:20pm EST?
Patti, yes, if your son connects to a flight in LAX, his COVID-19 test must be taken within the 72 hours before that LAX-OGG flight departs, so no earlier than 2:20pm PT/5:20pm ET 3 days prior.
If he is using Vault for the test, the time of day does not matter. They do not put it on the test results, only the date. So if you are in EST, by all means I would take the test early enough to get it to UPS.
Took covid test on Friday in person Vault Health
Waiting all weekend for results. Monday finally an email. But it said they received sample and results in 24-72 hours. Are you kidding me!
Would not recommend using them.
Vault health made me miss a trip and lose 10k nonrefundable vacation expenses.
We followed all timeline recommendation and had our tests received back on time. We got one of our 4 within 8 hours, second after 24 hours and 2 didn’t come before departure. Hawaii changed guideline that results coming after landing will not waive 14 days quarantine. $600 tests, 1000s in hotel fees can not be refunded. Vault never emailed back question respond, nor was available over the phone. Do not travel during pandemic as regulations changes and test service is not reliable.
We are supposed to leave December 3rd for Hawaii. Our first flight is at 6am and second is at 11am in PHX. When do we need to take the test? I was told we need to make sure it does not expire before our second flight.
Dawn, if your flight from PHX is the one to Hawaii, you would need to ensure that you take your COVID-19 test no earlier than 11am Phoenix time 3 days prior. The 72 hours is counted prior to the departure of the last flight leg that arrives in Hawaii.
Hi Dawn,
Did you receive your results on time for your 11 am flight? My family and I are traveling to Hawaii December 8, and our PHX flight is at noon.
Worst experience ever. I completed test via zoom and during test one of the doctors said we could test on same zoom appointment. End result is they could not verify my husbands results. We got to Maui and our entire family has to quarantine at the resort which means we cannot go anywhere not even to the pool. Buyer beware
My flight to Hawaii is on a Tuesday. The first leg is at BWI at 8AM and the second leg before getting to Hawaii is in Denver at 12:15 PM. I am doing the Vault covid test on Saturday after 12 :15 PM. I hope to get my results by Tuesday. My concern is that does Vault health process samples on a Sunday?
Jener, checking Vault Health’s Hawaiian Airlines page, it’s recommended that you find a different COVID-19 test solution if traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday: “FOR PASSENGERS TRAVELING ON TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS: Due to an increase in UPS holiday traffic and the new travel policy, we encourage passengers to look for an alternative testing solution if traveling on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the remainder of the year.” https://learn.vaulthealth.com/hawaiian/
Don’t use Vault! I ordered a test for Hawaii and followed all instructions – according to the timeline on their website, I should have received my results yesterday. I need to leave for the airport in less than an hour and I still don’t have results. Multiple phone calls, all sent to voicemail. It’s impossible to get ahold of a real person. Use another testing company that guarantees 24 hour results if you’re going to Hawaii (it’s also stressful that the state changed the requirements the day AFTER I took the test…)
Kitty, sorry to hear about your disappointing and stressful experience with Vault Health. We’ve stopped recommending Vault Health for the time being, as it appears the company hasn’t been able to keep up with the demand and consistently provide test results within the time required for Hawaii travel.
So my family and I tried Vault today because we are leaving on Saturday 11/28 for Hawaii. To start, I left multiple messages for Vault last week to see if they still processed over Thanksgiving. Never received a phone call back. We received our package on time and went on our accounts today to access the Zoom meeting. Unfortunately they stated their Zoom was down to around 3:30. Finally got on after 3:30 and they stated I had to comeback, they were too full. No we have no COVID test and a trip to Hawaii that we can’t go on.… Read more »
Hello Ryan, did they say if there open during thanksgiving? I’m having the same issue
Karen, please note Vault Health’s holiday Zoom and lab hours here: https://www.vaulthealth.com/blog/articles/2020-holiday-schedule
Do you know if vault lab is open 24/7
How does vault know the test is for Hawaii?
Should I write it on the box?
The site just had you click a box for travel
Write “STAT HAWAII” on the outer UPS envelope and also inside. Don’t cover any important bar codes, addresses, or numbers.
2 questions 1) We live on the east coast, are they being sticklers about the time difference? for example if our flight is 6pm Hawaii time, can i take the test 6pm Eastern time 3 days prior (technically more like 78 hours if you account for time difference)? I noticed they don’t do a time stamp? 2) We have a unique situation– Our first flight to Maui is on a Sunday and we have another flight to Kauai the following Tuesday. Our problem is that Kauai also requires a test 72 hours before THAT flight as well and the earliest… Read more »
Alex, as mentioned in our update to this post, we no longer recommend Vault Health due to so many customers not receiving their tests back in time for Hawaii travel. It’s true that Vault Health does not time stamp the Zoom test time, so it may be possible to do what you’re describing, although it’s against the very clear Hawaii State law that mandates testing within the 72 hours prior to the departure of one’s flight to Hawaii. Also note that Kauai, as of December 2, has opted out of the Hawaii Safe Travels pre-testing program, so you’d have to… Read more »
Thanks Hilary– We got the email shortly after posting my comment. While its unfortunate to reschedule for the 2nd time due to COVID, we look forward to visiting the islands in May 2021 and avoid the hassle *fingers-crossed*
Hope that your May 2021 Hawaii trip goes smoothly! It will be after spring break and some of the vaccine roll-out, so that should be a better time to go.
I was supposed to go to Kauai on December 24th but there is now a 14-day quarantine. I ordered and paid for Vault tests for my family of 6 but with the quarantine, we need to cancel. Am I out the Vault expenses or is there a way to be refunded? It says on their website no refunds.
Unfortunately there’s no refund for the Vault Health COVID-19 tests, unless Vault made an actual error (and Vault Health reserves the right to correct the error instead of refunding). That said, if you haven’t yet taken the tests, the boxed tests have a 2 year shelf life, so you could save them to use for a future trip.
I just wanted to provide a recent datapoint on the speed of the testing service from Vault. I’ve ordered my kit through a link from Hawaiian Airlines where they promise expedited analysis. I shipped my test Tuesday around noon, received the arrival email from Vault at 10.30a on Wednesday and the negative test result at 5.30p on the same day. So I know that this is only my personal experience and that it may differ for others, especially if a weekend is involved, but for me it really worked flawlessly and actually better than advertised since the test didn’t even… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your recent experience; did you by chance mark your package or box with STAT Hawaii? Some commenters have done that to good effect, receiving their results more promptly that way. It may also be that, post-Thanksgiving, there’s much reduced demand which Vault Health has been better able to cope with. It will be interesting to see how things work in the days leading up to Christmas, another peak travel time.
Yes, I can imagine that they may become more busy again for Christmas.
No, I did not mark my pouch in any way but I noticed that there already was a small pink sticker attached to the return envelope. Perhaps this was the sign for them that I ordered it through this Hawaiian Airlines page that promised expedited processing.
How do you go about marking your package? Do you just write it somewhere on the box or is there a specific location for it? – thanks
Vault health has horrible customer service, I emailed them as soon as I received my test and one week later still no response. I’ve left multiple voicemails because my results did not come in time and I never heard back from anyone from the team. Do not go with Vault !!
Hi! So I uploaded my vault results to the safe travels of Hawaii page you have to make before traveling. It’s saying our test results are out of the 72 hour window period which they are not. is this because it’s not time stamped? And am I still able to travel?
Brenna, Vault Health is still a State of Hawaii testing partner, and Hawaii does make an exception for Vault Health in terms of the lack of time stamp, since there’s no time stamp for the Zoom session, so it’s odd you received an outside the 72 hour window error. I recommend calling the state hotline at 800-464-2924 for assistance.
I know that’s why I’m confused also, did anyone else have this problem?
Just wanted to review the Vault health test as of 12/4/20. We read so many terrible reviews I got worried we wouldn’t have results but we do. Fly out Saturday 11am. Took test over zoom at 11am Wednesday (took about 45min start to finish). Wrote “stat Hawaii” as instructed and dropped off at UPS at 12:30. Tracked the package, got to lab at 8 am Thursday and we had results in our email by 10:48 pm on Thursday so only about 14 hour turn around. So far the process worked exactly as described! I don’t know if the new rules… Read more »
Glad it all worked smoothly for your upcoming trip; we suspect that many of the problems had to do with the surge of travel around the Thanksgiving holiday, and in the lull between Thanksgiving and holiday travel, turnaround times should be better.
I got confirmation from ups that my package arrived to the lab, but not an email confirmation from vault? Shouldn’t I have received lab arrival confirmation from vault?
Thanks
Yes, you should also receive confirmation from Vault Health that your sample was received. The subject line of our email was “The lab has received your sample.”
After reading all of these I’m nervous about relying on Vault. However, there is not ONE OTHER option to try after digging into the entire list of approved places. I’m in Seattle. Non have appointments or guarantee 72 hours. I’m flying Delta and they have no option. Am I missing something??
University of Washington Medicine is a partner, and the site says turnaround is typically 24-48 hours: https://www.uwmedicine.org/coronavirus/testing Worksite labs also offers drive-through testing in Seattle with a 36 hour turnaround to Hawaiian Airlines passengers; you would need to rebook with Hawaiian to use this option: https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/WorksiteLabsTest
Are these tests only available if you are flying Hawaiian airlines? Coming from the east coast and test options, and flights, are limited.
No, the Vault tests are available to all, although according to at least one commenter, when going through Vault’s Hawaiian Airlines page the envelope is marked with a sticker indicating the turnaround priority that Hawaiian Airlines customers receive. You can also mark STAT Hawaii on both the envelope and sample box, to try to expedite turnaround of your results.
Is anyone familiar with a testing location in the Phoenix area that is reliable and time sensitive for travel to HI?
How far ahead of time can I order tests? If I order them now for a flight on Jan 4th is it safe to just hold on to them until then?
Yes, you can order the Vault Health tests well ahead of time, since they have a shelf life of 2 years, unopened.