Hawaiian Airlines fliers can redeem miles for COVID-19 tests

Here’s a practical way to redeem your frequent flier miles now that you are infrequently flying during the novel coronavirus pandemic: Exchange those miles for an at-home COVID-19 test kit.

Members of Hawaiian Airline’s loyalty program can redeem miles they’ve racked up for a pre-travel COVID-19 test sent to their home, the airline said Thursday.

The new reward is part of the airline’s effort to enhance ease of access to testing and make travelers feel safe to fly again.

“We remain dedicated to making testing for our guests as convenient and accessible as possible,” the airline’s senior vice president of marketing said in a statement.

The tests are available through Hawaiian Airlines’ partner Vault Health and will set passengers back 14,000 HawaiianMiles. To the regular consumer, the test costs $150 per individual, according to Vault’s website. The company also offers bulk rates for corporate testing programs.

“Our at-home supervised saliva COVID test provides a safe, convenient and reliable result delivered pre-travel,” said Vault Health founder and CEO Jason Feldman in a statement. “We are excited to work with Hawaiian Airlines who continues to innovate on behalf of their customers making travel easier and safer for everyone.”

Here’s how the offer works: Vault’s test kit is mailed to a customer’s home where a testing supervisor guides them over video conference on collecting their own saliva sample. The kit is then sent to a lab where the sample will be processed. Travelers can expect results within 24 hours of the lab receiving the sample.

The state of Hawaii requires that visitors receive a negative test from one of its designated testing partners prior to their arrival. A pre-travel test allows visitors to avoid the state-mandated 14-day quarantine period.