Comments on: COVID Testing Made Easy.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 02:20:37 +0000

In reply to Hailee Buttzwinger. Puppyhead? Whining, sure. But puppyhead?

By: Hailee Buttzwinger

Hailee Buttzwinger — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 18:39:36 +0000

This guy is puppyhead yet somehow obligatory, dutiful, perhaps subtly slyly whining in his post.

It makes me wish Leslie Nielson and Lloyd Bridges were still alive. That way there would be more movies to stream like Airplane! Sequels made in the current situation of in-flight violence, delay, pouty pilots. Add in Chuck Yeager, America’s greatest test pilot(who, reports according, had a rollicking sense of humor) and you would have a dream team of pilots and some decent hilarious holiday binge-streaming.

btw, Chuck Yeager passed almost a year ago, 7-12-2020. History.

By: Matt Desatoff

Matt Desatoff — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 15:16:46 +0000

Thanks Patrick. I’m scheduled to fly on American from Fresno to Phoenix on Sat, Nov 13th. And back the next day.

It would be just my luck……

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:16:54 +0000

In reply to Chuck Gordanier. I can see why you'd be annoyed. They shouldn't allow you to sign up for two appointments if you purchase only one kit. However, when you place the order, the assumption is you're buying ONE test. It never dawned on me that I could maybe use the same kit for two appointments.

By: Chuck Gordanier

Chuck Gordanier — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 16:41:57 +0000

I tried this product for a trip last month. The box contains two tests and they let you sign up for two appointments (for two people). But they don’t tell you that each kit only allows only ONE result.
We (two people) each completed and submitted our test, but they refused to send the second result after accepting it, saying I should have purchased two tests. Nowhere is this stated on website or in instructions. I felt ripped off and wasted half a day the next morning getting a (redundant) local test. Beware.

By: Andy Pasternak

Andy Pasternak — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:02:43 +0000

Recently traveled to Portugal and used the EMED/Binaxnow/Navica combo. Their wait times have dramatically improved. We did a couple of practice tests but it was super easy. From what I’ve read, the EU may not support the binax now test so one our outbound trip, we also did a PCR.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:44:21 +0000

In reply to Simon.

The lack of PCR test availability is something I complained about here: https://askthepilot.com/covid-casualties/

I finally was able to find a lab near Boston that will do a rapid PCR with the results in about an hour. It isn’t cheap, but if I wanna travel somewhere that has a 48- or 72-hour rule, it’s my only option. Some airport locations do PCRs, but none that I know of will give you results in less than a day, making the entire thing useless. And, oh, the COVID testing place at BOS airport costs $250, doesn’t do PCR, and closes at 5 p.m.!

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:47:11 +0000

Ironically, it’s because testing in the US is so bad I’d resort to a test like this right here in the states.

Some countries require a PCR test taken within 72 hrs before entry. Good luck finding a testing center in the US with a guaranteed 24-hr turnaround time that’s under $500. Even more so *at* an airport—surprisingly. Most guarantee 48 hrs—if you can get a walk-in appointment at all that is. And that’s cutting it awfully close top the 3-day limit.

By contrast, ZRH airport offers walk-in testing and they will tell you ahead of time *exactly* when you get your results depending on your testing time. The worst case is about 10 hrs (if you arrive after 8pm). And they do that all quickly and professionally for about $150 (PCR) or $50 (antigen), the latter with results on the spot within a few minutes.

US exceptionalism goes both ways. We need to realize there’s a big world out there and these days they do a lot at a level we cannot compete with. We should be on the lookout for exactly that and then, instead of feigning ignorance and recalling American greatness of bygone decades, massively up our game. Talk is cheap. We need to actually *lead* again. Our Covid testing is such a minefield. Third-worldian right here in our rich powerful country. Shameful.