Christine Yi was hopeful that the test results would come through before the boarding gate closed.
Ms. Yi, a content creator in New York, and her boyfriend, the executive chef at a restaurant in New York, were going to go to the Caribbean over the Christmas holiday weekend.
Proof of a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of departure is required to enter the island. Ms. Yi and Mr. Tracey booked their P.C.R. tests a day in advance of their departure. She received a negative test result on the 23rd. After 34 hours, a missed flight, $150 in change fees, a two-hour wait for two rapid antigen tests and a back-and-forth trip to John F. Kennedy International Airport, Mr. Tracey's test came back negative.
Ms. Yi said it was a memorable start to their trip.
The key to a holiday season closer to the normal times of prepandemic times is frequent testing, along with vaccines and masking. Getting tested in time is difficult for international travelers. Walk-in sites often have hourslong waits and appointments are booked, making it difficult to find a test. Even if you get a test, it's not certain that your results will come back in time for you to board.
It is even more difficult because of the constantly changing requirements for international travel. Previously, a negative P.C.R. test within 72 hours was sufficient for entry, but in recent weeks, some places have shortened the window for valid test results.
Testing has been a point of pain throughout the Pandemic, from the limited availability and time it takes to get a test to the shortage of at- home tests last summer. The United States was not prepared to meet the huge demand for tests caused by the Omicron variant and the holiday season. The best-laid plans may fall through for some travelers.
The chief science officer of Color, a Burlingame, Calif., health technology company that has partnerships with testing sites around California, said that they have as much test volume as they did last holiday season. According to Dr. Zhou, the majority of P.C.R. results are returned in less than 24 hours. The tests are free to use. They were able to maintain that time because they did not scale back operations when the demand for testing dropped in the middle of 2021, according to Dr. Zhou.
It felt like it was time for us to stop. Omicron came on the tail end of Delta.
Demand for at- home tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration has skyrocketed, too, with pharmacies largely out of stock and shipping significantly delayed. Unless these tests are done by a medical professional, they are not enough for international travel, but they do offer peace of mind for family gatherings.
A spokesman for Abbott, the company that produces BinaxNow, said that they are sending out the items as fast as they can.
The uncertainty has some people hedging their bets, setting up multiple tests in case one doesn't come through in time. Alle Pierce, a Palm Springs, Calif.-based travel adviser and the founder of Gals Abroad Getaways, recommended making an initial testing appointment through a primary care doctor and coming up with a backup plan, which could involve making a second appointment or a walk-in clinic.
If you are able to find a site that will give you a quick response, you should expect to pay more.
Dr. Zhou encouraged you to cancel any additional testing appointments as soon as you receive your results.
She said to try to make sure that you don't overbook and don't show up to the appointments. Less availability for appointments for others is caused by that.
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Percia Safar, an investor in Los Angeles, paid $670 for two rapid antigen tests and a number of at- home tests in order to get ready for her international trip. Her process was complicated by a possible Covid exposure 10 days before she was supposed to fly. She had to take either a rapid test within 24 hours or a P.C.R. test within 72 hours after she left. She said that it was nearly impossible to find a site that would give her P.C.R. results within her window.
The company is still able to meet the demand for Covid-19 testing even with increasing numbers of patients seeking tests. He said that results are usually available within one to two days, but may take longer due to local surge in Covid-19 cases.
I think I can get some of that reimbursed by insurance, said Ms. Safar. I was able to pay for it out of pocket. It is a lot. I can't believe the cost is on us.
It can seem like the only way to avoid long waits is to pay more for a test. Jack Ezon, the founder and managing partner of EMBARK Beyond, a travel advisory that caters to high-net-worth individuals, said that his clients hadn't experienced delays or disruptions because of the current testing crush.
He said that their clients would have a concierge doctor come to their home for a P.C.R. Clients are willing to spend four or five times the price just to have the service because we are not running into these issues as much.
