Thanks to Aloha Airlines, I've gone from a 2 hour connection time to 5-1/2 hours. Are there any special restaurants to have lunch? How about the garden area? Are there shady places to sit so that I can read or just enjoy the tropical air? Any suggestions on what to do with my time will be appreciated.

The garden area in the main terminal is, IMHO, a lovely and peaceful spot that doesn't seemed to be used very much. Seating is somewhat limited, but there are several benches along the walkways.

Food at HNL is standard low-grade airport stuff.

There is a business center, and a shower facility if you're connecting off a long flight.

But with 5 1/2 hours, might you consider renting a car? A ten-minute drive down Nimitz Highway, for instance, gets you to Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch, and Crab, which is a good nearby restaurant...and you can cross the street to the Pacific Design Center and pick up a classy souvenir of art from Martin and MacArthur!

Hope it works out...aloha.

Second the nomination of Sam Choy's BLC. The flash-fried poke is excellent, IMHO. A couple of minutes further towards downtown is the Aloha Tower Marketplace for restaurants and shopping. Big Island Steak House isn't bad there. The Hawaii Maritime Museum is right next door.

With 5 1/2 hours, you might as well take the bus to Sam Choy's BLC. It's $1 plus change one way and cheaper than a cab ride.

A better suggestion is taking the bus over to the Ala Moana shopping center. Head over to the Neiman Marcus and go up to the 3rd floor. The Mariposa Restaurant is there. Ask for a table on the patio. The food (especially the pop-overs) are great and the view is spectacular!! Order one of their umbrella drinks and enjoy.

I would not rent a car but take the piblic transit or a taxi to Waikiki Beach and enjoy a meal at the Hyatt or Hilton and come back. No sense in venturing by car in busy Honolulu. Why not call Aloha and see if they can change your flight to a 2.5 hour connection time if you don't want to stay in HNL. They are usually good about letting you get on an earlier or later flight. Just tell them your predicament.

Although not cheap, I have spent considerable time surfing (uh, INTERNET surfing, that is), at a little business centre just inside a security checkpoint.

this is an old thread, but just to have it accurate, the shower facility has long since been closed. the restaurant situation remains dismal unfortunately. it is a nice walk from the inter-island terminal all the way across to to ua's terminal. perhaps a mile or so. i like bringing or buying food and taking it upstairs at ua, where you'll have delightful runway views and huge and unused areas all to yourself.

this is an old thread, but just to have it accurate, the shower facility has long since been closed. the restaurant situation remains dismal unfortunately. it is a nice walk from the inter-island terminal all the way across to to ua's terminal. perhaps a mile or so. i like bringing or buying food and taking it upstairs at ua, where you'll have delightful runway views and huge and unused areas all to yourself.

This "Go Upstairs" tip is a good one, you have amazing views and will almost certainly have place to yourself.

The downstairs UA gate areas in HNL are chaotic at best!

You are likely however to be chased out during the early AM hours when flights are arriving from Japan. International arrivals into the Diamond Head wing (gates 6-10) are routed upstairs on their journey to customs (and a journey it is too). Upstairs is usually treated as a quarantine area until about 8:00AM. It seems to be okay to pass through going to and from the the RCC but not to hang around in the chairs outside the RCC.

Aloha

Lihu'e 1k