My experience is that HA is strict with bag weight if they see you with your bags when you check-in. But, they won't stop you at the gate, so if you OLCI you won't have any problems.
Frankly, I'm super surprised that HA would offer a service like this. I mean... it's a service. And one that (i don't think) they're required to do. and without any fees!
Frankly, I'm super surprised that HA would offer a service like this. I mean... it's a service. And one that (i don't think) they're required to do. and without any fees!
Most airlines have interline agreements at many airports across the world.
Would it help or make things worse for me to do OLCI before my attempt to interline? (Recall that I'm going from OGG-HNL on HA, then HNL-SFO on AA)
Also, when I get to the airport, should I go to the counters for inter-island service or the other counters?
It would help in the sense that if your OGG-HNL flight is delayed, you'll already have a boarding pass in hand and won't have to deal with the counters or be late with the mandatory check-in time imposed by AA at HNL (30 minutes prior to departure). Otherwise, it'd also be handy to have the e-ticket number for the HA agent when checking in at HNL.
When you get to OGG, check-in with HA's interisland counters.
Booked the whole family (5) to Hawaii using points on NW (all coach) - however, I need to get an inter-island flight to LIH -- flight is in October and my flight has changed since I booked due to scheduling changes by NW (I booked in January and since then, schedules have changed 3x). This makes me nervous booking this far in advance and risk me having to pay $$$ to change my LIH flights if NW again changes their schedule.
Several questions for the experts:
1) If I purchase HNL-LIH flight w/Hawaiian air (NW partner), will I be able to check my bags all the way from DTW? Again, my DTW-HNL is award and will be on a separate itinerary.
2) Will I be able to check bags all the way coming home?
3) Will I have to pay a bag fee with Hawaiian airlines?
4) How close to my arrival time would you book? If we are late into HNL, will HA let me on a later flight without hassle or fees? Can I somehow link the 2 trips?
Thanks - tried to put it all on 1 trip on miles but couldn't get 5 @ 40k/person...
One side note - I got an email a few months after I booked that my NW flight changed so I checked the new itinerary and the arrival time was only changed by 10 minutes. On a whim, I changed my flight online and chose the DTW-MSP-HNL option which was by far a better choice and not available for 40k/person when I first booked the trip (this routing was classified as a high-tier award). At the end of the online process, it let me change to the DTW-MSP-HNL for $0 and no additional points because of the itinerary change! Very nice...
1+2. If you show both itineraries at check-in, and explain to the agent what you're trying to do, they will definitely check things through, both directions. All they need to know is all the flight numbers and city pairs. I routinely fly HA inter-island and NW elsewhere on separately booked itineraries.
3. That depends how many bags you bring.
4. I tend to leave myself a couple hours in HNL just to be safe. But then, I have a WC, er, SC, membership, and there's a lounge there. I would not take chances on missing a HA flight and hope for however many seats on the next one - they fly pretty full.
__________________
I think of Delta as the New Worldwide Airline.
Booked the whole family (5) to Hawaii using points on NW (all coach) - however, I need to get an inter-island flight to LIH -- flight is in October and my flight has changed since I booked due to scheduling changes by NW (I booked in January and since then, schedules have changed 3x). This makes me nervous booking this far in advance and risk me having to pay $$$ to change my LIH flights if NW again changes their schedule.
Several questions for the experts:
1) If I purchase HNL-LIH flight w/Hawaiian air (NW partner), will I be able to check my bags all the way from DTW? Again, my DTW-HNL is award and will be on a separate itinerary.
2) Will I be able to check bags all the way coming home?
3) Will I have to pay a bag fee with Hawaiian airlines?
4) How close to my arrival time would you book? If we are late into HNL, will HA let me on a later flight without hassle or fees? Can I somehow link the 2 trips?
Thanks - tried to put it all on 1 trip on miles but couldn't get 5 @ 40k/person...
One side note - I got an email a few months after I booked that my NW flight changed so I checked the new itinerary and the arrival time was only changed by 10 minutes. On a whim, I changed my flight online and chose the DTW-MSP-HNL option which was by far a better choice and not available for 40k/person when I first booked the trip (this routing was classified as a high-tier award). At the end of the online process, it let me change to the DTW-MSP-HNL for $0 and no additional points because of the itinerary change! Very nice...
Just a note that I've merged your thread with the Guide to Connecting in HNL thread on the Hawaii forum. Post #1 should answer most of your questions and provide some other helpful tips.
FT'ers
Mr. Gal and I have decided to tie the knot. I need advice/help!
We need to get to Kona as early as possible to get ready for a 6pm sunset wedding ceremony. Just booked AA39 SFO-HNL arriving at 11:20, leaving next week.
Want to take HA 298, even though it is more $$, departing at HNL at 12:30 pm - arr. 1:13PM. Next flight is HA148 leaving 1:05 pm arriving 1:50 pm.
FlightAware shows AA39 to be early or on time.
1. Not 75 minutes, what do you think the chances are of AA checking luggage thru? 2. If AA won't check luggage through, is it reasonable to have 60 minutes to get our bags, change terminals, recheck with HA? 3. Worst comes to worst, we can book HA 148, it just makes things a little more rushed, which is not the ideal.......but hey, Mr.Gal and I are obviously used to last minute travel. 4. How is baggage claim and getting out of KOA airport?
5. Although this might not be the right forum, we have a car rented through Alamo.... any experience with the KOA Alamo?
1. Not 75 minutes, what do you think the chances are of AA checking luggage thru?
If past reports are true, that's the minimum time required for interlining at HNL. But that doesn't mean that the check-in agent at SFO won't know that...
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFGal
2. If AA won't check luggage through, is it reasonable to have 60 minutes to get our bags, change terminals, recheck with HA?
Probably not. I've never flown AA before into HNL but every other airline I've flown (UA, HA, DL, CO, NW, to name a few) will take at a minimum 30 minutes to deliver bags to the bag claim. Remember, these are usually larger planes with a ton of checked bags because of extended vacations, etc. You also need a minimum 30 minutes to check-in your bags at HA. So I wouldn't count on it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFGal
3. Worst comes to worst, we can book HA 148, it just makes things a little more rushed, which is not the ideal.......but hey, Mr.Gal and I are obviously used to last minute travel.
Any particular reason why 30-45 minutes would make your travel plans rushed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFGal
4. How is baggage claim and getting out of KOA airport?
Bag claim is your standard neighbor island bag claim. Getting out of KOA is easy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SFGal
5. Although this might not be the right forum, we have a car rented through Alamo.... any experience with the KOA Alamo?
Last time I rented from Alamo in KOA last August, there was a line of a few people, but we were in and out of there with the keys in 10 minutes. You'll have to hop on the Alamo shuttle when you exit bag claim, which is in the center median of the airport road.
Slippahs.......Thanks for the info! ....responses below
Quote:
Originally Posted by slippahs
If past reports are true, that's the minimum time required for interlining at HNL. But that doesn't mean that the check-in agent at SFO won't know that...
Good to know. I will try my best to get the agent at SFO to check us through.
Probably not. I've never flown AA before into HNL but every other airline I've flown (UA, HA, DL, CO, NW, to name a few) will take at a minimum 30 minutes to deliver bags to the bag claim. Remember, these are usually larger planes with a ton of checked bags because of extended vacations, etc. You also need a minimum 30 minutes to check-in your bags at HA. So I wouldn't count on it.
So check through is really the way to go. I wonder if it would make any sense to book a refundable tix on the earlier HA flight so that we could get on the later one easily?
Any particular reason why 30-45 minutes would make your travel plans rushed?
Pick up rental car, get marriage license, ideally make it to the beach north of Kona before 6....... it would be great to have breathing room with the earlier flight. Since it is just the 2 of us, no worries if we start a bit late.
Bag claim is your standard neighbor island bag claim. Getting out of KOA is easy.
Last time I rented from Alamo in KOA last August, there was a line of a few people, but we were in and out of there with the keys in 10 minutes. You'll have to hop on the Alamo shuttle when you exit bag claim, which is in the center median of the airport road.
Great to know. The Mr. and I are planning on splitting up.....1 at baggage claim, 1 picking up the rental to keep things moving. (Actually, we do that whenever we travel.)
Good luck!
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Posts: 103
Minimum Transit Time at OGG
I'm trying to figure out the minimum transfer time necessary at OGG to go from UA35 which arrives at 11:40am to a HA flight to KOA. There is an HA flight that leaves at 12:07pm, but that only leaves me 27 minutes to get from one plane to the other. The other option is to wait until the 2:32pm flight on HA.
1. Is this timing feasible?
2. What happens if I miss the flight (The HA flight would be booked using a UA award)
3. Is there a standby fee if I book the 2:32pm flight and make it in plenty of time to get on the earlier flight?
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Posts: 20,560
Quote:
Originally Posted by dchang1
I'm trying to figure out the minimum transfer time necessary at OGG to go from UA35 which arrives at 11:40am to a HA flight to KOA. There is an HA flight that leaves at 12:07pm, but that only leaves me 27 minutes to get from one plane to the other. The other option is to wait until the 2:32pm flight on HA.
1. Is this timing feasible?
If the stars align, you're in the front of the plane, and you hoof it, yes it would work. Your luggage won't make it, but you might. I'd never attempt it myself.
Quote:
2. What happens if I miss the flight (The HA flight would be booked using a UA award)
They'll likely book you on the next one with an open seat, and charge you a change fee.
Quote:
3. Is there a standby fee if I book the 2:32pm flight and make it in plenty of time to get on the earlier flight?
HA does not do standby for any but it's status pax. You will pay a change fee.
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KOA TSA is SLLOOOWWWW :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by mktozd
Quote:
Originally Posted by cblaisd
KOA is terrible for layovers. The state is working on a renovation plan but it will be awhile before it improves.
There is nothing nearby (given that amount of time).
I don't know what airlines your friend is connection from/to, but be advised that HA/AA/DL are in one terminal, and US/UA/AS are in another (and there is no signage whatsoever to indicate that, nor how to get from one terminal to the other, nor what airline is where). There is no airside connection and security wait times can be awful at KOA in the ~2 hours before UA's banks of flights to SFO/LAX.
There is a small cafe with mediocre food and usurious prices inside the north (US/UA/AS) terminal. There is also a small concession across the street from the south terminal (where the rental cars used to be) that has a limited menu, and is much better than the inside-the-terminal restaurant.
There is the Onizuka Space Museum, which is an interesting place to spend an hour (and airconditioned); just keep track of the time!
Actually, Kona is one of my favorite airports to visit or spend a little time at. First off, everything is open air and the airport is broken into two terminals. We have never spent more than 10 minutes in line for security even when getting on bigger flights and TSA is actually nice in Hawaii (you dont hear people yelling bag check in your ear like you do on the mainland). Admittedly the food options are not that great in either of the terminals, but the weather and the people more than make up for it. If I had to be stuck at any airport in the world, I think that Kona might be it.
Had a great time in KOA- but on June 16, 2009 upon departure on AS856 I got stuck in the backlog scheduled to depart at 1 PM...
I am an AS MVPG member so typically have access to elite checkin, and I did realize there was no elite line in KOA (would have been nice )
I made a couple stops enroute to KOA - last at Costco to fill up on gas & mac nut chocolates and was at the checkin counter about 11:45 AM... ample time (I thought)
Had issues checking in initially - UA was running the desk and the first agent was not very helpful, but got bags checked at 1 hour prior... then the line(s)(s)(s)... never seen it so bad!
Not only did they wrap around all 3 loops (extending past all the checkin desks), back past the bathrooms, but nearly to the luggage claim! The line moved...eh- ok... finally got under the covered area and had 30 mins left... but the line tripled back so was having doubts on making it- and discovered there were several others on the AS flight fretting too... even behind us-!
Finally T-10 or even closer, I think the UA agents called for us to leave the line and go around everyone so the flight could leave <whew>... and my friend and I were able to board, one of the last...
KOA TSA is SLLOOOWWWW :(
scheduled to depart at 1 PM...
)
and was at the checkin counter about 11:45 AM... ample time (I thought)
