1. They will clear US customs in EWR - will they have to retrieve and recheck luggage or just clear customs and their bags pass straight through?
Once they land in EWR, they will pass through Immigration, then claim their baggage, then clear customs. Depending on the time of day that they travel, and what passport they are holding, this process can take up to two hours. Once they exit customs, there will be a baggage recheck area, where they can drop their bags, before proceeding to their gate.
2. Is there a separate lane for connections at EWR customs or does everyone clear together and then go on to their connection?
There is no segregrated line for connecting passengers at EWR
3. Will they have to redo security at EWR. They have to change from terminal A to C on their outbound and the reverse comming home. The same question applies for the HNL-KOA connection.
Note: There flight will arrive into Terminal B or Terminal C, and then depart from Terminal C. Terminal A does not have any customs facilities. Regardless of what Terminal they arrive in, they will have to reclear security between customs and their departing gate.
4. The last leg (HNL-KOA) is on Hawaiian - will they need to pay baggage fees at YQB AND HNL or can all fees be collected at the beginning of the trip in YQB?
They will pay the CO baggage fee for Canada-Hawaii on the outbound, and then should be charged (at least I was) for only the interisland KOA-HNL rate for the return.
5. Any other advice on the connections. I'm a bit worried since their both so green and don't speak the language. EWR seems a bit daunting.
Just be sure that they have AT LEAST three hours between their YQB-EWR and the EWR-HNL flights. The customs agents should be able to accomidate them easily, as I assume they speak french, not some completely obscure language?
6. Is their IFE on the planes? Can they use regular (one prong) headsets or do they need the two prong sets. Can they buy these onboard?
YQB-EWR will not have IFE, EWR-HNL will have "In-seat audio, video and video games. A selection of 17 video channels in BusinessFirst, 9 video channels in Economy, 20 channels of audio entertainment and 10 video games." and HNL-KOA will have none. I am fairly certain that a "regular" pronged headphones will work, though they may not be in stereo.
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