This was cross-posted in the Hawaii forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000303.html
The aviation museum has been closed (for security reasons), which is a bummer, but oh well, it was a nice place to visit.
Like I've said in my other post in the HI forum, 4 hours is really not enough time to do much outside the airport. Northwest will begin boarding your flight to SEA about 50 minutes prior to departure and flights from HNL usually are about 90% on-time, since air and ground traffic is sparse. Since you'll be departing mid-day the security lines will not be that long. If you were departing around 5-9 p.m., that's where all the wait is, since most domestic flights from HNL leave at night.
Clearing customs at HNL can be a bummer, depending on the time of day you arrive. The mornings are especially crowded because most of the international flights arrive between 6 and 9 a.m. However,
Steve M's approximation of 50 minutes in customs sounds good. TheBus (as it's actually called... thank you Mayor Fasi..
) can be unpredicatable, however, the airport routes are a lot better than regular services because it caters to visitors.
My advice for the four hour layover can be found in the other post (including visiting an airline lounge -- President's Club is nice). However, for an 8 hour layover, there is a lot you can do. Pearl Harbor is an excellent idea. There is an Entertainment Book coupon for the Mighty Mo (USS Missouri), 50% admission up to 4 people. Arizona Memorial is out of question, as stated by others because of the wait. You could, if you have friends here in HNL, have someone get tickets for you at 7:30 a.m., but they better be great friends because I sure wouldn't want to do that.
A cab to Waikiki would be a nice idea, given an 8 hour layover. There is no place to stash your bags in HNL given new security measures, so you might have to lug your stuff around, of just check-in and check your bags, if possible, before leaving for Waikiki. I would not suggest other alternatives, such as a shuttle because they can be time consuming. A cab will cost you about $25-40 dollars depending on where in Waikiki you get dropped off + tip.
In Waikiki, with your international boarding pass, you'll have access to the DFS Galleria, which is a nice, new shopping facility located on Kalakaua Avenue near the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. There you can purchase duty-free items to take back home with you. Another nice place to hit would be Ala Moana Shopping Center, that is, if you love shopping. Largest open-enviornment mall in America provides you with good shopping alternatives. If shopping isn't your thing, you can just check out the neat things to do in Waikiki, or hit the beach! There are public showers and restrooms at your disposal. If you truly want a great beach experience, rent a car (use priceline or coupons to get a good rate) and drive out to Kailua Beach. The drive will take about thirty minutes each way, so it'd be a day trip kinda thing.
Depending on how much you'd like to spend for lunch, there are a lot of restuarants in Waikiki. Most of them are tourist themed, however, which means overpriced (Cheeseburgers In Paradise comes to mind). Believe me, there are a lot of ono grinds (delicious food) outside of Waikiki that will cost you less, especially a few mom and pop type stores that are famous here locally. What types of foods would you want to eat? Kaka`ako Kitchen at Ward is a nice idea, but it's not in Waikiki and can be a pain to get to, especially with all the traffic around Ward. Another great restaurants at Ward is Ryan's Grill -- but on the the pricey side.
Might try Aloha Tower Marketplace for lunch? There are a lot of great resturants there, again touristy, but good food. Aloha Tower Marketplace is on Nimitz, which is one of the ways to get to the airport, so it's on the way and can make a nice little stop.
Ala Moana has a few restaurants you can try, including The Plantation Cafe in Macy's, etc. Personally don't like the Plantation Cafe, but it can give you a good taste of upscale local food.
poolmom,
Have you considered taking a later flight from OGG? Aloha Airlines (AQ) is really good at accomodating flight changes. You might have to fly stand-by, which wouldn't be a good idea, but it's nice to check to see if they can place you onto a later confirmed flight. This would allow you to spend your four hours in Kahului rather than stuck at HNL. Aloha also has a flight to YVR from HNL leaving at 12:10 p.m. I'm guessing this flight was sold out given that the AQ agent didn't book you onto it. This might also be another thing to ask about, which would allow you to forgo the connection in SEA. Or, if you want to extend your stay in HNL, you could get on the Air Canda flight to YVR, which leaves HNL at 1 a.m. Options are always nice to have.
Hope this helped and enjoy your visits to the islands!
ALOHA
[This message has been edited by slippahs (edited 07-20-2003).]