Yeah, book that one way the nite before and check into the IC MSP to kick the vaycay off right!

The IC setup requires use of their shuttle (I don't think you can get a taxi/uber/lift for T1 to T1 transportation) so you might as well pick some other airport hotel, but note that many of them have still suspended their airport shuttle service.

IMO RST is useless.............if you want to add 4:30 hour layovers each way it's fine though, assuming your plan starts............yes I missed a flight at MSP where I was supposed to arrive over 4 hours BEFORE it departed

We fly about 6 times a year and the one time I tried to use RST the plane wouldn't start, this was the first flight of the day and we sat on the plane for over 2 hours waiting for a part which did not fix the problem.......since I live 20 minutes away I asked to get off and be rebooked the next day but they wouldn't let me off the plane...............they sent a bus to RST to take us to MSP and I missed my connection.

On the way back I had a 5 hour layover in MSP for a 20 minute flight to RST....Never again.

But anyway I did search the outbound leg it would be depart RST at 6 am connecting flight leaves MSP at 11:30 am nonstop to HNL..............4 1/2 hour layover assuming all goes well.

I also paid $1800 per seat, flight today is over $3,000 per seat one way.

That was the plan, go up Friday and stay at the intercontinental but you still need a shuttle to bag check as the hotel is not connected to the airport which makes no sense, I love the TPA Marriott where you can walk with bags right to check in........... guess the IC only has a security check for carry on bags and have read the hours vary.................now if DELTA would let us fly RST/MSP on Friday and MSP/HNL on Saturday and load our bags that would work................of course with what I'm guessing is an odd request would I trust our bags get on the MSP/HNL plane, lol

In the TripAdvisor reviews I have read a few horror stories about the Intercontinental shuttle.

Can you combine a Friday RST/MSP flight which lands at 6:30pm with a 11:30 am departure the next day to HNL or do you have to pay for the additional RST/MSP flight which is $476 for both of us round trip plus the cost of the hotel ?



Anyway thanks for all the replies and ideas concerning our trip , I'm flying Delta to Vegas next week ( and again in March ) and I'm going to do a dry run on the check in using EZ air park and 4 total bags.......Maybe I can make an extra 2 bags work if the bag check is close to where EZ air drops us off

Stayed at IC multiple times. No shuttle issues.

The normal rules are you're allowed 24 hours (including overnight) as a connection on an international itinerary but only 4 hours for domestic travel before the "layover" becomes a stopover probably requiring a higher fare (and using multicity search to book the ticket on delta.dumb, although I usually need to call for overnight international connections too). Due to COVID-19 schedule reductions, the 4 hour rule was increased to 6 hours, but IIRC it's now back to 4 again.

Without adding the RST/MSP leg the day before the one way Delta one seats (MSP/HNL) that I grabbed for $1200 and change each are now over $3k each so safe to say I won't be making any changes, thanks for your help.

You can purchase separately. No need to change current ticket. DL will check bags across tickets and even protects in case of delay.

Adding the RST/MSP flights is about $555 ( crazy, who would pay that much to fly R/T RST/MSP which is a hour 15 minute drive each way) plus the cost of the hotel ( $165) RST Parking ( about $125) and having to take an extra day off from work...........having to spending a night at an airport hotel with no transportation and a 3 hour layover on our return flight before we depart MSP/RST...............

I'm good leaving Saturday and having a private car pick us up as home at 9am and a car waiting when we land back at MSP.............and it's much cheaper.

Some airport hotels do provide transportation, including to/from MOA, or you can use light rail or even walk from some of them to restaurants, etc.