CowGirlMoo

I am flying from DTW to KOA on a Delta ticket. The DTW - HNL is D1 on a Delta operated flight. The HNL - KOA flight is operated by Hawaiian Airlines. There is a 4 hour and 29 minute layover in HNL.

The Hawaiian Airlines website states the following:

https://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app...next%20flight.

“And be sure to check your connecting times. If your connection between interline partner airlines is longer than 4 hours for domestic flights and longer than 24 hours for international flights, it’s considered a stopover and you’ll need to collect your bags and recheck them for your next flight. If you have a separate ticket for a connecting flight, please check in with an airport agent at your point of origin. Hawaiian Airlines will only through-check bags to other airline flights if the other airline segments are on the same ticket.”

Does this mean I will definitely need to collect my luggage at HNL and recheck it with Hawaiian Airlines? This is provably a stupid question, but if the luggage tag when checking in at DTW shows KOA as the final destination, does this mean I don’t need to collect it and recheck it in HNL? I guess I’m just confused about whether I need to go out of the secure area at HNL to baggage claim to see if our luggage is there or not.”

TIA for your help/advice!

flyerCO

It'll go all the way if tagged. This policy us when checking in with HA. Thus on return it could be issue.

james318

I miss the good ol' days of through check both ways even on separate tickets.

OT: Didn't NW run an inter island route or two back in the day?

freshmargs

i would just keep a very close eye on any Hawaiian airlines flights as a few years ago (granted this was still COVID time 2021) Hawaiian canceled our KOA-HNL flight I'm assuming because it was a later flight and low load. Wasn't notified. Rebooked on an earlier flight and did have to collect bags and get to the DL terminal, which is FAR.

CowGirlMoo

Thank you. This is very good to know!

I remember flying NW a few times to Kauai and the BI through HNL and the luggage transfer was never an issue. A few times our luggage got there before us. The interisland flight might have been on Aloha Airlines though.

Thank you for the warning. It seems there are a lot of issues with HA...

NWAsilvELITE

On the return, ask at check in if can pay for an UG from KOA to HNL if you are headed back that way. We ended up with extra luggage and it would have been big $$$$$ to check it, cost less to UG to F to HNL and had all bases covered.

DltaSchmlta

Would check the track my bags on delta app during 4 hrs in HNL

CowGirlMoo

Thanks. Will the Delta app show the bags if they are transferred to Hawaiian Airlines?

ATOBTTR

Was there a schedule change that drove the connection to be 4:29 or was the the layover length when you booked? DL codeshares on several HA flights to the outer islands so if there's been a schedule change, you could probably call DL and ask to be rebooked onto an earlier HA flight with a DL codeshare (assuming FC codeshare options are still available, or possibly accept being moved to Y for the HNL-KOA leg if you'd consider it to avoid the 4.5 hour layover).

That said, worst case is you should have access to the SkyClub at HNL on arrival and while the SC is a bit small, they have a good food selection and a great bar with Hawaiian drinks available (Mai Tais, Blue Hawaii's, etc,) so far from the worst way to kill a long layover.

james318

I remember my only interisland flights with a NW purchased ticket being on Hawaiian. But I thought I remembered some sort of tag-on Mainland-HNL-some island flights. Maybe it was ITO?

DCAproducer

It sure if this applies, but I saw someone suggest buying up to F on the return HA segment.

I had a DL ticket OGG-HNL-LAX. DL ticket, DL operated the LAX leg. HA wouldn稚 allow me to purchase the F upgrade. It was not allowed on a DL ticket. Also, HA charged us for bags and didn稚 honor the DL medallion benefits or class of travel on the DL leg. You will also need the HA PNR to check in. They won稚 recognize use the DL PNR. You can request this from DL.

kentravels808

I fly to KOA via HNL from SLC often, with this exact same layover (4-5hrs). I知 sitting on my return flight home as I type this.

You値l be fine - you won稚 be able to track them through the Delta app once they get handed off to Hawaiian, but it痴 business as usual. They値l get tagged all the way through.

The HNL Delta lounge is top-notch and has some of the best (IMO, I知 biased bc I知 from here) lounge food available throughout the states. Great team, great drinks, lots of unique lounge food you won稚 get elsewhere.

If I知 not checking bags, I値l go into downtown during the layover Honolulu for some of my go-tos, but other than that, the lounge and the airport gardens are decent entertainment.

As for your return flight - are you flying HA to HNL and then flying Delta home? Or are you taking one of the Seattle/LAX red eye flights from KOA?

CowGirlMoo

Thanks for the advice. My original flight had a layover of around 3-1/2 hours (still long, but better), but Delta had a schedule change. I phoned Delta after the schedule change and was told there were no earlier HNL - KOA flights in first class. I said I was fine with main ca as it's such a short flight. I was then told I would then have to downgrade the ENTIRE ticket to economy and I'd get a $35 credit!!! Obviously I decided a 4-1/2 layover at HNL was better.

CowGirlMoo

Thank you - this is very helpful! I'm so glad to hear the bags will be tagged all the way through, and I can enjoy some unique food and drinks in the lounge. I had no idea HNL had a garden! Is this within the secure area?

I'm flying Delta on the way home, so I don't need to worry about the my luggage: KOA - SEA redeye, then SEA - DTW.

ATOBTTR

One of the gardens is located within the "split" in the E Pier that DL flights often use (and isn't far from the SC). I believe there's another one shortly after you reach the inter-island terminal via the airside connector.
Unfortunately no details on this link as to locations but here's more info on the gardens:
https://airports.hawaii.gov/hnl/shop...tural-gardens/

That's a bummer on not being able to change to an earlier flight but I agree as I'd also just stick with the 4.5 hour layover in that scenario.

Side note: I recommend these anyway but if you don't have some already, invest in Apple AirTags for your checked baggage. When I've had long layovers like this, I've both had my bags sent on earlier flights and I've had my bags get stored somewhere and forgotten. Hopefully neither happens (especially the latter) and your bags travel with you on your island-hopper flight to KOA but having AirTags on (in) the bag can help keep you informed on where your bags are.