HA's SFO-HNL-SYD flights
 

I called HA's customer service number about their SFO-HNL-SYD flights, and the rep didn't sound very knowledgeable and provided me with some answers only after consulting with a supervisor, and so I'd like to double check on here:

This routing comes with a 23hr layover. Is it true that:

1) I can check my luggage all the way through to SYD when checking in at SFO?
2) because this is considered an international route, I am entitled to 2 pieces of free checked bags at 70 lbs each for both sectors (even though the SFO-HNL sector by itself normally would incur checked baggage fee in Y)?
3) I assume the checked bags will be placed in a secure location for the overnight layover at HNL? I have heard that certain airports have a higher risk for luggage theft, but I don't recall HNL being one of them.
4) When I return to HNL the next day, I can bypass check-in formalities and go straight to passport control and security check?

Any other tips or insight for this routing is appreciated; this will be my first time flying HA. Thank you.

I doubt you can leave your luggage overnight, or that you'd really want to. If it's anything regular, it's probably easy enough to bring it to the hotel.

I assume you chose this schedule, it's not the normal schedule, the flights are well timed for a 1.5 hour layover in HNL in each direction.

For my travel date (early Dec), HA has no better option. The others have 2 stops instead of 1; all require an overnight stopover. Are you looking at HA schedule?

Oh yeah I see that, I was looking at summer dates. There's the possibility of a schedule change between now and Dec.

Do do you have any idea what kind of schedule change might it be? I've already booked my hotel in Honolulu for the layover night, but at least it's
cancellable

They may realize they are not selling many through tickets because they are forcing 23 hour connections, I suspect someone is asleep at the wheel. So would just push back the SYD departure from HNL by an hour or so.

Highly unlikely.

No - why would you be allowed for excess baggage at the first place?

(Note - standard baggage allowance is 50lb. >50 -70 is considered excess.)

Good luck.

Only if you have a BP. And security check only.

(Assuming your baggage has been checked through, which is unlikely)

Unless it is cheap enough, if you can cancel it, you should.

There is no point wasting almost a day for that.

Beside - can't you do OAK or SJC instead of SFO?

Are you looking for what amounts to a cheapish day in HNL? If so, this may work for you. But, otherwise, time is money and it would have to be a gigantic savings before I accepted a 23-hour connection.

Under no circumstances would I want to leave my luggage anywhere for 23 hours. That is simply inviting loss, theft or damage no matter what the carrier is willing to do.

Your allowance is the allowance for the first segment of the marketing carrier. That is HA from SFO-HNL. That will be your allowance out to SYD (and back if you have a return on the same ticket).

I have now checked with 3 separate HA reps, and they all said, after checking with their supervisor, that I can check my bags at SFO all the way through to SYD and that the free checked bag allowance is 2 bags @70 lbs each (in accordance with the HNL-SYD sector, since this is an international itinerary).

They didn't know whether the bags will be locked overnight at HNL but assured me that they will be safe. I can't imagine the bags will be left in the open during the long layover.

I don't mind the 23hr layover in HNL - always nice to spend some time there and to split up the journey. I am in no hurry - I am retired and spend a lot of my time traveling and exploring the world. In fact, this is the start of a 2-month trip, and so no big deal to spend one extra day relaxing in Hawaii... (But then I shouldn't need to explain how I value and allocate my time, should I?)

You - and the OP - could have checked. It's not like it's hidden. https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/bagfees

As mentioned HA's primary focus is bringing people to and from Hawaii. That is how the schedule is optimized and they know exactly what's going on, so nobody asleep at the wheel. Connections through HNL are a bonus. As for retiming SYD, it's not that easy. There are curfew constraints with the airport and the current schedule accounts for that as well as contingency planning should things be running late, so as not to bust the curfew.

That makes sense. I was thinking perhaps HA may not sell enough tickets to consider through passengers between SFO & SYD, so they don't optimize schedules as much as other airlines do at their hubs.

Nearly the entire the trans-pac schedule allows for connections in both directions throughout the entire network. There are a few exceptions like JFK, PEK and biggest exception is SYD, because of its earlier departure from HNL than all the other international flights. Those are driven by flight schedules, stage length, slot issues and the SYD curfew.