mauiUAflyer

I know the mantra on this board is that "friends don't let friends fly go!", but "my company made me". For the benefit of anyone else curious, who has not flown them, I thought a post of my recent flight would be helpful.

As this was the last flight of the night OGG->HNL, and given a previous poster's experience, I was a little on-edge...

Was able to do OLCI from home & print the BP, no problem^

Arrived at OGG ~7:30 for an 8:30 departure. No problems with security. No bags to check, only carry-on.

Got to gate at a little past 7:30. No GA, nothing on the departure screen.
Boarding at 8:00 PM, says the BP. 8 PM; someone (GA?) arrives, starts to type on computer. Check out window; no plane.

8:05 GA disappears.
8:20 Flight arrives, pax deplane
8:30 get on-board. Open seating (really open, with no zones like AQ). A young couple ignores everyone, stands by podium to get on first.
I get seat 1B. The FA is busy cleaning up the cabin, asks us to wait on jetway.

It's a CRJ200. Blue (a blue not found in nature!) "leather" seats, 2x2, ~14 rows. FA dressed in blue shors, white polo shirt (and very perky!).

My rollerboard won't fit in overhead bins, so FA takes it to do "ramp check". I get no receipt of any sort.
8:45 depart OGG

Drinks: everything, from water to booze, costs extra. There is a pricelist/menu in the seatback pocket.

~9:15 arrive HNL, arrive by commuter gates. No jet way, stairs down to tarmac. My rampchecked bag is waiting for me.

The trip was simple, uncomfortable, and happily very short. The 200 is not a great aircraft (bad seats, small windows, very limited overhead & underseat storage). With limited ground support, the staff seem to wear many hats.

Not my first choice, but if one is on a tight budget...

chasbondy

It appears someone in Hawaii doesn't like GO. They were given an awful spot, that is totally inconvenient at HNL, and its not a whole lot better in Lihue.

asu-ua772

Can you elaborate a little more? Are you discussing terminal facilities? Or something else?

DanTravels

It's gotta be the terminal facilities... and, well, their aircraft aren't suited for jetbridges any more than Island Air's are, so commuter terminal it is. Not terribly surprising, really. And I don't quite see what's inconvenient about the location either - it seems like a pretty easy place to get dropped off. I guess for someone flying in on United, it's a long walk, but I think of that as United being inconvenient.

But then, I've landed around 8:50 PM at gate 29-30 on HA from the mainland, picked up a bag at the HA baggage claim in the inter-island terminal at 9:05, and been aboard a go! plane at 9:15 for a 9:30 flight... so maybe my view of "inconvenient" is skewed anyway.

aa_mia_flyer

I just flew GO yesterday from Honolulu to Hilo and back. The entire experience was very smooth and pleasant. Although GO was difficult to locate at HNL (for someone that has never used the airport except for mainland arrival), the security screening took less than 5 minutes and the waiting area was fine. The lack of jet bridge is fine and walking to the plane took seconds (compared to buses I'm used to at MIA and SJU).

Overall I was very pleased and would certainly recommend GO based on my experience. Hopefully they don't stop operating if Mesa declares bankruptcy.

DanTravels

Mesa says chapter 11 wouldn't impact go! operations. That said, go! may still not be profitable, and I don't know whether it could survive if Mesa's other mainland operations went away.

I've flown go! before, back when it was newer and only half-full, and had the latest-night flight home to my island from Honolulu. There are pros and cons to it, and although that time it meant not being stuck overnight, usually I'll opt for Hawaiian's mainline jets where I earn miles in my chosen FFP and never have to gate-check a bag full of expensive equipment I'm forced to lug around for work.

chasbondy

I'm just saying that it is one hell of a hike from the United or NW gates to GO in HNL when one has a 60 pound carry-on and wearing flip flops. And don't bother with the Tiki-Tiki shuttle. After waiting 25 minutes for one to come around, I decided to walk. And God forbid, don't ask an airport employee to actually do what they are paid to do, or even ask a question. They will do what they want in the time frame they choose to do it, and if you are in a hurry, you learn that you are really not in a hurry, you are just totally devoid of what they call the "Aloha Spirit"

DanTravels

Agreed - although I regularly walk between gate 58 and the NW WorldClub and haven't succumbed to exhaustion doing so yet. But now that you have a feel for the layout, you'll be better prepared next time, I guess.

Failure to adjust to different cultures will get you viewed as just another rude American - even some places in America.

gemac

For someone just flying interisland (not connecting) I very much prefer the commuter terminal. Check in and clear security in 5-10 minutes tops.

How do you cram a 60 pound carryon into the overheads of GO! anyway? And if you have to check it interisland, why not check it from the mainland?

Manoa Chris

I've never minded the walk. Honolulu is a great airport to walk through.

Ripper3785

I've cleared security in <10 min at the UA, AA(3x), HA checkpoints in the last couple months without using any priority line. <5 min several times.

Admittedly, it's always that fast at the commuter terminal.

DanTravels

Dropped off rental car at 1022 yesterday at ITO, entered security at ~1026, was through by 1030 for a 1106 departure. What are these "lines" of which you speak?

But seriously, if checkin is somewhere near the curb, and security is somewhere near checkin, and the lounge is somewhere near security, I usually figure 10 minutes or less from curb to lounge, even if i feel like checking a bag. That's with a laptop, and shoes, and a piece or two of electronics in my rollaboard, and my personal item (a not-tiny backpack that amazingly fits under the seat) absolutely jammed with electronics and optics. And that's generally true anywhere in the world.

LAX Gambit

My thoughts exactly! I hope Go! charged the OP another seat for that carryon. I doubt even a cielo weighs that much.

[off-topic material removed by the moderator]

chasbondy

>>hope Go! charged the OP another seat for that carryon>>> No, they gate checked it, thank you. I hope they charge you for your bag the next time

cblaisd

Aloha spirit, all.

cblaisd
Co-Moderator, Hawai`i-based Airlines forum