Ancien Maestro

Thanks for the tip.. First time hopping.. since it's a leg in between not needed.. but good to know.^

ILuvParis

An even better tip is not to check a bag.

Seriously, unless you are traveling with little kids and/or have some heavy duty sports/adventure equipment, why bother?

WRCSolberg

Because some people don't have the means and/or want to do laundry when they're gone from home over a week. Nor do they want to wear the same clothes multiple times without laundering.

Ancien Maestro

So how does it work.. We fly to Kona, and probably have one checked luggage each, two car seats, a stroller, etc.. checked in. Do you mean that we can carry this all on board for the 15 minute ride from Kona to Kahului? I like your idea as a money saver though.. or is there a trick to this?

ILuvParis

No, I said, UNLESS, you are traveling with kids....which you obviously are.

Ancien Maestro

I guess each bag we could have checked in, and don't is a money saver. So its possible to carry these bags on board if you can handle it? Or rules to restrict this?

Sunny_Island

We live in GA most of the time, too. We fly to Hawaii every year and have done so since about 1995 so I think I can give you some information, too. Of the three islands you listed the Big Island is the most unusual. It has the active volcano (not to be missed), for instance. The BI doesn't have the lush green appearance of Maui and Kauai but it has a raw and wonderful beauty all its own. We love the BI but love Kauai even more. It's just a personal preference. I think you should do only two islands on this trip. You don't want to wear yourselves out on a vacation that ought to be totally relaxing! We've reached the point where we only go to one island each trip - far more relaxing that way - we aren't constantly packing and unpacking. I'd spend that extra money on an aerial tour of the island instead of a airline ticket to another island. Helos tours over any of the islands are fantastic!

As someone else has pointed out, I would try to avoid flts that go through HNL. Even though you will have jet lag, if you're like us you won't feel it too much going west. The first evening you'll be a bit weary but it won't matter as you will be in paradise! A light meal and a glass of wine is a great way to end that first day (bar menus are good choices for this).

If you can afford it, fly First Class. It makes a big difference in every conceivable way! Flying from ATL you have some airline choices. I try to avoid going through ORD but that isn't always possible.

Whatever you do, don't turn a wonderful vacation to one of the most spectacular places on earth into something stressful by trying to do too much. You'll love Hawaii - you can do the rest of it on your next trip and the one after that and ...

ILuvParis

Personally, I prefer going through HNL (to and from LIH). IMHO, the most uncomfortable plane known to man (even in FC) is the Boeing 757, which is the only choice from LIH. I just arrived home this afternoon, after taking that awful plane from LIH-LAX and then on home to ORD. I would much prefer the widebody from ORD or DFW, particularly overnight and the quick trip on Hawaiian.

beckoa

The N/S 737 from SEA on AS isn't bad in the front (upgraded of course ). Then again, I am traveling from the West Coast or Alaska, where the options for a widebody are rather limited. HNL is just too much of a city for me... love using airstaris in KOA btw... (makes it seem like such a primitive airport-which it is )

Ancien Maestro

How's Mokulele airlines?.. sounds upstart.. cheaper than Hawaiian.. but we went Hawaiian because its been around for awhile, and don't want get caught in a situation where an airline goes bankrupt and all of a sudden got to pay United Airline prices to hop.

I saw the other day Mokulele runs day trip tours to different islands.. sort of a cool way to go!

beckoa

MW kind of went under already- YV gobbled up their larger interisland operation (E170's) when they ran short of funding. All that exists is a skeleton operation ran by Cessna Caravans (that seem like they would be a cool way of doing an air tour, but probably the helicopter is a bit better as it can move slower). The one nice aspect of MW operated flights is you can earn AS MP miles...

Ancien Maestro

Hence my fear of Mokulele airlines going under may be correct. Less competition means fares are on the rise. Book now for your island hopping before its too late! I see Mokulele is still booking.

I noticed some moderators have Boycott Go! What's up with this airline?

Ancien Maestro

Alert! Canadian website for Hawaiian Airlines fares have already doubled! Hurry, and book on www.expedia.com, before it's gone!

beckoa

I'll let them go into details.. but they basically squeezed out AQ (Aloha) from biz with predatory practices. There was a large lawsuit, and possibly a judgment. But all that remains of AQ is its cargo ops, and these were sold too... So there's quite a bit of disdain for YV, eliminating a local company...

twospirits

In my case, I was an Hawaiian Air fan then jumped to Aloha for most of my inter-island flying in Hawaii, then I switch to Mokulele, when Aloha folded. But in this last trip last year, they merged with go! and it was too late for me to change the trips. I was very weary of them from all the talk in the forums, but I was actually surprised that the flight was smooth and the FA's were nice, but I still felt icky that I was on a flight own by the very company that brought down Aloha.

In this years trip I will be going back to Hawaiian.