Executrip

Here is an article that should answer your question about an existing inter-line agreement.
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...89&newsLang=en

Be sure to present all Itineraries (If 2 separate) at time of check-in with Continental to ensure bags are checked right thru to KOA.
You will need all of that 90 mins to transfer at HNL...no time to be re-checking bags. You can certainly do it in less time ...but it is advisable to have at least 90 mins to cushion any potential delays from the Mainland.

jbrandi82

Thank you very much, I noticed that this is about 3 years old, does anyone know if this agreement is still in place, it doesn't seem like the people at Go or continental know about it.

chunky649

Hello all,

I did some searches for United and other words, but nothing recent/relevent came up...

My friend and I are visiting Hawaii for the first time. We're on different flights. He seems to have a problem.

He is coming via United YEG (Edmonton, Canada) to SFO to HNL. Flight number 477 on sunday arriving at 18:54 (6:54pm). He is Canadian, but should clear customs/immigration (CBP) before arriving at HNL. Here is the problem: He booked a separate ticket on Hawaiian HNL - KOA 19:52 (7:52pm) to meet up with me. This is the last flight to KOA for the evening.

It may be a communication error, but he is under the impression that United will transfer his checked luggage to the Hawaiian flight if he ask them to at check-in at YEG. (remember this is a separate ticket).

I believe that if he doesn't check luggage, do e-checkin for his Hawaiian air flight, he may make it. However, if he checked luggage, he won't. From my calculation, he has 42 minutes from airplane door to airplane door.

What is the concensus here? Can he make it either way? (assuming the United flight from SFO arrives ontime and he is the first person out of the plane?

Any tips on what to expect leaving the plane? (or shuttle bus?) I.e. which gate (or batch of gates) will he get out of, and which way (and how far) will he have to run? (if he e-checked in but no boarding pass, or if he cannot check in in SFO for some reason)?

Is there a Hawaiian air ticket counter at SFO he can get paper boarding pass?

diamond404

Sorry I don't have more answers but wanted to say.. if I had a 42 min connection and NEEDED my bag that night, I'd carry-on...

chunky649

My recommendation to him as well. I don't think he has time to pick up his luggage AND check it to his next flight...

What I'd like to learn is from someone who knows the airport and/or taken a similar trip (with a less crazy transfer time). I.e. I believe this is what happens:

United flight lands, but passengers deplane onto tarmac and board a shuttle bus. (~15 minutes)
The shuttle bus takes the passenger to the main terminal (~5 minutes)
Here is where I can't figure out: Can he simple run to the HA gate to catch his flight? Or does he have to go through some sort of security/check-in to get a paper boarding pass?
Can he get his paper boarding pass in SFO? This may be difficult itself since he only have a ~1.5hr stop in SFO, and I think he has to clear customs since he flew in from Edmonton, Canada...so he may not have time to clear customs, get out to land-side to get his boarding pass and then get back through TSA and to his gate? (or can he??)

zrs70

Perhaps i am misreading, but with a 6:54 arrival and a 7:52 departure, that's 58 minutes, not 42. I think it it very doable. And even with separate tickets, shouldn't be an issue at all checking bags.

Salisbury5

Last week I did YOW-IAD-DEN-HNL-KOA.

It was UA to HNL and HA to KOA.

Yes, your bag can be checked through to KOA.

I did online checkin for HA before leaving and had paper boarding passes for HNL-KOA.

No separate security for HA flights. You walk right to the gate at the inter island terminal. But you have to get from UA gate to inter island terminal which can be walked or you can take the wiki wiki shuttle. (not always quickie quickie as my kids like to say).

Seems like a doable connection to me. From UA gate to inter island terminal is about 15-20 mins.

KeaauFlyer

Aloha! Your friend really should have no trouble unless his incoming flight into HNL is significantly delayed. I have made 30 minute connections in HNL (with bags) and had time to pick up a copy of 'The Economist" in my favorite HNL news shop. I don't bother with the shuttle, but walk over to the Interisland Terminal, which takes about 10 minutes.

With pre-clearance formalities in Canada, there is no reason to reclaim and recheck the bags because UA will "interline" them with HA. He will need to show his HA itinerary when he checks the bags at YEG. If he can't do on line check-in before leaving, there are kiosks in the Interisland Terminal where he can get a BP. I'm not familiar with HA's operation at SFO, so I don't know how easy it would be to get a BP there.

I hope both of you enjoy your visit to our beautiful island. Try to make it over to the Hilo side if you can. Madame Pele has been in a state of flux and these are interesting times at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

chunky649

The e-ticket state that boarding ends 15 minutes before departure (i.e. the doors close). That is where I get 42 minutes.

Thank you all for your assurance. I learned that the time from the UA gate to the HA gate is only 10-15 minute walk. (faster if he run).

I am still a little fuzzy on how the plane land and board. I searched some archives and read that most/all planes board/deplane outdoors and a shuttle bus is involved? Realistically, assuming a published arrival time of 6:54pm, When will my friend reach the UA gate in the terminal? (Is the plane directly parking at the terminal? Or is there a shuttle bus?

cblaisd

Now that you've gotten some good answers, I'm going to merge this into the general thread on connecting at HNL -- you might will find a fount of mana`o about the WikiWiki, etc., for your connection.

cblaisd
Co-Moderator, Hawai`i forum

stravels

Hawaiian has been closing the door and leaving the gate before the scheduled departure. Have had a couple instances in the last year where I was checked in, standing at the gate a few minutes before the scheduled departure watching the plane taxi away.

Think all flights to the major terminals with the exception of Kona are no longer outdoors; the United flight to HNL is definitely indoors. Depending on weather/capacity the flight might land on the reef runway where it will take a while (approx 10 min?) to taxi to the gate. You should check the stats for the particular flight to determine when the flight will most likely land. Most of the flights I've flown recently have arrived early, but we arrived on-time as a result of a short delay on take off in LAX last Sunday.

The shuttle bus that you've been reading about is most likely the wiki wiki bus that transfers folks between the mainland/international and interisland terminals. The United gates (6-11) are at the diamondhead end of the terminal, and the interisland terminal is around the corner. See http://hawaii.gov/hnl/terminal-infor...ry2ndFloor.pdf for the map. The walk should not take more than 15 min and as long as he doesn't exit the terminal he will not have to go through TSA screening again.

Executrip

Chunky,
* All of the planes from the Mainland arrive at a traditional gate with attached enclosed walkway to the terminal (proper)Forget the Tarmac business for now.....and shuttle. All Hawaiian flights to KOA board from HNL using a traditional enclosed gate walkway. The only Tarmac arrival departure scenario...will be at KOA...where a set of "stairs" will be pushed up to the plane by the ground crew for passengers to use. This is in KOA only on the itinerary you shared.
* Starting at the 24 hr out mark...your friend will check in on-line for both flights United/ & Hawaiian...at each of their websites and print off the boarding passes.
* At YEG check-in, he presents both itineraries to the United ticket agent ...and if he chooses to check baggage he/she will then tag the bags SFO/HNL/KOA (We have down this many many times)"Interline agreement" It matters not that it is 2 different tickets.
* Ticket agent in YEG at time of check-in can also issue him a boarding pass for the Hawaiian leg of the journey if he did not have access to a printer or did not do an on-line check-in 24 hrs out.
* Upon arrival at HNL...with arrival being on-time...he has a 58 min connection.....This is not ideal but certainly doable. I prefer 90 mins -120 mins.
* Everyone on that arriving HNL plane wants to be the first one off....especially the roughly 50% likely making (Last flight of the day) Inter-island connections.
*Tell him to proceed (on foot) toward the Inter-Island terminal( NO wiki -wiki bus/shuttle)...carefully reading the signs. He will be able to stay in the secure zone...just make sure to read the signs or ask folks....as it is also possible to leave the secure zone without little effort.
* This transfer (on foot) should be done at a fair clip without any stops (BR on plane prior to landing). As others have mentioned..United gates are at the far end of the HNL main terminal.
* Hawaiian Inter-Island flights are almost always on-time. There is also a "chance" that the United flight will be in early from SFO.

Good Luck to you both.
Did you happen to read the most excellent, clear and concise tips by" slippahs & cblaisd" at the top of this thread? .....covers pretty well any scenario that could crop up.

Gparry

Hello,
THANK YOU for creating this forum and providing such detailed information. I have learned alot from reading it.

I was hoping the readers can give me some advice.

I have tickets booked to fly back to the mainland on Delta airlines leaving at 1:00 PM HNL to LAX.

We will be in Kauai and wanted to fly back to HNL that same morning. We have two options:
1) Hawaiian air leaving LIH at 8:30 and arriving at 9:02 HNL
2) go!Mokulele that leaves LIH at 10:00 and arrives at 10:30 HNL

I would like to take the 10 LIH flight but wanted to make sure that I was leaving enough time for delays and for us to transfer from the commuter terminal to the main terminal?

Executrip

Choose the Hawaiian Airlines' flight regardless of time.
On your return to the Mainland...120 min connection time is ideal...90 mins minimum.
It is different on the inbound from the Mainland...as if there is a delay from the Mainland( often happens)...there are usually many Inter-island flight options.....Not the case when returning to the Mainland.
So, are the other HA flights soldout?? HA 304 arriving HNL 1030...or HA 514 arriving 1124?
The direct walk from the Inter-island terminal takes roughly 20 mins. The Delta gates are a little closer than say...United...so you have a slight advantage there.
Keep in mind that Delta flight will start boarding 30 -40 mins prior to departure...and if folks aren't checked in and present...the standbys are clicking their heels. So don't leave it too tight.

Gparry

Thanks you for the advice. When I posted the question, the HA 304 was sold out but now today its available again :-) and even a little cheaper than the earlier flight. I agree I would prefer to fly HI b.c. of the Delta sky miles program and the greater likelihood that they would take my luggage all the way through to the final destaination.