slippahs

Well it can be longer, given the security wait times. Note that the estimates I gave you from security checkpoint to security checkpoint are if you walk at a decent pace.

Given your 7 hour layover, you might consider having dinner in Waikiki somewhere, especially with a nice beach view (Golden Dragon at the HHV comes to mind--with a nice sunset view as well) and taxiing it back to the airport after you're complete. You can also spend some time walking on the beach (though, you may want to skip this, given the current polutant levels still lingering around the Waikiki area) before heading back. You might also take TheBus from the airport to Waikiki if on a tight budget and vice-versa depending on your time constraints.

BJMKE

Cool, thanks...no need to worry about the pace. My family walks very quickly! As for me while I'm alone on the layover, I'm planning to go cheap, so I think I will look into the bus as I'm still in school, and saving money for my back packing trip to Europe this summer as well. We'll be there starting Memorial Day weekend, so I'm really hoping the weather and beach situation clears up by then! Have things gotten better, I've stopped hearing anything on the news...I guess the Danube has replaced the HI islands...
Thanks again for everything...this forum and you in particular make travel to paradise all the more comfortable and worry-free! ^

slippahs

Sure. You might want to check out http://www.thebus.org for more info. Also, if you find yourself short on time for the return, you might also consider taking the Robert's Airport-Waikiki Express.

Keep a close eye on the situation in the waters off Waikiki; in the past week or so, things have still not looked too good.

lilazncanadian

I'm also planning to do a layover in HNL this Saturday. My flight gets in around 7pm and I leave the next morning at 9am for Osaka. Our plan is to bus it out to Waikiki (traffic should be better than my 3pm arrival last time ) and go to dinner somewhere along the strip, romantic walk on the beach etc.

Our plan is to bus back or taxi it if necessary back to HNL at about 4:45am so that we can lounge around in the RCC after it opens at 5:15am before our flight to Osaka.

From going to Waikiki last time, it was pretty dead after about midnight. Any suggestions for things to do from 12am-4:30am? My back up if all else fails is to stay at the Waikiki Beachside Hostel: http://www.waikikibeachsidehostel.com/ but I'd rather spend the 4 hours not sleeping

redsock

Given that Island Air lists the hours of Ag Inspection as:

Hours of agricultural inspection:

Hilo, Big Island of Hawaii (ITO) 6:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) open 24 hours
Ho’olehua, Moloka’i (MKK) 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Kahului, Maui (OGG) 5:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Kapalua, West Maui (JHM) 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Kona, Big Island of Hawaii (KOA) 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lihue, Kauai (LIH) 5:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Lana'i (LNY) 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

...does this mean that it is not possible to take a 7:15p Island Air flight from LNY to HNL, connect to a mainland flight departing around 10p, and have your bags checked all the way through? Ideally, I would like to book LNY-HNL-LAX (etc etc), arrive at LNY 90 min prior to my departure, check the bags all the way through, etc etc but it looks like the AgInspection would be closed by then, and I really don't want to show up before 4:30 for my 7:15 departure from LNY. Thoughts?

Mr. Roboto

I understood it to mean that if you have a HNL connection to the US mainland, then your bags will be checked to HNL where you go through agricultural inspection and then check the bags to their final destination.

Rozalyne

The classifyer word "may" there is outdated those days are gone. They now always charge you a fee, which for Hawaiian Airlines is at least $25 ($40 is the most common fee). This applies to missed flights (even if you get to the airport before the plane left; 30 minutes is the cut-off point, unless you pre-printed your boarding pass by checking in on the web) as well as if you get to the airport early and try to get on an earlier flight.

wheresTWA

slippahs-

Awesome grouping of information, thanks for putting this together.

One note for you - your link to the HNL terminal map no longer works. Here is a different one with a nice map:

http://www.state.hi.us/dot/airports/...rminal_map.htm

aisleorwindow

This thread is great - thanks for putting it together and maintaining it!

One addition to the intnl flight list:

UA has flights to KIX and NRT from HNL

AA-Platinum

We just returned from two weeks in Hawaii. This forum was invaluable in helping us navigate the air part of our trip. Thank you.

A few updates:
America West flys PHX-LIH (A-320)
If, for any reason, you open a bag after it has been checked by the USDA, it must be rechecked (you will most likely do this if you have one bag over 50lbs and the other under 50lbs).
Admiral's Club Members (AA) will use the Qantas Club (Gate 26). This is not posted, so you have to know
SeatGuru was redesigned a few months ago....all of the links you have are dead
When we checked in with HA in LIH, they were able to send our bags all the way through, but they were unable to check us in for our connecting AA flight. We had to do this at the gate (so leave enough time). This is true whether you are on a code or two different records

slippahs

Thanks for the updates.
Are you sure it's a A-320? Currently, no carrier operates an A-320 to Hawaii. And, a quick search of the US Air schedule (America West no longer exists in its name) shows that the route is being operated by a 752.
Yes, that's a big no no. My guess is that people have tried smuggling more than a few fruits after the check.
Good point. However, keep in mind that the Qantas Club is roughly a 5-10 minute walk from the AA gates. So a tight connection might warrant only a quick stop at the club, or none at all.
Will update, thanks!
That's odd. I was under the impression that AA and HA had interline ticketing arrangements in Hawaii. Hmm...

ExecPlatWife

We just returned from the Big Island earlier this week. Hawaiian was able to check our bags all the way through, but could not give us our boarding passes. We got those at the Admiral's Club in Honolulu.

The odd thing to me: When we checked in at HA, I did not have to show any ID at all to get our boarding passes (my husband wasn't even there, as he was returning the rental car) and check bags. I even asked, and the agent said he didn't need it.

AA-Platinum

My mistake; that's what I get from listening to someone who does not know planes. It is a 752

flymeAAway

Just completed trip from DFW-HNL on AA and HNL-LNY on Island Air. Some observations.

CHECK IN ON ONLINE-
I purchased my electronic tickets on a code share with Aloha. I attempted to check in online with Aloha 24 hours in advance and it would not let me. It informed me the ticketing must be handled at the airport. I went to the Island Air site and was allowed to check in with no problem. Once you put it one confirmation/ticket number it pulls the other travelers as well. On the return I attempted to check in on-line with Island Air with my ticket number and it would not allow me to do so. I tried my wife's and it allowed us to ticket both without a problem. When I originally checked in with AA they could not check my bags all the way at curbside. I had to go to the ticket counter where the agent could not see my PNR with Island Air. If I did not have my boarding passes already in hand, they would not have checked my luggage all the way through.

WALK OR RIDE-
Island Air and Go! are located in the commuter terminal not the Inter Island terminal. The walk from the AA gates to the Admirals Club was 5 minutes. To get there, keep walking left tell you get to the Ewa concourse and proceed to an elevator next to gate 26. It's on the 3rd floor. From there, we later walked to the commuter terminal by going through the Inter Island terminal which took another 5 minutes. I have had longer walks at ORD and would definitely recommend the walk rather than leaving security and taking the Wiki Wiki shuttle and rescreening your carry on bags. However, a cart helped with the carry on bags.

Important note, as you enter the commuter terminal airside you actually enter through the "annex" which looks pretty bleak and abandoned. There is nothing there to tell you to wait for a Island Air representative. They will walk you outside on the tarmac to the departure terminal. It may be up to a 10 minute wait for someone to get you. As we returned back through HNL we were escorted back to the annex to connect to the mainland. You will have to screen your carry on bags for Agriculture Inspection as you leave the Inter Island terminal. It took less than a minute.

LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS-
Island Air advertises a baggage limit of 50 lbs per passenger and a limit of two bags. They hold you to the 2 bags but did not give me an issue on the weight unless it was over 50 lbs per bag. Both of our flights were sold out, the planes are small and they weigh every bag as not to exceed take off weight. The carry on space is very limited to a height and depth of about 8". One of my carry on's would not fit and they simply let me hand the bag to the ground crew before we departed. They put it in the hold and handed it to me as I got off the plane.

BOARDING AND SEATING-
They tell you they board 30 minutes before flight time. 10 minutes is actually closer but your YMMV. You line up at an exit door, general boarding to the left and preborading to the right. They are very loose with the preboarding rules and most people push it since the seating is open and they want good seats. Once boarding begins you walk out to the plane and up a few steps to enter the plane. They use the DASH 8 in which there are 8 exit seats. The right hand bulkhead exit row at the front provides the most legroom.

CPRich

I don't see USAirways listed as flying to anywhere in HI. I'm pretty sure that they fly to HNL, LIH, OGG, and KOA. At least I hope so, as I just booked tickets to LIH