cruisingmickey

Has anyone flown the United HNL - LAX + LAX - EWR or the HNL - SFO + SFO - EWR route? The connection looks really tight, about 1 hour 4 minutes/1 hour 5 minutes. I will have checked luggage and will be in business/first.

Should I avoid this flight? I'm not sure if I'll make it the connection. I'm thinking my luggage will definitely not make it? What happens if my luggage doesn't make it? Does it get shipped to me?

Thanks in advance.

JAaronT

This isn't particularly tight for a domestic connection.

laxmillenial

Unless I'm missing something (domestic -> domestic), I'm not sure why your luggage won't make it? My friend and I have connected in SFO/LAX with the MCT and had that beaten down to 25 minutes due to delays. My friends checked luggage made it no problems whatsoever. 1 hour+ seems overkill.

Regarding whether you'll make the flight, time of day would help. Are these middle of the day flights? Or redeye connecting to a morning? If on one PNR, I say go for it. If on multiple, I'd say check current on time stats.

goodeats21

The connection is tight, but doable. I would prefer LAX to avoid any SFO weather delays.
If your checked luggage does not make the connection, they send it on to EWR on the next flight. They will deliver to you in the area via courier. Takes about 24 hours IME.

Definitely book it all on one ticket so you are protected in case of any mis-connects...

cruisingmickey

Thanks everyone. This will be all on one ticket. Thanks for the suggestion on LAX versus SFO. I wasn't thinking of the potential weather delays.

Both of these are red eye flights. Both of them get in around 5am and then the flight to EWR is an hour later at 6am.

Kacee

Kind of depends which HNL-SFO flight you're on.

The red-eyes from HNL are over-blocked for flight time and typically arrive earlier than scheduled. Moreover, they arrive well before any traffic management plan might be implemented at SFO. So I wouldn't hesitate to book a 65 minute connection from one of those. Later arrivals are a little riskier.

Repooc17

Assuming the flight leaves on time from HNL, the time is plenty.

And, because there are so many transcon flights between SFO/LAX and EWR, you will be fine.

After UA747 last year, my red-eye flight from HNL arrived at SFO early enough for me to SDC to an earlier transcon flight to EWR. All on separate tickets by the way.

transportprof

If OP has Amex Plat, I would advise lengthening the connection at SFO and taking a shower in the Centurion Lounge. I did this on a HNL-SFO-YVR in late December, and felt much better on arrival at my final destination - especially since there is no place to shower at HNL before boarding the first flight and following a day on the beach.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I did this exact routing earlier earlier this month. No problem. Even had time to go to UC to pick up some newspapers. Redeye got in 5am (actually arrived a bit earlier than scheduled) and 6am departure for EWR. Hawaii flights have (in my experience, generally) been getting in earlier than scheduled.

HNLbasedFlyer

I connect all the time in SFO (weekly) usually always with 1 hour or less connection time (who wants to sit around an airport after flying 5 hours) - the schedule for HNL-SFO flights are padded, so any kind of decent tailwind generally gets you in early - and the flights always leave on time from HNL unless an issue with the inbound or something went mechanical.....

LAXOGG

Is there any reason why you are not considering the EWR direct flight? BF has lie flats all the way.

jsloan

If you happen to miss a LAX-EWR or SFO-EWR flight, there's another one in an hour or two. I wouldn't think twice about booking this connection.

I'd be somewhat more cautious about booking it in the other direction, but even still there's quite a bit of UA lift to Hawaii, so I'd probably still book a one-hour connection -- but then I'd be looking to switch to an earlier flight if operations looked bad.

I look for longer connections (e.g. ~2 hours) for once-daily flights, but I prefer shorter connections for frequent flights.

PVDProf

I also wouldn't think twice about this connection. The inbounds from Hawaii are very likely to be early or on time, and there are no shortage of frequencies to EWR. I would also lean toward LAX to avoid weather in SFO.

cruisingmickey

Thanks all! @LAXOGG I'd love the hnl to ewr flight, but that price of that is twice the amount x2 tickets so I have to suck it up with the connection.
@transportprof thanks for the idea! i was initially only searching on google flights, but went on united after you suggested it and I see a flight with a better connection 2 hr 20 min so I went ahead and booked that one. it is still out of SFO. good call on the centurion lounge. i do have the amex plat so this would be perfect. i'm heading to a wedding right after i get off the flight so the centurion lounge is helpful.
@IAH-OIL-TRASH thanks so much! it's comforting to know you did the same flight and without issues! i booked a similar flight, same first flight, but found one with the same price and a later connection - 2 hr 20 min versus the 1 hr.

thanks everyone for your help! much appreciated =)

764toHI

I'd keep a close eye on SDC the day prior to see if you can get on the nonstop but would caution the likelihood is low given how often the F cabin sells out on UA362. I also agree with the others on HNL-LAX-EWR for the added point of additional PQMs (at least 92 PQMs each way on a P/A/F fare).