West Coast connections

[OldGuy]

Have you been there lately?

I guess I wasn't clear.

 

[Luanne]

I guess I wasn't clear.

I guess not. You said "Well, anyway, I think it keeps it from getting too crowded." with no reference to any other post. So it was open to interpretation.

 

[OldGuy]

& you did a great job of interpreting

Before that I ragged about the 14 to 24 hour flights, and how it's . . .

well, it'still there

 

[Luanne]

& you did a great job of interpreting

Before that I ragged about the 14 to 24 hour flights, and how it's . . .

well, it'still there

Sorry, it's just too much trouble to go back through all of the past posts to try to figure out which one you were referring to.

And if that's what you were referring to, the long flights keep it from getting too crowded, I still disagree. Hawaii does get crowded. As I said in my earlier post, it's those from the west coast, Canada and Asia who just keep coming.

 

[davidvel]

Sorry, it's just too much trouble to go back through all of the past posts to try to figure out which one you were referring to.

And if that's what you were referring to, the long flights keep it from getting too crowded, I still disagree. Hawaii does get crowded. As I said in my earlier post, it's those from the west coast, Canada and Asia who just keep coming.

But at least it reduces the east coast people.

 

[JIMinNC]

But at least it reduces the east coast people.

Not us...you are still going to have to share the islands with some of us east coasters! We'll fly there as often as we can. Twelve hours; fourteen hours...no problem. I'm happier to fly 12 hours to Hawaii or 15 hours to Tahiti/Bora Bora than five hours to the Caribbean. Not knocking the Caribbean, mind you, we like that too; but Hawaii and French Polynesia are still the best. Save a spot for us!

 

[davidvel]

Not us...you are still going to have to share the islands with some of us east coasters! We'll fly there as often as we can. Twelve hours; fourteen hours...no problem. I'm happier to fly 12 hours to Hawaii or 15 hours to Tahiti/Bora Bora than five hours to the Caribbean. Not knocking the Caribbean, mind you, we like that too; but Hawaii and French Polynesia are still the best. Save a spot for us!

Ha, ha! We'll share Jim, anytime.

 

[OldGuy]

But at least it reduces the east coast people.

& 4 Midwest ones. It's kept them away for 20 years now.

 

[Luanne]

We lived on the west coast for years. Just moved 7 years ago. We still go to Hawaii once a year. Now we just take our time getting there and back, since we're retired, and spend a coupe of nights in San Francisco each way.

 

[jjking42]

We just got back from Kona. We flew from Dallas to San Diego on SW airlines and then Alaska airlines non stop from San Diego to Kona. We did spend the night in San Diego coming and going.

We like to break up the trip by spending a night on the west coast. Also we will book one way fares with different airlines if needed. Maybe Alaska to Hawaii and Hawaiian airlines coming back whatever fits our schedule and budget best. I also have SW points so if i can get to the west coast on SW that cut the cost a lot.

 

[Dean]

We've gone through LAX & SF both and I think both are fine if not changing airlines. I wouldn't avoid one over the other if it was better routing, timing or was cheaper. I would prefer SF all else equal. I'd also second seeing if you can get a direct flight to HNL then take an inter island flight. You might investigate going through DFW which has a direct flight to Kona but it might require flying in to DFW the night before and staying overnight which you should be able to do on 1 ticket. Personally I won't go to HI for just a week where it's 9-11 hours to get there esp with these prices.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone - I'm learning things that will be useful when DH and I go in future years!

We've gone through LAX & SF both and I think both are fine if not changing airlines. I wouldn't avoid one over the other if it was better routing, timing or was cheaper. I would prefer SF all else equal. I'd also second seeing if you can get a direct flight to HNL then take an inter island flight. You might investigate going through DFW which has a direct flight to Kona but it might require flying in to DFW the night before and staying overnight which you should be able to do on 1 ticket. Personally I won't go to HI for just a week where it's 9-11 hours to get there esp with these prices.

Unfortunately work schedules (my son just started a new job) will prevent them from staying longer than a week. On the other hand, our daughter lives in Ft. Worth, so they are considering American's nonstop DFW to Kona since they could drive up Friday night after work and spend the night with her. We're watching all the fares now - I will have to start looking at individual flights myself since they don't have time to do that.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone - I'm learning things that will be useful when DH and I go in future years!



Unfortunately work schedules (my son just started a new job) will prevent them from staying longer than a week. On the other hand, our daughter lives in Ft. Worth, so they are considering American's nonstop DFW to Kona since they could drive up Friday night after work and spend the night with her. We're watching all the fares now - I will have to start looking at individual flights myself since they don't have time to do that.

Personally I wouldn't go in this situation and both the short turn around or the costs for air at present prices . Flights alone with be $7K or more. If you're going to book the flights just make sure everyone is on the same page so you can book without checking with them if you find something that works as it may be fleeting.

 

[OldGuy]

& 4 Midwest ones. It's kept them away for 20 years now.

Someone can have our table at Keoki's, for Hula Pie:

https://www.keokisparadise.com/menus/dining-room/

 

[Tamaradarann]

Or for others, we look at it as a small price to pay for getting to Paradise. We've made the 12-14 hour door-to-door trip from Charlotte to Hawaii 11 times over the last 30 years or so. We were just there for 3.5 weeks this past Feb/Mar and are headed back for two weeks next February. Now that we own two EOY Odd weeks at Marriott Maui Ocean Club and Marriott Waiohai on Kauai, we'll be going at least every other year and, as we are doing next year, we'll probably use our points to go in some even years too. The flights really don't seem that bad to us since the connecting stop tends to break up the trip. If we connect in Phoenix or LAX each leg is about 5 hours or a little more; if we connect in DFW then its a 2-3 hour leg and a 8 hour or so leg.

Less than two months ago, we also flew to French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea) - that's 4-5 hours to LAX then another 7-8 hours to Papeete, Tahiti. That place is even more spectacular than Hawaii. We won't make that trip EOY - too many other places to go, so we can't have too many regular destinations - but we'll go back there in 3-4 years I'm sure. French Polynesia is also paradise and well worth the long flight.

I totally agree it is worth the trip and if you make it a long stay like you do and we do you forget how long the flight was going there by the time you come back home. We have been going to Hawaii for the winter 11 times in the last 11 years. In 2009 we went for 11 weeks, the next year 12 weeks, this past year 17 weeks, and next year we are looking at possibly 27 weeks. Back in 2009 we couldn't get a direct flight from NY so we flew out of our local airport and it took 19 hours with 2 plane changes. Over the last 6 years we have been taking Hawaiian Airlines with a direct flight from JFK which takes about 11 hours. That is very doable.

 

[OldGuy]

We'll share Jim, anytime.

comma missing?

 

[NTP66]

Throwing my $.02 in, I’d have no issues with a connection at LAX. I purposely book LAC as my connection because it breaks up our trip (flying from PHL, so Jim and I are on the same dedicated east coast Maui team) nicely. Now, if LAX is your destination, things are a little different.

 

[artringwald]

We just got back from Kona. We flew from Dallas to San Diego on SW airlines and then Alaska airlines non stop from San Diego to Kona. We did spend the night in San Diego coming and going.

We like to break up the trip by spending a night on the west coast. Also we will book one way fares with different airlines if needed. Maybe Alaska to Hawaii and Hawaiian airlines coming back whatever fits our schedule and budget best. I also have SW points so if i can get to the west coast on SW that cut the cost a lot.

We do the same thing. Next winter we're going through LAX both ways, just because we're staying on Kauai this time, and Hawaiian Airlines has nice non-stop flights to LIH from LAX. In various years we've stopped over in San Diego, LAX, SFO, Portland, and Seattle. The last 2 are our favorite if the flights are favorable.

 

[zentraveler]

Often not the best route on December 28!

We've slept on the concrete floor there, in the Winter, with teeny, tiny blankets they got off the stranded planes. and an impacted wisdom tooth, thanks to my college fullback dentist, Fumble Fingers.

Most memorable airport line . . . a really obviously gay (that's OK to say nowadays, isn't it? . . . I lose track) gate attendant made one-too-many of those we-really-have-no-clue-when-any-of-you-are-getting-out-of-here announcements, and a guy yelled at him, "FU", only the actual words, of course. Without missing a beat, the gate attendant calmly said, "I don't think we know each other that well."

As a San Franciscan and frequent flyer, loved your post OldGuy. Another of the classic "do you know who I am sort of responses" .