Traveling to Hawaii's Outer Islands

[DaveNV]

I'm curious about those of you who travel from the US mainland to Hawaii's Outer Islands. Now that some airlines are flying directly to those destinations (specifically Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island), do you fly directly there, or do you connect through Honolulu? In your experience, is it cheaper and/or easier to connect through Honolulu? I'm seeing a lack of direct flights to the Outer Islands, so am wondering whether it'd just be easier to bite the bullet and fly to HNL and take it from there. What's your experience?

Dave

 

[Dave M]

It all depends....

If you are going direct to one of the other islands, there is no reason to connect through HNL unless you can find a significantly cheaper fare with the connection. By flying nonstop, you'll have more vacation time and can avoid the cattle-car atmosphere of the separate HNL terminal for flights to those other islands.

Incidentally, some of the airlines have had nonstop flights from the mainland to those other islands for at least 40 years (when I first started visiting Hawaii.

 

[Luanne]

We fly from the west coast. I would never go through Honolulu if I could prevent it. Mostly because I don't want to waste the time it takes to change planes.

 

[mamadot]

We now have a non stop from Phoenix to Kauai. I miss not going into HNL and seeing the view of the beach and Pearl Harbor!

 

[linsj]

It's sometimes less expensive for me to fly from Chicago to HNL, then take Aloha to another island. Or if I'm vacationing with a friend from another city, we meet in HNL and fly together to our destination.

 

[DeniseM]

We always connect through Oahu, because we use FF miles on Hawaiian Air, and we have to change planes on Oahu. But it's FREE!

I think Hawaiian Air does have a few direct flights, but not from our area.

 

[Deb from NC]

We flew Delta direct from Atlanta to Maui for Thanksgiving last year. Painless! I never even considered stopping on Oahu...

 

[marsha77]

I'm flying United, using FF miles Chicago (ord) to Kona. My Daughter & Hubby are using American FF miles, they're going Chicago (ord) to Hnl. My daughter's friend is flying US Air going Chicago (ord) to Phoenix, than on to Kona. My son & his wife, using United FF miles, are flying from Portland to San Francisco, than on the Kona. American seems to be cheaper in Chicago to go thru Hnl. I would rather avoid hnl, unless I was going there, or it was cheaper!

Marsha

 

[Hoc]

I usually fly to HNL, then connect. Mostly because it's usually a hundred or so dollars cheaper, and I don't mind the connection (what's a 10 minute walk and an hour connection?). Also, I usually spend a day or more on Oahu whenever I go to Hawaii, because I have family and friends there, and there are better restaurants there.

 

[jacknsara]

I'm curious about those of you who travel from the US mainland to Hawaii's Outer Islands. Now that some airlines are flying directly to those destinations (specifically Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island), do you fly directly there, or do you connect through Honolulu? In your experience, is it cheaper and/or easier to connect through Honolulu? I'm seeing a lack of direct flights to the Outer Islands, so am wondering whether it'd just be easier to bite the bullet and fly to HNL and take it from there. What's your experience?

Dave

Aloha Dave,
The first day that Alaska Airlines announced their new Seattle - Lihue (Kauai) non stop , we booked it. That first day it was heavily discounted. We look forward to using that non stop Alaska flight even if there is a mild premium to do so. We go in winter. We've had weather and mechanical flight disruptions.
Jack

 

[x3 skier]

Incidentally, some of the airlines have had nonstop flights from the mainland to those other islands for at least 40 years (when I first started visiting Hawaii.

Took a United from SFO to Hilo way back in 78. Then flew direct to Kauai and home from there. Never did see Honolulu which was just another big city to us and thus very uninteresting.

Cheers

 

[DaveNV]

Okay, let me try this again.

For example: If I want to fly from Seattle to Lihue on Alaska Airlines, there is only one flight a day, which arrives later in the evening, well after check-in time at my resort. If I choose to connect through Honolulu, I can arrive at a much more reasonable time. But that means dealing with the connecting flight, and extra flight time required. I'd like to figure out how to get there and back in the easiest way possible.

So what I'm asking is if you fly direct to the Outer Islands, how do you do it? Is it more convenient or cheaper than connecting through HNL? How do you make your arrangements? Is there anyone on TUG from the Seattle area who flies via LAX or SFO or wherever to get connections directly to those Outer Island cities? What about the return trip?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Pila]

duplicate post, see below

 

[Pila]

For me, it is cost plus arrival time. Flying ATA to the outer islands means arriving around 9:40 pm in Lihue. By the time you get your car and bags, you are pushing 11 pm by the time you get to your resort, which wipes out the next day for early activities. The return flight is a Red Eye getting back around 5:45 am. I can fly on Hawaiian or Aloha via HNL and get to Lihue around 2:30, which gives me some time to shop for food.

 

[charford]

I fly NWA. I generally choose by arrival time with a strong preference to nwa because of ff mile accumulation. My preferred route to kona involves a direct msp-hnl flight on the inbound. It arrives around 4 p.m, so there is plenty of time to make up for any missed connection and still get the rental car and get to the resort.


I found on my last trip, when I did miss the connection, that the car rental closed at 10:30, before connecting flights stopped for the evening.


On the return, I take a koa-sea-msp route. Nwa also has a hnl-msp return, but it arrives at 6 a.m. Central time or 2 a.m. HI time which leaves me feeling jet-lagged for days. By returning via Seattle, I arrive at noon Central time or 8 a.m. HI time. The later arrival leaves me feeling much more functional instead of exhausted for days.

 

[Kauai Kid]

We flew Phoenix-Lihue on US Air in December because it was the lowest priced according to Orbitz. Going to Kauai the flight was very convenient with an early arrival which we prefer. Going back to the mainland was very inconvenient and we were on the last flight out of Lihue at 1140pm. (I would have preferred leaving at 530 pm and getting home at 830 am)

Really would have preferred to have Scotty from Star Trek to beam us up and over in both directions. Coming back is always the worst.:zzz: Takes days to recover.

Sterling