Baggage transfer in HNL
 

Hi everyone,

I'm finalizing plans for a three week vacation to Maui, Oahu, and BI (one week each in that order). Had no choice on the order of the islands so am having to do more island-hopping than I would like.

I'm flying into HNL on American Airlines (departing from Chattanooga), and have to get a flight into Maui (JHM). (I already have my Chattanooga-HNL round trip tickets). Assuming I get my ticket from HNL to JHM before I leave Chattanooga, will I have to pick up my luggage and re-check at the terminal for the trip to Maui or will I be able to have the luggage checked through to Maui even though I won't be getting the ticket from AA?

I think this is a question for the airlines.

OGG is the main Maui airport.

You are flying into the smaller West Maui airport.

This also means that you will have to go from the main terminal at HNL to the smaller commuter terminal next to the main terminal.

You won't have to leave the secured area (unless you want to) at the airport except for a small area, but you'll have an escort there.

Flying into West Maui is great if you're staying in the Lahaina/Kaanapali/Kapalua area.

We flew on ATA recently, and then on Island Air to Kauai and our bags were checked straight through from Oakland.

Warning - checked straight through doesn't mean they actually arrived with our flight. They didn't. There were a lot of people from all over the US whose bags didn't make it. This seems to be par for the course, since they were completely nonplussed by it, and told me that I could wait for the next flight, or they would deliver my bags on the "night run" (which, in fact, they did).

Thanks for your input.

dm,
Did you buy your tickets at the same time in order to get the bags checked all the way through or did you buy the Island Air ticket separate from the ATA ticket getting into HNL?

Yes, they were purchased together on Orbitz. My husband says that's why he did it that way, so we wouldn't have to pick up and move the luggage.

"nonplussed" would be perplexed, baffled, etc. Sounds like they were not at all surprised at luggage gone astray!o

I am shocked :) by my so-incorrect use of that word. I really had it wrong what it meant -- I thought it meant more like "nonchalant"

john55 - I strongly suggest you call AA to find out their minimum connection time requirement in order for them to check the bags all the way through at Chattanooga.

Have a nice trip.

We try to fly into and out of JHM if going to Maui. It is so laid back when you leave don't plan on anymore than an hour prior to flight time. They don't open security until about 20 minutes prior to departure time.

You will have to leave the HNL main terminal and go to the interisland terminal but it is a short walk or take the shuttle.

They should check your bags all the way through to JHM, but double check when they tag them in Chattanooga.

There isn't much to do in the interisland terminal and security takes just a few minutes. If you have a long lay over I would hang around the main terminal and than about an hour prior walk over to the interisland.

JHM is one of the best kept secrets for flying into west Maui. If you rent from Hertz you can park your car in the lot and drop your keys in the drop box. The other car rentals you will have to drop off site and take a shuttle to the airport (5 minutes).

We usually drop everybody and bags at JHM and then one of us takes the car back then grabs the shuttle back. That was before I saw that Hertz has a drop box.